Young Persons Advisor

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Constantine House, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DH - Hybrid
• Salary: £29,542 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

We’re passionate about improving the future for our customers, our communities and the environment. If you are too, join us as a Young Persons Advisor in our Seeking Sanctuary Team part of Next Steps Service and make a huge and meaningful impact. Your innovation and drive will help us to continue improving and evolving. Our opportunities and support will enable you to make a difference and leave a positive, lasting legacy.  

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will:

• Work with over 18-year-old unaccompanied care leavers who will need ongoing support with their Asylum application, housing, training and/or employment.
• Hold case responsibility for these young adults and carry out Pathway Plans until at least their 21st birthday.
• Receive regular supervision from a manager/senior social worker and work collaboratively with team members, regularly attend team meetings, be offered shadowing opportunities to broaden your understanding of UASC/care leaver protocols. 

You will need

• Suitable practitioner level qualification at Level 3 or equivalent experience in relevant area of work.
• Excellent communication skills with a commitment to listening to young adults around challenging topics such as family loss, mental health difficulties, substance misuse and criminality.
• A thorough understanding of safeguarding concerns and specific risks associated with UASC and adult care leavers.
• Good organisation skills and competency with computer systems; paperwork and case recordings.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.  

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more.

The team

We are a specialist team focusing on supporting asylum seeking and refugee young people who are seeking sanctuary in the UK.  The team is comprised of Social Workers who support those under 18, and Persons Advisers who support those over 18.  Our aim is to help vulnerable people overcome adversity and trauma.  We facilitate our young people’s asylum applications in hope of gaining their legal status to remain in the UK. 

Everyone in the team is passionate and driven to help young people rebuild their lives after experienced atrocities abroad.  Our young people arrive here unaccompanied and often without the ability to speak English.  This makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.  We actively advocate for our young people to ensure they are safe and have access to positive opportunities. 

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Aimee Burch or Liam Connolly for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling (Aimee) 01473 260568 or (Liam) 01473 263553, or emailing aimee.burch@suffolk.gov.uk or liam.connolly@suffolk.gov.uk

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

1. Give an example of when you developed a trusting relationship with a young adult who was initially reluctant to engage.
2. Tell us about a safeguarding concern or significant risk you identified. What action did you take, and how did you escalate the matter?
3. Describe a time when you adapted your communication or approach to support someone from a different cultural background or with different communication needs.
4. Tell us about a time when you managed a demanding caseload or competing priorities. How did you prioritise your work and meet important deadline?

Please note: Without the requested supporting documents, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.  You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 17 November 2026.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.  #LI-Hybrid