Community development worker jobs in stonehouse, plymouth

The National Youth Agency is looking for Programme Associates

Rate: £325 per day
Remote: Home based (within the UK) with travel
Hours: You will be engaged on a flexible, as-and-when-required basis by the NYA. There is no obligation for the NYA to offer regular work, and no obligation for you to accept any work offered.

About the Role

As the National Body for Youth Work in England, we are ambitious for youth work and for young people and are determined that all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of qualified youth workers and trained volunteers.

To support our mission, the National Youth Agency is establishing a framework of Programme Associates to assist with the delivery of our work across England.

Appointment to the framework means you may be invited to contribute to projects that align with your expertise. However, inclusion on the framework does not guarantee work will be offered, nor does it imply a specific volume or frequency of engagements. Opportunities will be offered on a flexible, as-needed basis, depending on programme requirements and your availability.

Our NYA Programme Associates will deliver on key aspect of NYA programmes to external stakeholders, develop and review resources and ensure all activities are in line with both NYA and external expectations of quality and expertise.

The post will require a commitment to continuing engagement across the sector and beyond to ensure the NYA’s work is rooted in the needs of young people and youth work.

The NYA brings structure, expertise, support, and guidance to people working in and with youth work and helps shape professional and voluntary youth work practices in England and beyond.

We operate as an agile and flexible team, working at pace to maximise the opportunities that we have to make a difference to youth work and the lives of young people. We are collaborative in our approaches, engaging partner organisations to widen our knowledge and expertise in our aim to support youth sector across England.

We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive team where we embrace everyone’s unique perspectives and talents.

We are committed to an approach of planning, process and performance to underpin results, yet NYA holds relationships at the heart. We strive to ensure our funders, wider stakeholders, youth workers and young people both see and feel the positive difference that our work makes.

Our ideal Programme Associates should have the following:

• Strong understanding of one or more of the following:
• Quality practice standards
• Safeguarding in Children and Young People
• Youth participation
• Youth provision delivery methods
• Extensive experience working directly with young people across diverse settings, demonstrating a deep understanding of youth development and engagement.
• Demonstrated expertise managing youth work programmes and improving practice standards, including within Local Authority contexts.
• Project Management: Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and effectively.
• Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of work.
• Problem solving: Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and implement effective solutions.
• Flexibility: A flexible and agile approach to working across multiple programmes, including attending events and responding to time sensitive deadlines.
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with team members and stakeholders, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Time Management: Effective time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.

How to Apply:

Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements.

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Wednesday 13th August 2025 (applications will be reviewed as they are submitted, so early submission is encouraged).

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.

A covering letter is a vital part of your application and will be assessed alongside your CV. Please use it to clearly demonstrate your suitability for the role, specifically addressing how you meet the criteria outlined in the About You section of the job description. Applicants are strongly encouraged to highlight relevant experience in the key areas listed, so we can easily understand your main skill strengths and how they align with the role.

Diversity monitoring (this is optional) and your data will at no time be connected with you or your application.

Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-222816

Job Summary

Location : Requirement to attend our sites in Basildon, Harlow and Thurrock if required and to team meetings quarterly.

Type: Remote

Salary: £48,000.00 per annum

Hours :  37.5 hours per week

Term: Permanent

Main Responsibilities:

Leadership

1. As a member of the Operational Leadership Team and wider Senior Leadership Team, work collaboratively and take collective responsibility for the strategic management and leadership of the organisation.

2. Work closely with the CEO, Treasurer and Board of Trustees to facilitate good governance and risk management.

3. Manage, maintain and develop all financial systems and control; increasing their impact and quality, and implementing best practices in financial management.

4. To supervise finance assistants and ensure that they are adhering to financial code of practices.

Financial Management

1. Lead and manage all aspects of the financial cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, fixed asset management, reserves & designated fund management and financial reporting.

2. Work with HR & Payroll Officer to manage and retain oversight of the day to day financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking and general ledger maintenance, including the reconciliation of petty cash, credit cards and all bank accounts on a monthly basis reviewing and approving payment runs and payroll.

3. Work with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to prepare the annual budgets and forecasts.

4. Lead and manage the provision of regular budget monitoring and reports to budget holders.

5. Assist with the budget preparation for funding bids. Manage, monitor and keep track of any grants, funding or commissioned income, working with relevant managers to provide relevant financial information for inclusion in monitoring reports.

6. Lead and manage the provision of quarterly financial reports to the Board and advise them on financial issues as appropriate

7. Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting to inform and support organisational management, development and decision[1]making, and funding applications across the organisation.

8. Work with the CEO to prepare medium term financial forecasts for the organisation to support strategic decision-making and delivery of strategic priorities.

9. Lead on the audit process and the preparation of year end accounts to trial balance including preparation of the audit file and the closing down of the accounts on our accounting management system to ensure that the organisation is compliant with legal requirements and good practice.

10. To work closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and designated Trustees to advise, review and cost the annual pay award.

11. To provide back-up and holiday cover for the processing of monthly payroll.

12. To work with and support the HR & Payroll Officer in providing payroll information and reconciling payroll monthly.

Governance and compliance

1. Ensure compliance with all relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements (e.g. Companies House, HMRC and the Charity Commission).

2. Attend Trustee Board meetings to report on financial matters, including the identification and management of financial risk, and provide any relevant reports.

3. To support the Trustees, SLT and line managers in managing our finances carefully and within our financial means, through provision of advice, guidance, support and training.

4. To be the main point of contact with external auditors.

5. To ensure that robust financial controls are in place, underpinned by appropriate financial policies and procedures and to ensure that they are adhered to and that the organisation is protected from fraud and error.

Closing date for applications : 21st July 2025