Detached Youth Worker

We are seeking a youth worker who can work alongside our North and East lead workers to develop our Detached Youth Work with young people. This will involve street-based detached work and some open access youth clubs, You will work with individual & groups, supporting and participating in other elements of YPAC work where required., Location: Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project,Miles Platting and Newton Heath and Harpurhey Wards & Project Office

Responsible to: Youth Work Manager

Responsible for: working alongside Area lead worker to deliver detached, and other youthwork sessions

Job Summary: To engage and develop work with young people and their local communities according to the aims and ethos of YPAC; to establish, develop area-based detached work projects and youthwork; assist the monitoring, evaluation and funding relationships associated with this work as directed/required.

Key Tasks:

1. to assist with developing and evaluating a range of services, projects and pieces of work with young people, relating to young people's needs, YPAC's ethos, specific target groups and funding criteria, including:

a) contacting and engaging young people, through street-based detached work, developing conversation, dialogue, work and projects with them appropriate to the setting and young people's concerns and abilities

b) building relationships of trust with, listening to, befriending, and supporting young people across social, ethnic, gender, religious, sexual preferences and ability ranges, without discrimination

c) working directly with young people to foster critical thinking, autonomy, interdependence and democracy, drawing on informal educational principles and practices, using a non-authoritarian and fun approach and which promote their health, personal, and social development

d) enabling young people to reflect on themselves, their experiences, circumstances and activities in order to foster long-term internal change and learning

e) supporting young people in taking action on issues of importance to them

f) together with young people, creating, organising and managing activities, projects and services to foster learning, participation, co-operative-working, association and democracy

g) ensuring implementation of equal opportunities policies and practices by; exploring and challenging their own and young peoples' attitudes and prejudices, promoting positive images of disadvantaged groups, and developing strategies for equality of access to project resources and provision

h) recording work done in appropriate formats which can be used for evaluation, and storing records correctly with reference to confidentiality and good work procedure

i) assisting with developing plans, monitoring and evaluating area-based detached work projects and other pieces of work as required, keeping appropriate written records

j) Assisting with monitoring, evaluation and report writing for funders and YPAC

k) using personal and collective evaluation and reflection to improve personal practice and the work and practices of the project

l) being available on a flexible basis to meet the needs of young people as appropriate.

2. to maintain an overview of area-based detached work, identify potential for and develop new pieces of work both with existing and new groups of young people, , to assist with planning the work together with young people and colleagues;

3. to work with other agencies to develop services across the community for young people's benefit, seeking out and establishing appropriate opportunities for partnership work with local statutory, voluntary, community and faith-based groups and with other statutory and national agencies, as benefits local young people, in liaison with the Project Manager;

4. to develop and maintain contextually appropriate professional and encouraging working relationships with other YPAC staff workers and volunteers, workers from other agencies and community members;

5. to ensure the health, safety and welfare of young people, other staff and volunteers and the general public involved in the project during all activities, including working within YPAC's policies and procedures, being aware of statutory procedures (Manchester Safeguarding Children Board and Common Assessment Framework) and conducting risk assessments of all activities, signed off by the Youth Work Manager;

6. to meet regularly with the Youth Work Manager for line-management and (possibly with an external Supervisor) to enable professional development; and with the staff team for work planning, team and practice development and learning;

7. to construct and present verbal and written reports to the Youth Work Manager and Board of Directors and attend Board meetings as requested;

8. to actively engage with and participate in the local community, community groups and networks for young people's benefit in liaison with the Youth Work Manager

9. to undertake training and development opportunities as appropriate to the role and to the team, to attend staff events and to act as trainer to assist and improve the skills of volunteers and other workers in liaison with the Youth Work Manager

10. to seek out and realise opportunities to positively represent and promote the project and establish partnerships within strategic networks, and with young people and other agencies / community and faith-based groups, in liaison with the Youth Work Manager;

11. to undertake any other additional duties as commensurate with the post as agreed with the Trustees or Youth Work Manager

· will enjoy being out on the streets and in local community with other workers, meeting young people and community members.

· knows how to use conversation, activity and environments to work with people to develop thinking, reflection, learning, action and change.

· works together with individuals and groups of young people to create activities, offer appropriate support, and enable young people to take action, which leads to well-being.

· can assess local contexts and develop strategy and plans in response together with other workers and young people, and can lead, envision and equip staff and young people

· has robust knowledge, appreciation, and practical experience of informal education, which may be supported by a professional qualification eg. Youth & Community Work

· has some experience of working with young people, street-based detached work, individual and group work

· understands the social issues local young people face

· has the wisdom and ability to work in a team, learn quickly, make relationships and take initiative, Can develop and has relevant experience of developing purposeful, voluntary relationships with urban young people (both individuals and

Application
E 1 groups) from diverse ethnic backgrounds, particularly with young men, but

& Interview
also with young women; in informal contexts, through conversation, street- based detached work and in semi-formal, negotiated settings.

Has a robust understanding of the principles and practices of informal education and has practice experience of drawing on this approach to

Application
E 2 develop informal, conversation-based work, group work and project work

& Interview
with young people (individually and in groups) living in ethnically diverse, urban-poor contexts.

Has an awareness of and is able to work with the concerns, interests and
Application

E 3 issues of ethnically diverse young people, living in urban-poor communities,
& Interview using an informal educational approach.

Can effectively lead on, develop, manage, be responsible for, prioritise and
Application

E 4 evaluate relationships, work and specific projects within appropriate
& Interview professional working methods and boundaries.

Application
E 5 Is committed, self-motivated and able to take initiative.

& Interview

Has good written, verbal and computer skills to aid record-keeping, research,
E 6 Application report writing and funding application.

E 7 Can keep simple financial and work records and can read budgets. Application

Has experience of working as a member of a team and of leading a team; and of developing and maintaining contextually appropriate professional and Application

E 8
encouraging working relationships with other YPAC staff workers and & Interview
volunteers, workers from other agencies and community members.

Has a good understanding of Child Protection and Safeguarding principles and guidelines, statutory Early Help Framework, Equal Opportunities Application

E 9
practice and Health and Safety practice and risk assessment; and has & Interview
experience of leading on implementing these policies in practice.

Application
E 10 Has experience of personal development through training.

& Interview

D 11 Has experience of working with urban-poor and faith-based communities. Application

Can and is able to work within and enhance the aims and ethos of the YPAC Application
E 12

Youth Project. & Interview

Is able to work flexibly and available to work daytimes, 3 evenings per week,
E 13 Interview some weekends, residentials and during school holidays.

Application
E 14 Willing to participate fully in staff team meetings.

& Interview

Willing to engage with the life of the local community including local faith- Application
E 15 based groups. & Interview

Ability to drive a minibus (over 25, 2 years driving exp., clean licence,
D 16 Application relevant category on driver's licence)., E 17 Willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check. Application

E 18 Willing to provide two independent referees. Application

Able to provide appropriate evidence of their identity (for DBS check),
E 19 Interview qualifications and permission to reside and work in the UK if appropriate.

D 20 Informal & Community Education / Youth Work Qualification or equivalent. Application

D 21 First Aid Qualification. Application

YPAC Manchester runs work with young people in the Newton Heath, Monsall, Harpurhey, Miles Platting and Collyhurst areas of Manchester. Our aim is to work together with young people to create enjoyment, learning, action and change. We use the principles and practices of informal education and community development to make positive changes in the lives of young people.

Hours: 18 hours p/w, including evenings. (Full-time is 37.5 hours per week.)

Salary: JNC point 14 , (24,730 pro rata)

Contract: initial Fixed term Contract until March 2025, YPAC Terms and Conditions, subject to satisfactory probation. With a view to extend work with further funding