Jennings describes himself as “an anomaly” because he comes from a youth work background, rather than social or probation work as is the norm.
What attracted him to this role was the capacity to instigate change. “I manage a larger budget than I ever did as a face to face worker and I can give the go-ahead on really innovative projects. You can really make a difference in this job,” he says.
Jennings stresses that his job title may give the wrong impression of the job, which is as much about prevention as dealing with young people that have already offended.
“It’s not just about young people causing havoc, whether to publish photos or issue ASBOS. It’s also about interesting ways to stop young people offending,” he says.
The multi-agency nature of his job is the most challenging part and there can be a certain amount of pressure due to the fact this post answers to many different stakeholders.
“I do handle stress well. You need to be able to do that,” he says. Another key quality is the ability to absorb vast amounts of information quickly and be able to respond and give the youth offending service’s position clearly.
The main way the job has changed in the past few years is the increase in youth participation, as well as a growing focus on targets. To improve his decision-making skills, as well as to give him a leg-up to the next rung of the career ladder, Jennings is also currently study for an MBA. “The further you move up, the more you need to understand about business administration,” he says.
My day
7.30/8.00am: Arrive at work, check email and messages.
8.30am: Meet with my deputies to look at the week ahead and identify strategic issues, such as preparing for inspection.
9.30am/10.00am: Meet the mental health steering group
10.30am: Attend a shared priorities forum to represent the service’s opinion on specific issues.
12.30am: Grab a sandwich at my desk if time. Spend the rest of lunchtime chatting informally to staff about how their workloads are going.
1.30am: attend a children’s trust board meeting where questioned by young people about issues pertinent to them around offending and anti-social behaviour.
3.30pm: More multi-agency meetings.
4.30pm: Leave the offices to pick my daughter up from the child minder.
Evening: Study for an MBA
