We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This permanent role has a starting salary of £41,585 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We have a great opportunity to join our Surrey Youth Justice Service as a Referral Order Panel Lead.

We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 3 days per week on average (60% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time.

Our Offer to You

26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About the Role

Surrey Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency partnership which provides services before and after court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system.

The YJS sits within the newly formed Adolescent Service portfolio which is part of the Children’s, Families and Life Long Learning Directorate within Surrey County Council and is committed to integrated working to achieve it’s primary aim of preventing offending and reduce reoffending by children. The service works in partnership with a variety of agencies both externally and within the Adolescent Service to ensure children are offered appropriate intervention to address identified risks, meet their needs and build on their strengths. Further, the service seeks to repair the harm caused to victims and communities by addressing the root causes of offending and reoffending by children.

Daily responsibilities of a Referral Order Lead include:

Attending Referral Order Panels in person as an observer to support and embed best practice, providing feedback to panel volunteers
Liaising with panel volunteers and the YJS Central Team Administrator to coordinate panels and trouble shout any problems
Supporting the administration of panels when the YJS Central Team Administrator requires support or is unavailable
Supporting with the development of Community Reparation Projects in Surrey YJS where appropriate
Travelling across the county for Team Meetings with the three Youth Justice Hubs and also attending Referral Order panels to observe and drive practice forwards
Meeting and contacting victims of youth crime and their families
Undertaking sensitive and complex restorative case work
Supporting and facilitating face to face restorative meetings, shuttle mediation, and advocating for a victim at Referral Order panel meetings
Adhering to the code of practice for victims of crime
Liaising with relevant partners as required
Ensuring relevant performance data is recorded in this area of work

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Relevant professional qualification and relevant registration where required and experience, or considerable experience of working within the service area.
High level working knowledge of relevant legislation, procedural frameworks and practice standards in a specialised area of practice.
Proven written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with good negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to maintain effective working relationships at all levels.
High level problem solving skills with the capacity to devise and implement innovative solutions.
Ability to communicate with compassion and authority in challenging situations and with resistant individuals, be able to effectively engage with people in complex situations both short-term and building relationships over time.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and lworkers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role.
Please tell us about the key skills and experience you will be able to bring to this role.
What is your understanding of the use of Referral Orders and how these can be developed to consider being more child first?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19/04/2026 with interviews to follow.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s Barred List checks will be required for this role.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

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