SHiFT Practice Development Lead North

We are recruiting for a Practice Development Lead North to embed SHiFT's Practice model and support SHiFT’s alternatives-to-custody work across Tees and Greater Manchester. In this role you will drive exceptional outcomes for children that break cycles of crime and ignite systemic change.

This is an important role focused on strengthening practice quality, supporting reflective spaces for practitioners, and helping ensure that children’s experiences remain at the centre of high-stakes decisions about courts, bail, remand and custody.

We are looking for someone with a recognised social work qualification, experience in youth justice, children’s social care or a related statutory setting, and a strong commitment to relational, systemic, trauma-informed, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice.

Please do share this opportunity with people in your networks who may be interested or who may know someone well suited to the role, we thank you for helping us reach people who could bring the practice judgement, curiosity and commitment this work needs.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the SHiFT movement as Practice Development Lead for the North, supporting SHiFT's existing Practices in Manchester and Middlesbrough and the new Tees Remand Reduction Programme and Greater Manchester Remand Programme.

The PDL North works under the direction of the Head of Place-Based Change (North) and is the primary QA/QI resource for both programmes, holding close knowledge of every child's case, driving the learning-practice loop, and supporting Guides and Lead Guides to embed SHiFT's practice model in the remand context. This is a practitioner-facing, practice-quality role: you will spend the majority of your time alongside Guides, in Child and Family Practice Discussions, and in direct engagement with partner agencies.

We especially welcome applicants with experience or knowledge of systemic practice, youth justice, remand, and/or fostering. Knowledge of the North East or Greater Manchester context is desirable.

Full details of the job and SHiFT are here: JD PDL NORTH .pdf