C

Catch22

Not-for-profit public service delivery and support

Keyworker

Full-Time
£28k/yr
Mid
Certification
Norwich, UK
In PersonThe role includes work in schools, colleges, courts, police stations, young offender institutions, and occasional residential trips.
Social & Community ServicesCase Management & Advocacy

About the job

Requirements
  • A relevant professional qualification at NVQ Level 2 in working with young people, such as teaching, youth and community work, social work, counselling, or mentoring.
  • Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths.
  • Willingness to complete a Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship at Level 5 within a selected area of expertise.
  • Willingness to work in schools, colleges, courts, police stations, and young offender institutions, including occasional evening and residential-trip work.
  • Willingness to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post and an enhanced DBS check.
Responsibilities
  • Manage, support, and develop a group of young people and their families through individual sessions, group work, family visits, reading and writing interventions, and targeted support groups.
  • Oversee a holistic, person-centred journey for each young person from entry to exit, bridging academic, behavioural, and therapeutic needs while preparing them for post-16 progression.
  • Develop individual pupil support plans involving internal, external, and multi-agency professionals to support development, attainment, and progression.
  • Develop a caseload with Assistant Head Teachers and Pastoral Leads by assessing learners’ educational, emotional, and behavioural needs and tailoring advocacy and support programmes.
  • Design, implement, and review pupil support plans using baseline data on attendance, attainment, and predicted grades, together with agreed performance-monitoring methods.
  • Drive attendance through daily attendance calls, attendance meetings, and attendance interventions agreed with the Attendance Support Officer and Pastoral Manager.
  • Work with teaching staff to ensure continuity of educational and social learning delivery.
  • Organise and deliver one-to-one and small-group targeted support, advice, guidance, practical help, and mentoring.
  • Regularly risk-assess young people for vulnerability and risk of harm to themselves or others, including attendance risk assessments.
  • Track pastoral progress in school attainment, classroom behaviour, and risk of exclusion to inform intervention development and review.
  • Liaise with and make referrals to other agencies under the guidance of the Pastoral Site Lead or Assistant Headteacher.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary teams and meetings, including PEPs, planning and review meetings, and core groups.
  • Keep pupil support plans up to date and reflective of daily support needs.
  • Record safeguarding concerns accurately and on the same day in line with safeguarding policy.
  • Manage school behaviour effectively and promptly in line with the behaviour policy.
  • Maintain accurate records for case conferences and professional meetings.
  • Record every contact or work session with young people in the agreed database, maintain data-management records, and produce reports for case reviews and evaluations.
  • Manage and organise learning and pastoral resources, including digital technologies, efficiently and effectively.
  • Risk-assess resources and ensure they are appropriate for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
  • Promote an inclusive culture and anti-discriminatory practice in line with the organisation’s policies.
  • Follow safe systems of work, report incidents, and support the health, safety, and wellbeing of others.
  • Complete mandatory training and follow school conduct, safeguarding, and behaviour policies.
  • Improve pupils’ attitude, engagement, attendance, behaviour, academic progress, pastoral progress, and personal progress.
  • Provide management reports on progress by pupil, class, and school.
  • Participate in morning and afternoon planning and in supervision, providing feedback on development and continuing professional development needs.

About the company

Catch22 is a not-for-profit social business that designs and delivers public services to build resilience and aspiration in people and communities. Its teams work in prisons, alternative provision schools, colleges, and community settings, helping more than 160,000 people each year. The way it operates is by delivering programs and services directly in these settings to support individuals' skills, well-being, and opportunities. What sets Catch22 apart is its long history (over 200 years) and its mission-focused approach as a social business that reinvests profits to achieve social outcomes, operating across multiple public-sector touchpoints rather than selling a single product. The goal is to improve lives by providing practical, scalable services that help people overcome barriers and raise their aspirations.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1982

Get referred to Catch22

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • DWP selected Catch22 for the Birmingham and Solihull Jobs Guarantee in January 2026.
  • Catch22 launched '1,000 people into jobs' milestones and new youth programs in June 2026.
  • National rollout of the Jobs Guarantee expands to 25 areas, widening future contract wins.

What critics are saying

  • FY2025 income was £46.6m against £48.7m spending, burning reserves.
  • Government contracts supplied £35.5m of FY2025 income, concentrating renewal risk.
  • If DWP shifts Jobs Guarantee delivery, Catch22 loses a flagship pipeline and employer access.

What makes Catch22 unique

  • Catch22 won DWP's 2026 Birmingham and Solihull Jobs Guarantee pilot.
  • Catch22 combines employability, mental health, and justice services across 83 government contracts.
  • Catch22's 2026 youth campaigns and evaluations show a policy-shaping national footprint.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

10%

1 year growth

10%

2 year growth

10%
Housing Executive
Sep 4th, 2026
Leeds HA confirms its first Careers Fair to take place.

Leeds HA confirms its first Careers Fair to take place. By Harry Palmer September 4, 2026 Big name employers including Leeds United FC, Arriva, Equans and First Response Group have joined leading training providers Bradford College, Lifelong Learning Centre and Catch 22, together with the Yorkshire Asian Business Association, in signing up to exhibit at the inaugural Unity Careers Fair next month. The free event, organised by prominent BME housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise, will take place on Tuesday 22 September from noon - 5.30pm at the Ramgarhia Sports Centre on Chapeltown Road in Leeds. Jobs, training, careers advice, training and volunteering opportunities will be on offer from employers and agencies. A series of guest speakers will also give talks on a range of employment-related topics throughout the day. Attendees will include Leeds City Council Leader Cllr James Lewis, Deputy Leader Cllr Salma Arif, West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Baroness Alison Lowe OBE, and local ward councillors. Sean Kelly, Unity Homes and Enterprise Regeneration Manager, said: "This is a fantastic event for anyone seeking work, a change in career, an apprenticeship, training or returning to work. "Housing Executive is excited by the quality of employers and trainers who have already signed up with numerous vacancies on offer. "There is still some space for a few more stalls and I would ask other prospective exhibitors to get in touch as soon as possible to avoid missing out." Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, said: "The first Unity Careers Fair is a landmark moment for Housing Executive as a BME housing association committed to working with local communities to boost their life prospects. "Its award-winning Employment Services team are experts in helping people to gain employment and training opportunities. "Working with key partners, this event will enable them to do this on a much larger scale with many lives hopefully changed for the better." Although entry is free of charge, numbers are limited and attendees are strongly encouraged to reserve their place by logging on to Eventbrite and entering 'Unity Careers Fair.' Employers interested in hosting a stall are invited to email [email protected] for further details.

Solihull Observer
Aug 27th, 2026
Solihull youngsters get boost on to career ladder.

Solihull youngsters get boost on to career ladder. YOUNGSTERS who have been unemployed and claiming Universal Credit for 18 months or more are being offered paid work placements. A new pilot programme working with local employers has been launched across Birmingham and Solihull to create opportunities for young people to enter the workplace. The Jobs Guarantee programme is being delivered by Catch22 following selection by the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP), with the aim of helping those aged between 18 and 21 who are out of work into sustainable employment. The West Midlands is one of five pilot sites, with the scheme also being rolled out in Manchester, Hertfordshire/Essex, South Wales, and Scotland. In the West Midlands pilot, Catch22 will support 275 young people into fully subsidised six-month work placements with local employers. Working closely with Jobcentre Plus, young people will be referred directly into the programme and supported into employment opportunities that build skills, confidence and long-term prospects. For employers, Jobs Guarantee: West Midlands offers a straightforward route to filling vacancies, with funding covering up to 25 hours per week at national minimum wage and support from Catch22 and partners to guide employers through the process. Once enrolled in the programme, Catch22 will provide one-to-one employment support to every young person it places, in line with a commitment to helping people sustain in good jobs. Through the programme, young people will receive two weeks of intensive pre placement support, followed by ongoing in-work wraparound from a dedicated Career Coach. They can also access a £300 bursary, and specialist mental health support to help them to sustain in work. Catch22 is delivering the pilot in partnership with Supplytrain CIC, who bring extensive experience of employer engagement from the Kickstart programme, and West Midlands employment charity Sport 4 Life UK, strengthening local delivery and routes into work. Andy Canniford, chief officer for Impact and Growth at Catch22, said: "Far too many young people face barriers when trying to secure long-term employment, and the longer someone remains out of work, the more challenging it can become to build a successful career. "In delivering DWP's Jobs Guarantee programme we are investing in young people's potential through by combining paid employment with personalised support, helping participants gain the skills, experience and self-belief needed to succeed in today's workplace. "We're proud to be delivering the Birmingham and Solihull pilot with our partners, working closely with Jobcentre Plus and local employers to create meaningful placements that open the door to sustainable employment." Further information on the programme, including how to express interest in employing a young person through the Jobs Guarantee: West Midlands programme, can be found on the pilot's website. Young person referrals can be made through Jobcentre Plus in the coming weeks. More Stories

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