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We are looking for someone with experience in the youth or community sector, who has worked directly with young adults in a strengths-based and participatory way to join us as a Youth Worker.

Job title: Youth Worker 

Accountable to: Youth Work Manager 

Based at: Esteem’s base, The Old School House, Shoreham-by-sea, with some limited options for flexible/ hybrid working. It is expected that the majority of your time will be in person as this is a role working directly with young adults

Contract: Permanent position - Part time

Hours: 30 hours per week 

Working Pattern: Monday 12:30pm to 08:30pm, Wednesday 12:30pm to 08:30pm, Thursday 10:00am to 06:00pm and Friday 10:00 am to 6:00pm - Tuesday is a non-working day.

Pay: £28,000 FTE (Pro-rata £22,400 actual gross) with scope for negotiation depending on experience and qualifications

Application Deadline: Monday 2nd November 2026 at 10am

Interviews: Week commencing 9th November 2026

Start Date: To be confirmed

How To Apply: If you would like to apply for this position, please complete an application form and send it along with your CV to our HR team.

Please let us know if you would prefer to submit your application in another way, such as a video presentation. 

For an informal conversation about the role please contact our HR team

About Esteem

Esteem is a youth charity built by and for young adults aged 14 to 26, offering group activities and one-to-one support in Shoreham-by-Sea. In our space, any young adult can find their people, take on real responsibility, and discover what they are capable of.

Esteem creates spaces where everyone matters.

Each year, 250 young adults from across Sussex spend time with us. They come from many different communities and bring a wide range of experiences, with many navigating three or four social barriers at once that may impact their health, ability to cope and thrive into their adult lives. Participation runs through everything we do, with young adults shaping sessions, projects and the organisation itself at every level. 

About the role

Your main focus will be leading and organising group activities and social sessions.

That means our flagship weekly sessions, The Drop-In, WYD Wednesday and Crunch Time, developing our sessions and partnership at Shoreham Academy and the shorter projects that rotate through the year based on young adults' needs and interests. At the moment these include a young men's group, HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) sessions, and ‘Learn To’ inclusive physical activity sessions.

You will lead on organising, delivering and reporting on these sessions, with young adults directly shaping what happens in them. From time to time you will also meet young adults one to one, working alongside them on things like conflict, boundaries and building confidence.

Young adults tell us what they want from a youth worker. They want time and space, and someone who understands them as an individual. They want somewhere that feels safe and supportive, where they can meet people and build connections. They want a programme of activities that is genuinely good fun and gives them somewhere to be. That is what you will help build.

What you will do

Leading group activities

• Plan and deliver regular social sessions alongside young adults, for under 18s (14 to 17) and over 18s (18 to 26), including Esteem's drop-ins. These currently run Monday 6pm to 8pm, Wednesday 4.30pm to 8pm and Friday 4pm to 5.30pm, with Shoreham Academy sessions on Friday 12pm to 2pm.

• Organise, coordinate, deliver and report on short projects that run across the year: 

  • Esteem's HAF holiday club, which runs up to three times a year

  • A new young men's group, where young men build a positive understanding of their gender, healthy relationships and mental health. 

  • ‘Learn To’ inclusive physical activity sessions, where young adults who don't currently exercise get active on their own terms

• Working is required on the occasional bank holiday, and weekend on a rota basis, as agreed with the line manager. 

• Support the Wellbeing Project Worker to deliver wellbeing activities such as surfing, hikes and trips.

• Keep our sessions genuinely open, so that young adults from every background find a way in and a reason to stay.

• Work with colleagues and young adults to develop a range of activities that build connection, confidence and community.

One-to-one support

• Introducing new young adults to Esteem, our ethos and connecting them to opportunities at the organisation.

• Work alongside young adults to support their engagement in group sessions, whether that’s supporting them to join a group for the first time, or to repair conflict, or work through whatever is getting in the way. 

• Help young adults find and stay involved in opportunities, both at Esteem and elsewhere.

Working with volunteers

• Support the recruitment, induction, training and supervision of volunteers and bank staff involved in your sessions.

• Build a collaborative atmosphere in which volunteers feel valued and well supported.

Records, monitoring and budgets

• Record attendance and complete the relevant documentation, including impact measurement and risk assessments.

• Manage and maintain a budget for your activities.

• Record progress and outcomes on Upshot, Esteem's CRM system (Our secure database of young adults).

• Gather feedback from young adults, act on it, and tell them what changed as a result.

• Keep accurate and up-to-date records of your work with young adults.

• Prepare the information needed for impact measurement and funding reports, meeting confidentiality and data protection standards.

• Take part in team meetings, training and professional development.

Safeguarding and risk

• Safeguard young adults, reporting and recording any concerns to the safeguarding team.

• Follow Esteem's safeguarding policies and procedures in all your work.

• Write risk assessments for your sessions and manage risk so that activities stay safe and still feel worth turning up for.

Community

• Raise awareness of Esteem locally, so more young adults know we are here, with an emphasis on young adults from marginalised communities (Including those from the LGBT+, Neurodiverse, Refugee and Asylum Seeker communities) 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with local organisations, schools and community groups, working alongside the youth team and Esteem's Marketing and Communications Officer.

Championing young adults' voices

• Advocate for what young adults tell us they need, inside Esteem and in the wider community.

• Support young adults to take part in decisions, so their voices matter and their decisions stick.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone with experience in the youth or community sector, who has worked directly with young adults in a strengths-based and participatory way. You will need to show us that you can collaborate, plan, solve problems, use your initiative and connect with people.

Esteem strives for excellence in safeguarding young adults and adults at risk, and in promoting the safety and welfare of everyone who comes through our doors.

If you meet most of what follows and are not sure about the rest, we would still like to hear from you.

Essential experience and knowledge

• Experience working directly with young adults, with demonstrable youth work skills or experience in a youth development or community setting. We would usually expect around two years, though we welcome applications from people whose experience has taken a different shape.

• Experience supporting young adults in a social environment.

• Experience of participatory, strengths-based practice, where young adults lead.

• A strong understanding of accessibility, and of what young adults from different backgrounds bring and need.

• A Level 3 qualification in youth work or equivalent, or a willingness to work towards one.

• Experience of supporting young men's wellbeing and mental health, and an understanding of what helps young men talk, connect and look after themselves.

Essential skills and abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including text and digital communication, particularly with young adults who have found other services hard to access.

• Empathy, and the ability to work in a trauma-informed way both one to one and in groups.

• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• The ability to facilitate interactive, age-appropriate activities with a youth-led approach.

• An awareness of safeguarding practice for young people and adults at risk, including relevant training.

• The ability to keep good records and to use IT and online systems to record outcomes and monitor performance. Currently we use google workspace and Upshot as our CRM.

Desirable

• A Level 3 youth work qualification already held.

• Experience of Upshot or a similar CRM system.

• Experience of delivering holiday provision.

• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle. 

• A Middas qualification

What you are like

• Helpful, cooperative and tuned in to other people, with a commitment to Esteem being youth-informed and youth-led.

• Someone who lives out Esteem's values: trust, support, respect.

• Reliable, honest and careful with confidentiality.

• Someone with a good sense of humour and a positive attitude, who can gently challenge a young adult who is selling themselves short and encourage them to try something new.

• Approachable and flexible when things do not go to plan, and able to use your initiative.

• Willing to flex and support the rest of the team as the needs of young adults and the organisation change.

• Friendly and curious, interested in understanding other people's perspectives and experiences.

• A reflective practitioner, who is able to develop their practice, and receive and provide feedback to the rest of the team in a healthy way.

What we offer

At Esteem we understand that our collective wellbeing is vital to every aspect of our organisational function. We provide:

• Staff Well-being: Esteem runs quarterly Well-being weeks throughout the year where we pause, reflect on what’s working and what's not, and create space for connection and team building with staff and young adults. Esteem is committed to supporting you in your role, including regular supervision, reflective practice groups, clinical supervision, regular pay reviews, employee support plan, staff socials and regular training. 

• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities: Esteem’s employees are encouraged to consider opportunities to develop new skills or progress, including applying for new roles in the organisation, participating in external training courses, and getting involved in different projects happening within the organisation.

• A Diverse and Inclusive Workplace: Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to Esteem’s values and how we work. We are proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and support young people and staff from different backgrounds so they can be their best selves. Our networks include All Sorts (LGBTQIA+), Adur Refugees and Possibility People.

• Flexible Working and Holiday Entitlement:  We are committed to maintaining your work/life balance. We offer 35 days (FTE) of annual leave inclusive of bank holidays. We operate flexi-working. Esteem general office hours are 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday, though we take a flexible approach to work and working patterns; we also ask the same of our staff, requiring the ability to work effectively and respond appropriately in challenging circumstances. Esteem has a close-down period over Christmas and New Year. 

• Occupational Sick Pay: Following completion of four months service, you will be entitled to enhanced occupational sick pay.

• Cash-Back Health Plan: On appointment, you will become a member of Health Shield, a cash-back health plan giving you money back on everyday healthcare costs, such as dental, optical and physiotherapy. This is from day one of you joining Esteem. 

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): You will also have access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Breeze, a 24/7 support line via phone or web portal giving you access to GPs, counsellors, physios, mental health support and money-saving perks. 

• Flu Vaccination: We pay for flu vaccinations, should this be something you wish to have.

• Staff Discounts: You will also receive staff discounts to local businesses as part of our well-being offer.

You will be asked to complete a declaration and references form if offered an interview. Successful applicants must complete a safer recruitment form (at the interview stage) and undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Esteem welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We value diversity and promote inclusion through our activities, as well as in our policies and working practices. Our culture and values reinforce this. We seek to create an inspiring and inclusive workplace where all feel valued and able to contribute to the organisation.

If you have the skills, knowledge and drive that we are looking for, and are passionate about making a real difference in young adults' lives, we would love to hear from you.

We will only shortlist applicants that have applied directly to our HR Department providing a completed application form.

The offer of the position will be conditional upon our receipt and acceptance of satisfactory references, DBS check and Right to Work Check.