A parenting officer will work to engage with and improve the parenting skills of parents / carers of young people who are at risk of offending or who are already involved in the Criminal Justice System.
Parenting officers will need to complete full parenting assessments when triggered by a young person’s assessment and identify and agree appropriate individual or group interventions on a voluntary, contractual or statutory basis.
Parenting interventions would need to be delivered in line with YOT procedures and YJB effective practice guidance. Many YOTs have access to specific parenting programmes that can be delivered.
The parenting officer may also advise other YOT staff delivering parenting interventions and may supervise any Sessional staff employed to assist with work with parents / carers
It would be important for the parenting worker to link in with other local services so that progress can be supported and sustained and that there is vigilance regarding the safety and protection of children
All assessments and interventions would need to be fully recorded, reviewed and evaluated.
Parenting workers would need previous experience of working with parents and carers within the Youth Offending or Family Support Services and many posts would require some experience of delivering group work interventions
It would also be important to have experience of working with families across all equalities issues ensuring that working practice is anti – discriminatory.