Head of youth services jobs

BACKGROUND 
Over the past 90 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. 

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable. 

IRC UK 
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. The IRC UK has been delivering Resettlement Asylum and Integration (RAI) programmes in the UK since 2021, working in partnership with local councils, providing integration support to resettled refugees across England.

In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

The Purpose of the Role

The Client Voice Officer will support RAI UK’s client engagement and participation agenda, ensuring that refugees and people seeking asylum meaningfully influence programme design, delivery, advocacy, and strategy.

The role will implement client voice related projects and strengthen RAI UK’s client voice systems, including structured feedback mechanisms and the Client Advisory Board (CAB).

The role will support the development of client-led research and evidence generation initiatives to inform programmes and policy positions. The role will also build relationships with migrant-led and grassroots organisations to ensure lived experience meaningfully shapes services, advocacy priorities, and external engagement. This role centres direct lived experience of forced displacement as a form of expertise.

Key Working Relationships:

The postholder will report to the Integration Lead Advisor and work in close collaboration with the Head of Programmes, RAI Director, Programme Managers, Senior Programme Development Advisor,  Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer, Senior Programme and Awards Officer, Advocacy and Policy Managers, Communication team and other IRC UK teams.

Scope and Authority

National remit across all RAI UK programmes.

Functional leadership for client voice and engagement across teams.

Matrix working with Programme Managers, Advocacy Manager, M&E colleagues, and the Technical Unit.

Coordination of project delivery staff on the Pinterest project (without formal line management responsibility).

Key Accountabilities

Project Coordination

· Work in collaboration with the Senior Community Engagement and Volunteer Officer to coordinate a new psychosocial education and photography programme for refugee young people (aged 16–19).

· Support the delivery and facilitation of this programme as required.

· Develop the participant outreach plan and support the day-to-day communication with the participants of the project in coordination with the session facilitators.

· Work in collaboration with the Integration Lead Advisor, Technical Advisor for Women and Child Protection and other relevant programme colleagues to ensure that the project curriculum is adapted and delivered to be contextually appropriate, developmentally suitable, and aligned with RAI UK technical standards, with an emphasis on ensuring client voice is strengthened through a person-centred and strengths-based approach.

· Work with the Safeguarding Advisor to ensure full compliance with safeguarding, consent, data protection, and ethical storytelling requirements throughout project delivery.

· Work in collaboration with the Senior Community Engagement and Volunteer Officer and clients to co-create and coordinate two dissemination events showcasing youth photography and lived experience outputs.

· Ensure robust monitoring of outcomes and timely, high-quality donor reporting in line with IRC and funder requirements.

Community Engagement

· Strengthen and coordinate the Community Advisory Board (CAB).

· Provide support and training to CAB members, including organising external trainings as needed.

· Undertake associated administrative and coordination responsibilities related to client, community and CAB work, including meeting organisation, coordination and record-keeping of travel and expenses logistics, documentation including sensitive data management cross-departmentally including facilitation of DBS checks, client communication, and tracking actions to ensure accountability and follow-through.

· Proactively engage migrant-led and grassroots organisations to share best practices.

· Collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to track quantitative outputs and qualitative outcomes of engagement with community, clients and CAB.

· Ensure engagement approaches are accessible and inclusive to reduce barriers to participation.

Client Voice to strengthen Programme Development and Internal Learning

· Develop and implement a Client Voice framework for RAI UK to embed participatory approaches into every stage of programming from design to delivery.

· Embed client voice into early stages of programming, including needs assessments, service design, and proposals.

· Work alongside colleagues to embed client voice and continuously improve participatory engagement approaches across RAI UK programme delivery.

· Contribute to internal and donor monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements.

· Collaborate with the MEL team to design tools to capture client voice in our programming and to measure client influence and participation.

· Pilot innovative approaches and build RAI UK evidence base on client and community participatory engagement.

· Contribute to IRC global client & community engagement communities of practice.

· Support delivery of RAI UK capacity building work, delivering trainings as requested to ensure client and community voice is represented, such as Healing Spaces trainings or employer engagement sessions.

External Communications and Advocacy

· Summarise client and CAB insights into briefings to be used in RAI and cross-departmentally, including by Senior Management Team and IRC UK Board of Trustees.

· Collaborate with Advocacy Manager and Policy Manager to reflect and include client and CAB insights and experiences into policy and advocacy calls for action.

· Support initiatives equipping refugees to share lived experiences in collaboration with Communications team, promoting trauma-informed ethical storytelling aligned with safeguarding principles.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

· Solid experience working with refugees or migrant communities.

· Experience working with young people, including on wellbeing or psychosocial topics.

· Experience facilitating participatory engagement methods.

· Strong safeguarding knowledge and trauma-informed practice.

· Excellent communication and organisational skills.

· Commitment to refugee rights and GEDI principles.

· Experience supporting advocacy initiatives.

· Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems.

· Lived experience of forced displacement/ the UK asylum system is recognised as valuable expertise and will be considered alongside professional experience.

As Philanthropy Officer, you will build strong, lasting relationships with individuals, families and organisations, helping them to achieve their philanthropic goals while increasing charitable income and delivering meaningful impact in communities across Wales.

We’re looking for someone with a strong understanding of social issues and community needs in Wales, who can use that insight to build networks, identify opportunities and develop tailored support for existing and prospective donors. This role will play a key part in securing new funding, growing our donor base and building high-quality, long-term relationships.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Proven experience in a philanthropy or fundraising relationship management role.
• Ability to identify and develop new philanthropic opportunities, including prospecting and converting new donors.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience of developing, managing and growing relationships.
• Strong communication, evidencing excellent customer relationship with a focus on trust, respect, confidentiality and attention to detail alongside the ability to juggle multiple relationships simultaneously.
• Confidence speaking publicly to a variety of audiences.
• High levels of motivation, be results-driven and able to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team.
• Experience of producing compelling reports, narrative and presentations alongside creating tailored donor experiences to inspire donors.
• A strong commitment to your own learning and development. 

Read more in the full job pack.

To help communities by promoting, developing and supporting sustainable, quality, robustly governed Out of School Childcare Clubs. To meet the need for increased Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) registered childcare across Wales.

• Develop and set up new Out of School Childcare Clubs and/or extend existing provision. Identify, with the help of childcare partnerships, areas for club development.
• Support new and existing clubs and help them develop quality standards, including support and encouragement to register with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
• Support Out of School Childcare Clubs to improve sustainability.
• Support Out of School Childcare Clubs to adopt robust legal structures and governance, including support for unincorporated committees to move to a more suitable limited liability structure.
• Identify training needs for Out of School Childcare and promote training opportunities including Playwork qualifications and continuous professional development, signposting to relevant training. Undertake training to enhance the ability to carry out the role.
• Support the delivery of project work as required.
• Support with the planning, standardisations and delivery of online/face to face network events/workshops/training/webinars that inspire Playworkers and Managers and contribute to the fulfilment of children’s right to play and participation.
• Seek new funding opportunities and write funding applications for review by Line Manager.
• Support the strategic work of the organisation and play a positive role in achievements within the work plan, to benefit the Out of School Childcare sector pan Wales. Be an active member of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs Development Team and contribute effectively to Local Authority Childcare Teams.

Community Employment Consultant

We are seeking a Community Employment Consultant to support people with convictions into employment by working with prisons, employers and community partners.

Position: Community Employment Consultant

Location: Midlands, Hybrid – travel around the area is required so a full driving license and access to a car is essential

Salary: £30 - £35k per annum

Contract: Permanent, full time 37.5 hours per week

Closing Date: Thursday 7th May

About the organisation:

This is an Employment Consultancy role with a difference; you will be working for a unique, award-winning organisation that helps people that have served a prison sentence to re-enter the workplace by:

• Training serving prisoners as Peer Recruiters, who then provide a Candidate pipeline and work closely alongside the Community Team.
• Take employers into prison to interview Candidates. Some job offers are made there and then.
• Provide caseworker support to Candidates in the community with the primary aim of removing their barriers to work and supporting them into meaningful, sustainable employment.

About the role:

As a Community Employment Consultant, you will support the senior team and work alongside the prison peer-led team, helping Peer Recruiters in custody to identify and support Candidates.

Key responsibilities include:

• Build strong relationships with the relevant prison staff. (The prison you cover may well be in the East Midlands)
• Support the Head of West Midlands programme to engage employers and plan monthly interview days.
• Develop relationships with local and national employers and to promote the service and create employment opportunities for participants.
• Work with the team to develop and implement a strategy to identify and target local and national employers.
• Build relationships with local Probation offices and staff, DWP and Local Authority initiatives and Police & Crime Commissioner/Violence Reduction Unit and other relevant statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
• Maintain accurate and up to date records to monitor the effectiveness of the programme using our in-house portal (CRM system). Provide effective case management for participants, ensuring tailored and consistent support.

About you:

To be successful in the role of, you will need the following skills and experience:

• A full driving license and access to a car on (at least) a weekly basis.
• Be able and willing to work in Prisons and Youth Offender Institutions, this includes a vetting process which you will need to pass in order to be successful in the role.
• An empathetic and understanding approach when working with Candidates.
• A good understanding of the barriers faced by people with convictions in accessing employment.
• An interest in employment, the local labour market and Industry trends.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels, including the ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Strong administration skills with IT (MS Office) and well organised.
• You will have strong writing skills and will be able to write good CV’s and Disclosure Letters.

Although not essential, experience of Recruitment or Case Management would be desirable.

In return:

As well as a great job with competitive pay and benefits, you will have the opportunity to be part of something that has potential to become ground-breaking.

The team comes from a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds. As well as employing serving prisoners within the team as Peer Recruiters, we also work with Community Consultants who have served a sentence. Where possible, the charity are keen to prioritise those with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Recruitment Process:

Step one: If you are interested in the role, please send over a basic CV & one page cover letter. In the letter, please include details of why you think you are a fit for the role. You should also include details of why you are interested in working with the prison population.

Step two: An informal Q&A before putting more time into applying for the role. This will be an online, 15 minute meeting with one of the team.

Step Three: Formal interview. This is possible online or in person. You will be set a short task prior to the interview.

Step Four: As a final part of the process, you’ll be invited into the office for coffee with the team in Birmingham.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Employment Advisor, Employment Consultant, Employability Advisor, Resettlement Worker, Case Worker, Job Coach, Recruitment Consultant, Prison Resettlement Advisor, Community Support Worker, Work and Skills Advisor.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.