Youth Practitioner (Zero Hours)

You’ll be joining a warm and committed team at The Rowans, a residential home supporting children and young people aged 8–17 who’ve experienced trauma, neglect or instability.

You’ll receive a full induction, regular supervision, and access to qualifications including a Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Care. We offer flexibility around hours, additional payments for sleep-ins and bank holidays, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme and employee benefits.

Most importantly, you’ll be making a meaningful difference to children’s lives while working in a supportive and ambitious service.

What you’ll be doing

• help create and update care plans, risk assessments and support plans
• support children to access opportunities in education, employment and leisure
• work in the home and local community, including some evening, weekend and sleep-in shifts
• build strong relationships through consistent, nurturing and aspirational care
• support young people with daily life skills, education and confidence-building activities
• work closely with families, schools, and other professionals to get the best outcomes

About you

• you’re caring, curious and resilient, with a real passion for helping young people thrive
• you build trust quickly and adapt your approach to meet individual needs
• you’re willing to work flexibly and learn therapeutic, safeguarding and neurodiversity-informed approaches
• you work well in a team but are confident acting on your own initiative too
• you want to make a difference in Dorset and be part of a team that never gives up

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed. 

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. 

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. 

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you, mention them when asked on your application form. 

Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title. 

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We: 

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents 
• work in partnership to make a real difference 
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities 
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive 

You will: 

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset 
• have access to a range of benefits and support 
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. 

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. 

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. 

Find out more about how to apply.