Gasp Motor Project Jobs

What will I be doing?

The role of Community Youth Worker is, by nature, highly relational and is a position of great influence that enables you to nurture, inspire, connect and empower young people from all walks of life, so they can make the most of their lives. As such, it is a role which is demanding and carries great responsibility, but provides exciting opportunities to impact the lives of young people.

This is a varied role which carries with it a variety of different aspects and you are expected to manage your own workload and diary and priorities in liaison with your line manager and with the available time. Your role is primarily delivery but does also include some coordination relating to projects and volunteers. Due to the nature of the work you will be expected to work some evenings and occasional weekends.

What do we expect from you?

To meet, build healthy relationships with and help improve the lives of young people in Guildford Borough. This will be achieved through a variety of activities according to the needs of young people and the resources available to Matrix, including, but not exclusive to:

Community Youth Work

Community Youth Work takes many forms and while the actual work is subject to change according to the current needs of young people or Matrix, it may include:

• Detached youth work
• Running/assisting with after-school and/or holiday clubs
• Mentoring young people
• Supporting young people in a social enterprise environment
• Research of young people’s needs in the local community

Youth Café

The Youth Hideaway is our flagship project and is a fun open access youth café run by our team after school at our social enterprise café - The Hideaway.

As a Community Youth Worker some of your time will be spent assisting the Youth Café, Project Lead and Head of Youth Work in delivering this project and it may include:

• Helping to create a safe, fun and inspiring environment for the young people that attend
• Plan, prepare and deliver quality youth sessions
• Build healthy relationships with young people that attend the sessions, identifying and responding to the needs that may arise

Monthly Youth Hubs

Youth Hubs are fun open access youth clubs run by our youth workers in the community. These are run on a monthly basis on rotation in different areas within Guildford Borough. As a Community Youth Worker you will be responsible for planning, organising and running at least one HUB, which may include:

• Creating a safe, fun and inspiring environment for the young people that attend

• Planning, preparing and delivering quality youth club sessions

• Building healthy relationships with young people that attend the club sessions, identifying and responding to the needs that may arise

• Promoting the activities of the Youth Hub in the community

• Exemplify the charity's values and Christian ethos to the wider ‘Hubs’ team, leading them in prayer where appropriate.

• Promote the activities of the Youth Café in the community

GASP Motor Project

Matrix will often work in collaboration with partner organisations and following a successful run of pilot sessions we are pleased to confirm that from September 2022 we will be extending our work with GASP Motor Project.

Working in this setting is very similar to the mentoring work that we offer in schools and you may be expected to:

• Conduct one-to-one sessions to listen to, analyse and respond to the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs of young people
• Manage, monitor and evaluate caseloads as part of the one-to-one support sessions
• Develop and run a variety of contact points for the young people attending the project, including group sessions
• Build good working relationships with the GASP team

Schools Work

Our work in schools is varied and you may be expected to:

• Conduct one-to-one sessions to listen to, analyse and respond to the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs of young people
• Manage, monitor and evaluate caseloads within your allocated school as part of the one-to-one support sessions
• Develop and run a variety of contact points and projects for young people across the school, including group sessions and drop-ins and after school projects
• Alongside the Secondary Schools Project Lead, supervise and build a team of volunteers to work within the school
• Build good working relationships with school staff, CAMHS and other relevant local services

General

• Contribute to, and be involved in fundraising and other activities that benefit Matrix, including whole staff workshop days, fundraising activities.

• During school holidays and after school, be involved in projects organised and run by Matrix, including holiday and after-school clubs (e.g. our Youth Café - The Youth Hideaway) within your allocated hours and as agreed by your line manager

• Raise the positive profile of Matrix by building professional relationships in a multi-agency environment including through networking events in the relevant local area, such as meeting with the community safety wardens, local schools, churches, Police and PCSOs

• Represent Matrix by providing a positive role-model to young people

• Promoting our activities in both the community and in a school environment through; social media engagement and assemblies
• Ensure you work to the Youth Work Standards

Level of Authority

As a Community Youth Worker, you will need to operate with a high degree of autonomy. You will be expected to administer your own time and workload in liaison with your line manager, keeping an ‘open’ diary for all activities. A working timetable for school holidays will be developed in consultation with your line manager.

Personal Specification

Essential

• A strong youth work background in a relevant field e.g.: youth work, teaching, social work
• Able to relate well to young people in all environments including (but not exclusively)school, 1:1, open youth clubs and partner projects
• Capable of building relationships with and liaising with other professionals
• Experience of leading workshops and / or groups sessions with young people
• Able to set appropriate boundaries with young people, in all situations
• Agree with and able to support and work within the Christian ethos of The Matrix Trust. (This job has a “genuine occupational requirement” (GOR) for the post to be filled by a Christian).
• Able to work effectively alone and as a part of a team (including with volunteers)
• Good IT skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• This role will require the applicant to travel between multiple locations (local to Guildford) at various times

Desirable

• Professional qualification in a youth work related area (NVQ level 3 or equivalent)
• Experience of working in a school environment in a youth work capacity
• Experience in mentoring
• Experience of working with young people with behavioural difficulties, at risk of exclusion and/or Young offenders
• Experience of leading a team of volunteers