Youth Participation Worker

Job content

Reconstruct has been working to improve young people’s lives by providing Advocacy, Independent Visiting, Participation and Mentoring. We are passionate about delivering quality services that lead to positive outcomes for children and young people..

When we’re dealing with an eight-year-old child or a director, we maintain the highest standards. We do this by employing people who have the skills, knowledge and experience, to support children and young people to make good judgements. We value our people because they have a spark and because they have the ability to see a spark in other.

We place the child at the centre of any work we do and promote their participation in planning, delivery and evaluation of these services. This philosophy ensures those without power have a voice and are able to build resilience and confidence in themselves whilst receiving the service that is most likely to work for them. Children who are listened to become empowered and adults that listen to children are also empowered to make better, informed decisions.

An exciting opportunity has arose within our organisation for a Youth Participation Worker. Within the role you will to work directly with children and young people and establish processes for participation that enables their involvement in decision making and ensuring their views are heard and taken seriously. Co-production and consultation are important part of the Council approach in shaping and delivering services and you will support these key principles in your role.

This is a part time role of 10 hours per week with possible overtime during the school holidays. We ask that you are flexible with the working hours to accommodate the needs of the young people. Aside from this you will have experience of delivering youth work projects across a variety of settings and have the skills to develop strong partnership relationships with statutory and non-statutory organisations.

This post requires a DBS and a full references check as part of our safer recruitment process.

Main Responsibilities Include:

• Establish consultation systems with children in care, foster/carers and their birth children, through a programme of activities, events, and other creative mechanisms – ensuring their voices are heard and actions implemented and outcomes monitored through quarterly monitoring reports.
• To work as part of a team within Bristol to deliver activities and coordinating support from the respective partners as required.

• To work closely with the local authority to deliver the required KPIS for the contract including working closely with the corporate parenting panel and having a presence at the quarterly meetings.
• Support the ‘Children in Care Council Forums’, to work on projects through our partnership working to ensure that the voice of young people is heard and feedback to shape and influence delivery of local and national services.
• To provide information across the Region with regards to Out of School activities, clubs and societies, particularly during school holidays, that children of all ages can access.
• To lead on –co-producing promotional material for both children, adults and professionals with a main focus on the six monthly children in care newsletter from design, content and delivery whilst working alongside our internal marketing team.
• To support children in care to influence the development of services and Regional practice that can affect them directly, such as the recruitment of staff and foster carers.
• To support children to participate in their local communities, from volunteering projects through to Duke of Edinburgh schemes to paid work e.g. a ‘Saturday’ job for 16 & 17 year olds.
• Provide a service which values and respects the differing cultures and ethnic backgrounds of families and children.
• Liaise with other local, national and international agencies and professionals as appropriate.
• Actively encourage and develop each child’s social, physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional and religious needs or/and any special needs they may have.
• Ensure, through active involvement in the assessment processes and outcomes that all activities, where provided and organised are thoroughly risk assessed.
• Take a flexible and creative approach to work with young people.
• Take an active and professional role in the continuing development of the Participation Service.

Person Specification:

• The post holder will be expected to reach a minimum basic standard of IT competence to be able to use Company electronic systems effectively
• Ensuring compliance with safeguarding procedures, throughout all work within the Company, keeping the Children’s service manager informed of work in progress and inform the Children’s service manager immediately of any child protection matter or serious complaint.
• Experience of working with young people with different level of needs is essential to this post.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience:

Knowledge of children’s rights

Knowledge of children in care system is desirable

Good IT skills including Excel and Word

Knowledge of Data handling methodologies/GDPR is desirable

Politically sensitive

Knowledge of Equality & Diversity issues are desirable

Excellent interpersonal skills

Fluency in English language spoken and written

Ability to build effective partnerships and productive working relationships with children, families, carers, other stakeholders

Proven ability to support others and to work as a member of a team

Ability to communicate effectively with young people parents/carers and partner agencies

Ability to communicate clearly on a one-to-one basis or with groups

Ability to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends as required by the needs of the Service

Good interpersonal and communication skills both orally and in writing with a range of audiences.

Ability to monitor own impact on service delivery is desirable

Youth Work Level 2 or 3 is desirable

We very much welcome previous experience working as: Child and Youth Program Assistant, Assistant Youth Development Worker, Youth Worker, Child and Youth Development, Youth Support Worker, Mental Health Youth Worker, Educational Youth Worker, Support worker Children and Young People, Youth Support Assistant, Behaviour Support Assistant, Residential Youth Worker, Child Care Worker etc.

Experience of direct work with children or young people from diverse backgrounds

Experience of working with groups

Experience of advocacy or participation work

Experience of working with, and supporting, vulnerable young people and parents is desirable

Experience of working with employers

Part-time hours: 10 per week

Application deadline: 23/07/2021

Job Type: Part-time

Salary: £6,546.28 per year

Benefits:

• Bike to work scheme
• Casual dress
• Flexible schedule
• Life insurance
• Wellness programmes
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends

Work remotely:

• Temporarily due to COVID-19