Overview
Youth offending teams (YOTs) are multi agency partnerships that work with young people aged 10 to 17 who have been convicted of a criminal offence or are at risk of offending. The work is challenging, rewarding, and deeply reliant on relationship building. Employers hiring into YOT roles want graduates who understand the youth justice system, have experience working with vulnerable young people, and can produce clear case records and assessment reports. A criminal justice degree gets you through the first filter. What gets you the job is evidence that you can work with young people in difficult circumstances.
This resume belongs to Kieran Walsh, a Criminal Justice BSc graduate from the University of Portsmouth. He completed a 10 week placement with the Hampshire Youth Offending Team, supported 8 young people through court ordered interventions, and volunteered with a youth mentoring charity for 2 years during his degree. His resume balances academic credentials with hands on youth work experience.
What Makes This Resume Work
The placement describes real casework. Kieran supported 8 young people on referral orders, youth rehabilitation orders, and community resolutions. He attended 4 panel meetings with parents, victims, and panel members, and he co-delivered 6 intervention sessions on knife crime awareness using the YJB (Youth Justice Board) approved programme. These are the core activities of a YOT officer, described at the right level of specificity.
Assessment tool experience is mentioned. Kieran used AssetPlus, the national assessment framework for youth offending, to contribute to 5 assessments under supervision. AssetPlus is the primary case management tool in youth justice, and showing familiarity with it tells an employer he can contribute to assessments from day one rather than needing weeks of training.
Volunteer mentoring adds depth. Two years of weekly mentoring sessions with young people referred by schools and social services. Kieran worked one to one with 6 young people aged 12 to 16, focusing on anger management, school attendance, and peer relationship skills. This volunteer work shows sustained commitment to young people beyond the requirements of his degree.
Safeguarding training is documented. Enhanced DBS check, Level 2 Safeguarding Children training, and Prevent awareness training. These are requirements for any role involving vulnerable young people, and listing them removes a common hiring barrier for graduates.
Key Takeaways
Describe your placement or volunteer work with specific caseload numbers, intervention types, and assessment tools. Youth justice employers need to see that you understand the day to day work of a YOT, not just the theory of criminal justice.
Mention AssetPlus experience if you have it. It is the standard assessment tool across all YOTs in England and Wales, and employers will prioritise candidates who are familiar with it.
Document your safeguarding training. Enhanced DBS, safeguarding children, and Prevent are baseline requirements. Having them already completed speeds up the recruitment process significantly.
