YES Caseworker

About Us

The Youth Emotional Support (YES) service works with young people aged 11 to 18 to help ensure that they are supported to achieve their potential. The foundations for future mental health, emotional control, intelligence, and parenting ability are all set in place in the early years through to adolescence, and the home surroundings, family life and parenting are all important factors in determining positive outcomes for young people in the future.

The YES service are passionate about delivering positives outcomes for young people to provide them with the building blocks for future success with a focus on mood, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, self-injury and any other issues that might be affecting their emotional well-being. We are passionate about our people and how we deliver services to our communities in West Sussex. That's why we encourage a culture that puts Children First.

The Opportunity

Salary: £36,924 to £39,713 per annum (includes Crawley Weighting Allowance)
Working Pattern: Full Time
Contract Length: Fixed Term, currently until 31.03.2027
Location: Office base at Crawley Library with countywide travel

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

You will provide tailored support to young people and their families, working collaboratively to assess and address their educational, personal, and social needs to support their transition from childhood to adulthood. Your role will be empowering them to make informed, positive choices, particularly in relation to their emotional wellbeing. You will provide information, advice, and guidance services and personal one to one support to young people aged 11-18 years old who have emotional health and wellbeing vulnerabilities. You'll be working very closely with people who access or need the service and/or dealing with subject matter which will require you to demonstrate emotional resilience. The role could also involve exposure to challenging behaviour from people who access or need the service.

Candidates must hold a full, valid driving licence to be able to travel independently across the county. You will occasionally be required to engage with children, young people and families outside of standard school or working hours to ensure the service remains accessible, responsive and effective

Experience and Skills

Some of the key skills and experience required for the role:

• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information and data to assess needs, prioritise effectively, and develop, negotiate, and implement appropriate plans for service provision.
• Strong skills in engaging, empowering, and undertaking direct work with young people, including those in distress, using a range of interventions to support positive change.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with carers, colleagues, and multi-agency partners, including contributing towardsmeetings and care plans.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to clearly convey complex or sensitive information and influence outcomes through negotiation and persuasion.
• Demonstrated ability to assess, review, and manage risk within a caseload, while prioritising workload and meeting deadlines effectively.
• Experience of working in partnership with young people and families, maintaining a person-centred approach while navigating conflict and differing perspectives.
• Ability to identify needs and develop creative, practical solutions that support positive outcomes for young people.
• Commitment to reflective practice, continuous professional development, and recognising limits of own responsibility to seek support, advice and supervision.
• Relevant degree and/or professional qualification or equivalent experience, alongside substantial experience of direct work with young people in a multi-agency context.
• Experience of managing levels of risk within a caseload.
• Full and valid driving licence.

Please refer to the job description attached for the full list of required key skills and experience, and reference these in your application.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06379 .

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and complete our short application form. In your application please answer your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability, Veteran's or WSCC Care Leaver's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.