Youth engagement jobs

About the Project

The National Lottery funded Meddwl Ymlaen Mind Our Future project is led by The Venture on behalf of the North East Wales partnership. The aim is to empower young people aged 11 to 24 to shape mental health services across Wrexham and Flintshire. Young people will co develop and influence policy, processes and services that affect their mental wellbeing.

Overview of the Role

The Senior Youth Engagement Officer will lead the youth engagement and co production elements of the project. A key part of the role is to lead and facilitate the Young Leaders Advisory Board (YLAB), made up of 11 to 24 year olds who guide the direction of the project. The post holder will support their leadership development, confidence and decision making.

The role also includes developing a strategy to recruit and engage more young people, delivering a calendar of youth led events, and ensuring young voices shape all aspects of the project. The officer will represent Mind Our Future in meetings with stakeholders and support young people recruited into paid roles within the project.

Main Duties

• Lead and facilitate the YLAB, plan and chair meetings, and support members to take an active leadership role.
• Recruit and engage a diverse group of young people to join the YLAB and ensure the group reflects the communities of Wrexham and Flintshire.
• Provide mentoring, coaching and personal development opportunities for young people involved.
• Co design project activities with young people, ensuring their voices guide decisions, planning and evaluation.
• Organise workshops, events and activities and ensure all logistics are managed effectively.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders and communicate project updates.
• Recruit and support young people in paid roles within the project, including training, mentoring and ongoing support.
• Act as the designated safeguarding lead for the project including implementing safeguarding procedures, providing guidance, and liaising with authorities when required.
• Contribute to overall project success through planning, evaluation and collaborative teamwork.
• Maintain high standards of professionalism, confidentiality and equality across all work.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential
• Minimum Level 3 qualification in Youth Work
• Clean UK driving licence
• Level 3 safeguarding children in Wales qualification
• Significant experience in a Safeguarding Lead or equivalent role

Desirable
• Diploma or degree in mental health, particularly relating to children and young people
• Health and Safety training

Skills and Abilities

Essential
• Strong communication skills in English
• Experience working with young people and young adults
• Empathy and ability to connect with young people
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Good IT skills including digital communication and online working
• Ability to produce quality reports and presentations
• Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders and motivate young people
• Ability to work collaboratively and create a positive environment
• Ability to travel throughout Wrexham, Flintshire and occasionally across Wales
• Ability to meet deadlines and targets

Desirable
• Welsh language skills
• Ability to adapt communication styles for different needs (for example Makaton)

Experience and Knowledge

Essential
• Significant safeguarding experience
• Knowledge of youth work and youth development
• Understanding of monitoring and evaluation in a youth work setting
• Awareness of youth sub cultures and social media
• Experience of youth participation or consultation
• Understanding of professional boundaries
• Experience implementing Health and Safety and Equalities processes
• Knowledge of Youth Work in Wales: Principles and Purposes and related frameworks
• Knowledge of Data Protection and GDPR
• Understanding of the importance of Welsh language and culture

Desirable
• Experience of co production
• Experience working with diverse groups of young people
• Experience working with varied abilities
• Partnership working experience
• Project management experience or transferable skills

Personal Qualities

Essential
• Trustworthiness
• Commitment to professional development
• Commitment to equality and challenging discrimination
• Integrity, discretion and strong personal drive
• Ability to problem solve and work under pressure
• Compassion and patience
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills
• Genuine care for supporting others
• Fun, engaging and adventurous attitude

Other Requirements

• Ability to carry equipment between locations
• Frequent evening and weekend work will be required
• Enhanced DBS check required

The Youth Endowment Fund  

Senior Change Manager, Youth Justice 

Reports to: Change Lead for Diversion

Salary:  £52,700 per annum  

Location:  Central London or Hybrid*(see below) 

Contract: (2-year fixed term – potential to extend)

Closing date for applications: 12pm Monday 12th January 2026 

Interview dates: Week commencing 26th January 2026 

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

In recent years violent crime has risen significantly. Homicides, assaults, robberies and offences involving weapons have all seen sustained growth. We have also seen large increases in violent crime involving children and young people. This is a tragedy. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a charity with a £200m endowment and a mission that matters. We exist to prevent children becoming involved in violence. Our mission is to find what works and build a movement to put it into practice. A big part of the movement that we need to build is in the world of youth justice. We need to inspire and connect with youth justice leaders across England and Wales to spread what works and make our country safer for some of our most vulnerable children. We are looking for someone to lead on making this happen.

Key Responsibilities  

We are making good progress building the evidence of what works within and around youth justice to reduce violence. This year, in conjunction with the Centre for Justice Innovation, we published Diversion Practice Guidance and have recently launched our new self-evaluation tool for diversion practice (ORPIC). But the big risk is that we publish these resources and nothing changes. That’s where you come in.

Your role is to work out the best way to make this change happen by getting youth justice services (YJSs) and police forces to adopt evidence-based practice through our new change programme: the Whole Area Model (WAM). WAM helps police forces and youth justice services strengthen diversion practices by aligning their work with the 7 C’s: 

1. Culture – A child-centred, pro-diversion ethos 

1. Contact – Interactions are trauma-informed and maximise prevention and safeguarding opportunities 

1. Custody – Considered use of police custody, prioritising alternatives and swift triage. 

1. Criteria – Clear, consistent eligibility for diversion. 

1. Collaboration – Multi-agency decision-making panels; shared protocols and referral pathways.

1. Care – Evidence-based support, monitoring engagement, closing cases responsibly.

1. Checks – Ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and scrutiny to ensure quality and equity. 

Your role will involve: 

• Supporting the delivery of the Whole Area Model through activities like: 

• Facilitating completions of diversion self-evaluations with youth justice services and police forces. 

• Delivering training to youth justice, police and other relevant agencies about the evidence-base or specific areas of diversionary practice and governance (e.g. scrutiny panels). 

• Supporting the ongoing development of a National Diversion Network, which will contribute to a wider repository of diversion resources and evidence

• Identifying and creating practical resources which help youth justice professionals and police officers to put evidence into practice. 

• Developing great relationships with senior leaders, youth justice workers and police officers, generating a strong understanding of key issues and needs in relation to youth justice matters, and building credibility and trust with the sector.

• Working out other effective ways to connect people with the evidence, then making those things happen, from virtual learning events to presentations. 

As a senior member of staff in the organisation you also: 

• Build a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.

• Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About You 

You must have this sort of experience: 

• You’ve changed frontline practice and/or systems:You have significant experience in leading behaviour, practice or policy changes within a youth justice setting. You can show how these have been effective in delivering tangible change.

• You’re working in or around the youth justice service, preferably in a role/setting specifically working with children who are vulnerable to or involved in violence.  

• You work well in multi-agency environments: You have experience collaborating across police, youth justice, local authorities and other partners, and you can communicate confidently with a wide range of stakeholders to build alignment and drive change. 

You might have this sort of experience: 

• Supporting a youth justice team/service to reflect on and adopt evidence-based practice in relation to diversion or wider youth justice activities.

You are this sort of person: 

• You are fascinated about change and are experienced in making it happen. You have outstanding analytical judgment alongside the emotional intelligence and experience needed to identify the right opportunities for change, then make them happen. You understand why people find change difficult. You come alive talking about how people make decisions and why they do the things they do. 

• You understand the youth justice sector and diversion specifically. You really understand how the youth justice sector works, from leaders to frontline officers.

• You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex information into plain writing that everyone can understand.

• You have excellent project and time management skills and the ability to design and deliver high quality outputs such as reports and digital resources to a high standard.

• You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You have built good relationships with very senior people and with very junior people. You are good at chairing meetings, connecting people and having good introductory meetings. You are comfortable talking to a government minister, a youth worker, a company CEO, a teacher and a 15-year-old student. Listening to people from all backgrounds matters to you.

• You learn fast but remain humble. You are very quick at getting your head around things. You like learning. You are very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know. You know that you can learn more. You know that it's easy to assume you know when you don't. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You are a great and supportive team player. 

• You don't want young your days to pass without making a difference. You want to play a significant part in reducing violence.

• You understand people. You understand what the lives of vulnerable young people can be like, and you understand some of the organisations that work with them, ideally through first-hand experience.

• You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting children and young people. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.

Hybrid Working 

Our office is located in Central London. Team members who reside within the 32 London Boroughs or are within a 90-minute commute are expected to attend the office at least two days per week. 

For those living outside of London but within England, Scotland, or Wales, the expectation is to work from the London office two days per month. 

Travel  

Due to the nature of the programme there is some national travel required within England and Wales. This is likely to be up to five times per month; all travel costs can be reimbursed with flexibility for overnight stays if preferred.

To Apply 

Please click on the "Apply for this" button and submit your CV, your completed monitoring form and ensure your covering letter answers the following three questions below. Please submit your application by 12pm Monday 12th January 

When applying for this role, please ensure that you answer the application questions below:    

Personal and professional experiences in violence prevention
1. What personal and professional experiences shape your understanding of the youth justice sector and its role in preventing youth violence? (max 400 words) 

Developing strategy
2. Can you describe a time when you successfully supported youth justice partnership leaders to improve their practice or systems? Please be specific about the scale and context of your involvement. (max 400 words) 

Improving practice or systems 
3. Describe your experience improving diversion for children. What actions did you take, what impact did they have, and what did you learn? (max 400 words) 

Interview Process 

This will likely be a one stage interview process. Interviews will take place the week of 26th January 2026. 

Please Note: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. 

All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well. 

Benefits Include 

• £1,000 professional development budget annually 

• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays 

• Four half days for volunteering activities 

• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support 

• Volunteering days - 4 half days per year 

• Death in service - 4 times annual salary 

• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm 

• Financial support including travel and hardship loans 

• Employer contributed pension of 5%. 

Your Data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful, and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area. 
 

Can you inspire, energise and motivate young people aged 9–18?
Do you want to make a genuine difference while being part of a supportive, values-driven team?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

One YMCA Youth Clubs provide safe, inclusive spaces where young people can socialise, build confidence, and develop skills for life. We are looking for a Youth Development Worker to support the delivery of engaging youth work sessions and contribute to the growth of our youth offer, including the opening of new clubs in Bedford town centre.

The Role

Reporting to the Senior Youth Development Worker, you will support the planning and delivery of a range of youth work activities. This is a hands-on role working directly with young people, helping to create welcoming, fun and meaningful sessions that reflect the YMCA Youth Work Strategy and Principles.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone passionate about youth work who wants to develop their skills in a supportive environment. Training and ongoing support will be provided.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the planning, delivery and evaluation of youth work activities for young people aged 9–18
• Deliver a range of youth work activities, including centre-based sessions, outreach, school-linked programmes, mentoring and digital engagement
• Build positive, trusted relationships with young people, offering encouragement, guidance and support
• Assist with projects and new youth club development in Bedford town centre
• Maintain accurate records of attendance, engagement and outcomes to support monitoring and reporting
• Promote safeguarding, equality, inclusion and positive behaviour in all aspects of delivery

About You

You don’t need to be fully qualified - what matters most is your enthusiasm, reliability, and commitment to young people.

You will be:

• Passionate about supporting children and young people
• Confident engaging with young people in group settings
• Willing to learn and develop your youth work skills
• Able to work as part of a team and follow safeguarding procedures
• Experience working with young people (paid or voluntary) is desirable but not essential.

Hours and Contract

• Part-time role
• 10 hours per week, paid on a monthly salaried basis
• Working pattern includes evenings and weekends, with most sessions taking place after school

Additional Information

• Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available)
• This role may require a Basic or Enhanced DBS check following a conditional offer
• Applications will be reviewed as received, so early application is encouraged

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: At One YMCA, we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and aim to create a working environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Accessibility & Adjustments: We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know if you need any support to apply or attend an interview.

This is a fantastic opportunity to build and grow Molly Rose Foundation's lived engagement and youth programmes, and to push for a safer online world driven by the needs and perspectives of lived experience.

Working at the intersect of tech accountability, online safety and suicide prevention, Molly Rose Foundation was founded following the death of 14-year old Molly Russell.

Today we’re committed to building and amplifying the voices of those with lived experiences of online harm – and to challenging government, regulators and tech firms to listen to and act decisively on what they have to say.

MRF is grounded in youth and lived experience, and we will always ensure the lessons of Molly's death act as a catalyst for positive change. You’ll help us maintain and grow our networks to build and amplify the voices of youth, bereaved parents and young people directly impacted by harms, and have a track record in working in partnership across the sector.

As Lived Engagement and Youth Manager you'll build strong internal and external relationships and ensure lived experience and youth runs through everything we do.

You'll manage day-to-day relationships with youth and lived experience advocates and have a strong focus on safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.

This is a rare opportunity to build a lived experience programme that really counts. We’re looking for an exceptional individual who’s motivated by the chance to really make a difference. Your work will help to ensure that tomorrow’s young people live long and stay strong.

MRF is committed to flexible working and we know that a diverse team makes us stronger. While we are recruiting for a full-time position, we will actively consider part-time and flexible working requests.

Please submit your CV and a cover letter, no more than two sides each, to apply for this role. Please refrain from overly relying on AI in your application. 

Since 2009 we’ve been creating engaging education content to empower young people through tech for good. We are now seeking an experienced, forward-thinking educator to take the leading role in creating a brand-new, sector-defining Apps for Good course. This is a moment of profound significance for our charity and the young people we serve.

We need our new project-based education content to rise to the challenge of the rapidly evolving AI landscape. You will be the course designer responsible for defining, scoping, and creating a reimagined course that explicitly addresses the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI); delivers on our Theory of Change in terms of developing essential and digital skills, incorporates industry engagement; takes on the social challenges most significant to young people and aligns with the highest education standards, ensuring young people are truly prepared to shape their future with technology.

This is a high-impact project and will be a brilliant opportunity to make your mark in education. This unique, short-term opportunity will make a foundational impact on a national charity and the future of thousands of young people.

One YMCA provides housing, health, wellbeing, children’s, youth and community services across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We are committed to helping people reach their full potential and strengthening communities through inclusive, high-quality programmes.

Are you an experienced youth worker ready to take the next step in your development?
Do you enjoy leading sessions, supporting colleagues, and shaping meaningful opportunities for young people?

We are seeking a Senior Youth Development Worker to support the development and delivery of One YMCA’s Universal Youth Work provision in Bedford.

The Role

Reporting to the Youth Work Coordinator, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality youth work for young people aged 9–18. You will lead engaging sessions, support and supervise sessional youth workers, and contribute to the growth and development of One YMCA’s youth work offer in line with the YMCA Youth Work Strategy.

This is a hands-on role combining direct youth work, team support, and partnership engagement. You will help ensure young people feel safe, included, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver and evaluate inclusive youth work sessions for young people aged 9–18
• Lead sessions and act as a positive role model for young people
• Support and supervise sessional youth workers during delivery
• Build and maintain positive relationships with partners, schools and external agencies
• Maintain accurate records to monitor attendance, engagement and outcomes
• Contribute to the development and expansion of One YMCA’s youth work offer, including partnership and funding opportunities
• Promote safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of work

About You

You are passionate about youth work and committed to making a positive difference in young people’s lives. You are confident leading sessions, supporting others, and working collaboratively as part of a team.

You will have:

• Experience delivering youth work (paid or voluntary)
• Confidence leading group sessions and supporting small teams
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• An understanding of inclusive and safeguarding-led practice
• A Level 3 Youth Work qualification, or willingness to work towards one (essential)

Hours and Contract

• Part-time role
• 18 hours per week, salaried on a monthly basis
• Working pattern is flexible but will include evenings and weekends, with most delivery taking place after school

Additional Information

• Interviews will be held on a rolling basis, so early application is encouraged
• Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available)
• This role may require a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, subject to a conditional offer

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: At One YMCA, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We actively promote equality of opportunity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, communities, and experiences.

Accessibility & Adjustments: We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know if you require any support to participate fully.

One YMCA provides housing, health, wellbeing, children’s, youth and community services across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We are committed to helping people reach their full potential and to strengthening communities through inclusive, high-quality services.

Are you passionate about youth work and ready to lead and shape provision for young people aged 9–18?
Can you inspire, motivate and support young people while coordinating engaging, safe and impactful youth programmes?

One YMCA Youth Clubs provide welcoming and supportive spaces where young people can build confidence, develop life skills, and feel a strong sense of belonging. We are now seeking a Youth Work Coordinator to lead the development and delivery of our Bedford Town Centre Youth Clubs.

The Role

As Youth Work Coordinator, you will take a lead role in the planning, coordination and delivery of youth clubs and activities. You will be responsible for setting up and developing new sessions, coordinating day-to-day delivery, supporting youth workers and volunteers, and ensuring high-quality youth work practice in line with the YMCA Youth Work Strategy and Principles.

You will also work closely with local partners, schools, and community stakeholders to strengthen engagement and create positive opportunities for young people. This is a hands-on role combining direct youth work, outreach, and leadership responsibilities.

The role includes working 2–3 days per week after school, with some evening work required. Additional daytime hours are allocated for planning, coordination, partnership working, and administration, bringing the total to 37.5 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and deliver centre-based and outreach youth work sessions
• Lead the development of new youth clubs and activities
• Support, mentor, and coordinate youth work staff and volunteers
• Build positive relationships with young people aged 9–18
• Work collaboratively with local partners and stakeholders
• Ensure safeguarding, health and safety, and quality standards are met
• Contribute to planning, monitoring, and evaluation of youth provision

What We’re Looking For

• Experience in youth work or a related field (paid or voluntary)
• A strong commitment to inclusive, young person–centred practice
• Ability to coordinate sessions and support a small team
• Strong communication, organisational, and partnership-working skills
• Willingness to undertake a Level 3 or Level 6 qualification in Youth Work (essential)
• An understanding of both outreach and centre-based youth work

What We Offer

• Opportunity to accrue up to 5 additional days of leave
• Paid training and tailored learning and development opportunities
• Free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (including counselling and GP access)
• Employer contributory pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and compassionate leave
• Health and wellbeing initiatives
• Employee discount scheme (brands, travel, groceries, and more)

Additional Information

• This is a full-time role (37.5 hours per week)
• Working pattern includes shifts over 7 days, including evenings
• Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available)
• The role may require a Basic or Enhanced DBS check following a conditional offer

At One YMCA, we actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming you to our dedicated Youth Work team at One YMCA.

Are you passionate about helping young people build brighter futures?

Join Young Enterprise to shape the future of thousands of young people. As our Alumni Community Manager, you’ll build a vibrant, inclusive network where young voices lead, inspire, and drive real impact.

Who We Are

We’re Young Enterprise – a national charity with a bold mission: to give every young person the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in the changing world of work.

For over 60 years, we’ve empowered more than 7 million young people through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes. Whether it’s launching a student business or learning how to manage money, we help young people develop key life skills like teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience.

We’re a passionate, down-to-earth team of 90+ staff and 2,000+ volunteers who believe that every young person, regardless of background, deserves a fair start in life.

Why Join Us?

We think Young Enterprise is a great place to work—and we’re proud of our people-first culture. Here’s what you can expect:

• A friendly and supportive team where your voice is heard
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion—we want everyone to feel they belong
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working
• Cycle-to-work scheme, life assurance, and NHS top-up plan
• Ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities
• A chance to directly impact the lives of young people every single day

About the Role

This is a role where you’ll really see the difference you make. As Alumni Community Manager, you’ll:

• Build a vibrant, inclusive network that keeps young people connected long after their YE experience
• Create pathways for alumni to grow, give back, and make an impact
• Champion Youth Voice, co-design opportunities with young people, and lead initiatives that inspire, engage, and energise the community
• Work across teams and with external partners to turn strategy into action and help shape the next generation

This is a varied, people-focused role with plenty of room for creativity, independence, and collaboration.

You’ll love this job if you are…

• passionate about shaping futures: Helping young people thrive and seeing real impact
• a champion of youth voice: Putting young people at the heart of decisions and strategy
• love building communities: Creating a vibrant, inclusive alumni network
• collaborative and driven: Working across teams and partners to make big ideas happen.
• a natural communicator: Representing YE, celebrating alumni, and elevating young voices nationally and globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Alumni Community: Build a network that connects, inspires, and supports alumni at every stage.
• Champion Youth Voice: Give young people a real say in shaping programmes, strategy, and decisions.
• Build partnerships & represent YE: Collaborate with external organisations and showcase alumni achievements
• Drive engagement: Create mentoring, volunteering, and recognition opportunities
• Collaborate across teams: Work with colleagues to deliver a seamless, high-impact alumni experience
• Turn strategy into action: Translate the Alumni and Youth Voice Strategy into practical plans with clear milestones
• Celebrate impact and share insights: Showcase alumni stories, track outcomes, and provide insights to inform decision-making.

A few practical things

· This is a hybrid role, requiring you to work from a YE office (London or Oxford) at least 8 times per month

Keeping Young People Safe

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment and be expected to uphold excellent safeguarding practice at all times.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to help shape the futures of young people, we want to hear from you!

Please send your CV and instead of a traditional cover letter, please send us a separate document answering the three questions below, up to 250 words per answer. Please note, applications without answers to the three questions will not be considered. Interviews will be held via Teams.  Applications must be received by 23:30 on 14 January 2026.  First round interviews earmarked for 22 January 2026.

1. Skills and Experience

Tell us about the skills and experience you would bring to this role. You may wish to include examples of community engagement, working with young people, partnership working, or project delivery.

2. Youth Voice and Co-design
Give an example of how you involved young people or other stakeholders in shaping a programme, project, or service. How did you ensure their ideas influenced decisions, and what difference did it make?

3. Collaboration
Describe a time when you worked with multiple colleagues, teams or partners to deliver a project or initiative. How did you build relationships, navigate challenges, and achieve meaningful results?

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While these can be a helpful resource, we want to hear about your personal skills, experiences and insights that highlight your unique strengths and perspective in your own words.

Full details can be found in the Job Description.

At YE we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice.

Join us – and help us give every young person the chance to thrive. Apply today!

Overview   

At Young Roots, we want to see a compassionate and welcoming society for young people seeking safety. We work alongside young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, building trusted relationships, providing practical and emotional support and promoting young people’s rights and power.  

Our youth clubs and casework are transformative for young refugees, allowing young people who have fled danger, experienced traumatic journeys, and are often here alone to find community and connection, a space to be a young person, and access support to address a range of practical challenges they face. We also draw on our evidence from working every day with young refugees and asylum seekers to call for change to the laws and policies which are harming young people.  

About the role  

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner with both youth work and casework experience to make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people in the UK asylum system. You will support young people aged 18-25, including those age-assessed as 18+, living in contingency and dispersal accommodation, helping them access social, emotional and practical support as they navigate the asylum system. 

Working closely with Youth Welfare Caseworkers who hold more complex, long-term cases, you will provide early intervention and short-term casework support alongside consistent, relational youth work. You will also contribute to the ongoing monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the service, as required, helping to evidence impact and inform service development. 

This role is primarily based in Brent, where you will coordinate the delivery of the Ahlan youth club with another Youth Welfare Officer and contribute to regular outreach to young people living in local hotels. You will help plan and deliver group sessions, trips and activities, creating safe, engaging and empowering spaces for young people. You will act as a trusted point of contact, building strong relationships, offering one-to-one support, and accompanying, referring and signposting young people to appropriate services, while working closely with colleagues to ensure safeguarding and wellbeing are prioritised. 

You may also be required to support the delivery of our other Youth Welfare youth clubs in Croydon and King’s Cross, and some evening work may be required as part of the role. All work is delivered in line with Young Roots’ values, using a trauma-informed, asset-based and youth-led approach. 

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a personal statement by the closing date outlining how you would be a great fit for the role. 

Your personal statement should be no more than 800 words, answering the following questions: 

1. What is your motivation for working with Young Roots? 
2. What is your motivation for applying for this role specifically? 
3. What skills and experience would you bring that will enable you to be successful in this role?

Please ensure you refer to the minimum requirements on the person specification and provide examples to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria. 

You may submit your personal statement in writing or via video. 

Please submit your application via CharityJobs. 

Please note that Young Roots is closed from Wednesday, 24 December 2025, and will reopen on Monday, 5 January 2026. There may be a delay in getting back to you during this time. 

No agencies, please. 

Closing date: Midday on Monday, 5 January 2026 

Interviews: week commencing Monday, 12 January 2026 

Young Roots recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who face disadvantage in employment, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. As an organisation that supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, we particularly welcome applications from people within these communities. We offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with lived experience of the asylum system and those with disabilities, where they meet the essential elements of the person specification. If aspects of the application process create barriers to you applying, or if you'd like any adjustments to the process, or an informal discussion or advice on your application, please get in touch. We would also like to alert you to organisations that support people from under-represented groups and can advise you on applying for this role - for example, Scope, Young Women’s Trust, and Experts by Experience.

Young Roots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We take this duty very seriously.

Our work is underpinned by policies and procedures which promote safe working practices. We have a training and supervision framework that everyone is expected to comply with, along with systems for monitoring, quality assurance, and collecting service user feedback. Upon joining, you will be expected to be part of this approach to safeguard our service users.

All posts are subject to safer recruitment protocols, which include vetting checks such as enhanced criminal records and barring, scrutiny of employment history, references, and other checks.

As our HyPE Manager you will set up, embed and lead the implementation of Voyage’s Horizons Youth Programme for the Environment, a pioneering employability, mentoring and wellbeing programme combining a weekly Job Club, renewable energy and green-skills training, construction pathways and embedded therapeutic support linked to employment opportunities delivered in partnership with Repowering London, New city College and Talking Quest. 

The postholder will oversee recruitment, delivery and progression impact and outcomes for young people (16–21) from New City College, PRUs, Youth Offending Teams, courts, social workers and local schools, ensuring they are supported into education, apprenticeships, training or work. We are currently exploring expansion possibilities for the long term unemployed, as an alternative to custody and for refugee communities. We seek someone who can help embed the programme in the community college and assist our plans to expand.

This is an exciting chance to join us at a pivotal moment of growth. You will be a natural relationship-builder, engaging schools and multi-academy trusts across the country with programmes that spark real change in school kitchens and food education.

Who we are

Chefs in Schools is an ambitious charity that’s rapidly growing. Our mission is to improve kids' health, through improving school food & food education. We focus our efforts in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, where more than a third of children are entitled to free school meals, and diet-related disease is driving further inequality.

We support and train school kitchen teams to serve the best, freshest and tastiest food possible, alongside meaningful food education. We share learning and resources, aiming to inspire and enable others to follow our lead.

We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and have ambitious targets to ensure every child has access to incredible school food and food education, setting them up for life with the skills and knowledge to feed themselves well.

About you and the role

The purpose of this role is to support engagement with schools and multi-academy trusts by coordinating outreach, responding to enquiries, and helping to deliver our engagement activities. You will work closely with the Engagement Manager to implement engagement plans and ensure effective communication with schools and partners.

You will be supported by the Engagement Manager, Co-Director of Partnerships and Impact, and work closely with the Senior Programme Managers, Programme Managers and Communications team. 

You will support the Engagement Manager to deliver our school engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with our organisational goals and funded programme commitments. You’ll be a key first point of contact for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts, assessing their suitability and needs before referring them to the appropriate programme.

Working with the Engagement Manager, you’ll create marketing strategies to generate interest and participation in our programmes through direct mail, digital marketing campaigns, and in-person at conferences and events and meetings with prospective school partners. 

You’ll help build the engagement pipeline, support onboarding to ensure a smooth handover for training participants and schools to our programme delivery teams.

This role will be primarily based in London, but will include supporting the engagement of schools in locations across the UK as we scale and develop new hubs. You will be joining a dynamic and growing charity who are passionate about delivering exceptional training, skill sharing, expertise and know-how to advance the quality of food preparation, food service and food education in schools.

You will ideally have an understanding of the education sector and have strong people skills with the ability to build relationships and manage effective partnerships with external organisations.

The responsibilities, skills and experience listed below are intended to give you an idea of what we need for this role. If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you would be able to work with us to deliver the majority of them, we urge you to apply anyway. We’re dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and for us the most important ‘experience’ is passion for our mission. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented communities, to apply.  

We want to get to know you at the interview and understand we can do this best if you’re at ease. We’re an inclusive employer and are passionate about creating a welcoming working environment for everyone. We’re continually updating our DEI policy and have a neurodiversity champion. If you need adjustments to the interview process please let us know.

As we work with children and young people, an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance, in line with our safeguarding policy.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the Engagement Manager in delivering school engagement plans and activities, ensuring they align with our organisational marketing strategy.

• Help build and maintain positive relationships with schools, academy trusts and partner organisations, with the support of the Engagement Manager.

• Maintain accurate data records and ensure our contacts database is up to date with relevant school, participant, partner and engagement information.

• Maintain and update the engagement pipeline, tracking enquiries, supporting follow-ups, and coordinating the handover to programme teams.

• Work with the Engagement Manager to build upon our current onboarding and customer journey for schools and training participants, developing and improving this for future schools and cohorts.

• Work closely with the Comms team to support marketing of training programmes to schools and school chefs.

• Support Engagement Manager with incoming enquiries, ensuring timely and effective responses.

• Support the delivery of engagement campaigns - helping with content and materials, logistics, scheduling, and coordinating with the Communications team.

• Represent Chefs in Schools at national and regional conferences, exhibitions, and networking events to promote our programmes and mission.

• Coordinate event logistics such as registrations, attendance tracking, and follow-up communications, supporting colleagues where needed.

• Provide administrative support within the wider Partnerships and Impact team.

Skills & experience:

• You have interest and belief in our mission, to improve child health through improving food and food education in schools.

• You’re an excellent writer and communicator with strong presentation and communication skills.

• You have experience of maintaining and building relationships with a wide range of audiences.

• You have experience of using CRM software.

• You have experience supporting outreach or engagement activity, ideally within education, food, charity or related fields.

• You have the ability to listen, understand and interpret customer requirements.

• You demonstrate self-motivation, flexibility and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing, growing organisation.

• A good understanding of the UK educational system is desirable.

Benefits

You would be joining a friendly, supportive team who work hard, but believe in a healthy work / life balance. We seek a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge. Joining a small, collaborative team means you’ll be able to contribute to, and draw on, a variety of projects and strategic insights.

We offer 33 days of holiday per year including bank holidays, 3 additional office closure days over the Christmas period as well as wellbeing days over the summer school holidays.  We also have a Cycle to Work scheme, hybrid working, enhanced parental leave, and free access to the CODE app for discounted restaurants & hospitality venues. We are committed to developing our team and will support you with relevant training opportunities including £250 towards elective training and development of your choice.

We also offer Bupa Dental Insurance, Income Protection Insurance, as well as access to the Aviva Smart Health Platform which offers health benefits including free rapid access online GP appointments, free counselling and wellbeing support.

Application process

In line with our commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we invite candidates to answer a series of questions related to their day-to-day job. Please follow this link to answer the questions and submit your application along with your CV.

We recommend that you develop your answers offline and copy them in when you’re ready to ensure you don’t lose your work if interrupted.

Your answers will go through our sifting process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers. A long list of candidates will then additionally have their CVs reviewed. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 30 mins online interview. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a second, in-person interview at our office in Brixton, London.

Expected duration of this application process: 4-6 weeks

In line with our commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we will invite candidates to interview based on their answers to a series of questions related to their day-to-day job.

The deadline for applications is Sun 11th Jan 23:59

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online 30-minute competency based interview to take place on Wednesday 21 or Thursday 22 January 2026.

Successful candidates will be invited to an in-person second interview on Wednesday 28 January to be held at our office in Brixton, London. You will be asked to complete a task in advance and give a 10 minute presentation to the interview panel on the day. The interview overall will take a maximum of one hour.

This exciting new project has emerged following consultation and engagement work in 2025 across central government, Local Authorities, regional London-wide partners, Young Camden, Young Brent and Young Westminster Foundations, and the local voluntary sectors.

The result is an innovative, co-funded project, seeking to work in new ways for the benefit of young people at risk of serious youth violence in this part of NW London. This role will coordinate all aspects of the management of this programme, driving high quality delivery and outcomes. 

The focus of this collaboration is to tackle Serious Youth Violence and promote youth safety across the stretch of NW London from Kilburn High Road (Brent & Camden), through Queen’s Park (Brent & Westminster) which covers three boroughs. This part of London has been a hotspot for serious youth violence for many years, for young people both based in these communities and passing through. Tackling the issues in this part of North West London has always been a challenge, as the area is split across Local Authority lines. The area also features high levels of serious violence involving young people, both committing offences and also being victims of them (often interlinked). This is coupled with high levels of poverty and inequality, and also features relatively fewer youth opportunities than elsewhere in these boroughs.

As part of the project, the Local Authorities of each area are contributing funds over the next three years to fund collaborative and cross-borough projects that will support the safety of children and young people in this community. The project is funded by John Lyon’s Charity.

The project recognises that many of the challenges in this part of London are structural, but is motivated by the hope that key partners working together in new and different ways can help to breakdown some of the barriers that interrupt effective intervention and prevention.

The project does not seek to reinvent the wheel, and instead seeks to leverage the existing connections, expertise, partnerships and projects already happening within local areas.

Please see summary details below: 

Job title: Programme Director, Youth Safety Programme (NW London)

Location: YCF office, with travel across central and North West London

Reporting to: CEO, Young Camden Foundation  

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week), with some out of hours work / visits occasionally required, at least 3-4 days pw required in person

Salary: £46,000-£46,000 p.a. (depending on experience)

Start date: ASAP, ideally January 2026

Contract type: Fixed term (three years)

Please download the application pack for full details of this role. 

The Youth Participation & Events Support (Internhsip) role is a twelve-month paid Internship to begin during March 2026, supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation, to support the planning and delivery of SLRA’s youth participation programme, regular activities and youth-led events.

Our youth services include advice and casework, a programme of positive activities and opportunities to work alongside other young people to influence the policies and practices that affect them through our Young Community Leaders Programme. We also support a group of young people to plan and deliver events. These events bring young migrants in London together to discuss issues that matter to them, celebrate achievements, build community and plan further actions and work together.

Our organisation

South London Refugee Association (SLRA) is a local charity supporting refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants. Our mission is to ensure that migrants in South London are active participants with access to justice and opportunity, and we work alongside people as they build settled lives and positive futures. Our Youth Service provides support to around 350 young people each year. Support includes holistic youth casework, immigration advice, a weekly youth club, advice drop ins, a youth participation programme and regular trips and activities.

Jack Petchey Foundation

In this role, you will be part of the Jack Petchey Internship Programme with 18 other interns from different youth organisations in London and Essex. This development programme will involve attending a launch conference, four professional development workshops throughout the year and a celebration event at the end of the programme. You will receive an extra training bursary of £1,000 for approved training.  You will also be matched with a mentor from another organisation to support you in your professional development.  The Jack Petchey Internship Programme training and events will take place in person in London and you will be expected to take full part in this programme alongside your role at SLRA.

DEADLINE: 9am on Monday 26th January

The Senior Finance & Operations Manager is a multi-functional role at the heart of Peer Power Youth. You will ensure that the charity is well-run, financially sound, compliant, safe, and operating in line with our mission and values.  This role oversees our core business functions: finance coordination, HR processes, charity governance, risk, compliance, systems, facilities oversight and office management, with some support from external contractors e.g. for HR and IT.

A key part of your role is supporting the CEO and the Board. You will prepare meeting papers, ensure timely management accounts and reports, maintain compliance calendars, and help ensure trustees have the insight they need to make strategic decisions. Your work will enable the Chief Executive, senior leadership team and youth engagement teams to focus on delivering impact for children and young people.

This is a role for someone who enjoys variety, responsibility and problem-solving and who wants to help build a thriving, values-led, empathetic organisation.

We recognise that people bring experience from different sectors. If your background is in education (e.g. as a Bursar or Business Manager), the public sector, or another values-driven organisation, we encourage you to apply and help us understand how your skills translate to this role.