Youth engagement jobs

The Youth Involvement Lead is focused on ensuring that youth voice and lived and living experience is integrated into work across the Charlie Waller Trust. The exact focus of the work will shift over time in line with the interests of each cohort and needs of CWT, but is likely to include: supporting the Youth Ambassadors both operationally and pastorally to contribute to our Charitable Activity at varying levels of lived and living experience engagement (e.g., coproduction, participation, involvement and consultation); developing and improving our internal processes and outputs including our communications work, fundraising work, equity, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability agendas; and supporting the CWT staff team to better understand lived and living experience perspectives so they can carry out their roles more effectively.

This role would suit an individual with a strong commitment to maximising the impact of this work. We are seeking a proactive and motivated person who is skilled at developing and nurturing relationships with partners, supported by excellent interpersonal abilities.

Key responsibilities and duties
The successful candidate will be confident in delivering remote support to individuals with lived or living experience of mental health challenges, as well as those supporting others with mental health needs. They will be able to engage empathetically, communicate effectively, and create a supportive and inclusive environment.
Youth Involvement team delivery:

• Act as the first point of contact for the freelance Youth Ambassadors, connect them with various stakeholders across the employed team at the Trust, including the Communications, Fundraising and Charitable Activity teams, facilitating effective working relationships. To include, for example, managing the process, recordings and dissemination of the Youth Ambassador podcast; connecting the Youth Ambassadors to contribute to Charitable Activities emerging Communities work; and supporting the development of the CWT staff team's understanding of lived and living experience
• Facilitate the co-production of resources and training between our Youth Ambassadors and freelance trainers in person and online
• Engaging organisations and groups of young people in new partnerships and relationships with the Trust in line with our strategic priorities (e.g., research Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement focus groups)
• Represent the Youth Involvement team at all full CWT team meetings, reporting back to Ambassadors on the wider workings of the Trust to ensure they feel a sense of connection and belonging to the wider team
• Attend CWT team days with Ambassadors, ensuring they are supported and given a platform (typically annually)

Youth Involvement team management, administration and support:

• Manage our six Youth Ambassadors from across the UK
• Allocate all tasks and time given to the Youth Ambassadors, keeping track of work allocation and progression
• Review and approve Youth Ambassador invoices and expenses, provide oversight of the allocated budget spend and contribute to shaping the Youth Ambassador budget for next year
• Work with the freelance Youth Involvement Coordinator, agreeing a workplan with tasks and project timelines, and checking in regularly
• Schedule and deliver 1:1 sessions with each Youth Ambassador monthly to check-in on work progress, support joined up communication with the wider organisation, and discuss potential opportunities from both the Trust and the Youth Ambassador
• Lead and manage the quarterly Youth Ambassador meetings including development of a collaborative agenda, collating updates from internal staff team, and following up on actions from the meetings
• Oversee programme evaluation and the implementation of changes according to iterative evaluation findings

Other:

• Work as a team player supporting shared tasks such as call handling, meeting coordination, and occasionally managing shared inboxes.
• Always ensure compliance with data protection regulations, safeguarding, confidentiality and relevant organisational policies and procedures.
• Other duties as may be reasonably expected by the Trust, appropriate to the grade and responsibilities of the post.

Person Specification – Youth Involvement Lead
The successful candidate is likely to have most of the following competencies and experience but not necessarily all. If you feel that you are a strong candidate, please do apply.

Skills required

Essential

• Ability to think strategically, so as to horizon scan, spot opportunities, and advise CWT on emerging trends/issues
• Well-developed communication skills to share often complex and sensitive information, orally and in writing, to a range of audiences
• Excellent attention to detail and very good Microsoft Office 365 skills
• Ability to work efficiently, accurately and at speed as necessary, prioritising effectively and working to deadlines
• Ability to exercise discretion and good judgement in dealing with confidential matters
• Budget management skills and high levels of organisation

Experience

Essential

• A strong track record of delivering against project or initiative targets regarding timelines and expected outputs including budgets
• Experience of working with young people who have lived and living experience of mental health challenges (this can be in a range of settings e.g., education, healthcare, volunteering etc)
• Knowledge and understanding of wellbeing policies / safeguarding processes and procedures
• Experience of engaging young people in groups and individually
• Knowledge or experience of working in meaningful participation / co-production with young people

Desirable

• Knowledge of the education and/or health sector, ideally some experience of working within schools / colleges / universities or a mental health care setting
• Experience working in the UK charity sector

Personal attributes

Essential

• A commitment to working to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a desire to meet the charity’s objectives.
• Passionate about the value of youth voice and excited about enabling lived and living experience to inform a mental health charity's work
• Ability to work flexibly around the timetables and commitments of the Youth Ambassadors, who also study and/or work elsewhere
• Capable of working as part of a team and autonomously
• Initiative-taker and solution-minded with a proactive attitude towards any task or challenge
• Professional, enthusiastic and flexible, with a strong willingness to listen and learn
• A commitment to working to meet the charity's objectives

To apply
If you would like an informal discussion with the current post holder, Naomi Dannatt, this can be arranged by emailing recruitment(at)charliewaller(dot)org
The deadline for applications is 12noon on Friday 5 June.
Please submit via your chosen job website, or send your CV and a supporting statement to the email above. We ask that you structure your supporting statement, by providing relevant information under person specification bullet points (combining these if multiple points are effectively responded to by one experience). Please try to keep your supporting statement to a maximum of 800 words, excluding headers.
Applications will not be considered without a supporting statement.
You will hear back from us by Tuesday 9 June, if not before and should you be shortlisted, an interview will take place on the morning of Thursday 11 June in Newbury.
We will provide 50% of the interview questions in advance so that all candidates can perform at their best.

Youth Programmes Officer 

Hours: 35 hours per week 

Reporting to: Youth Programmes Manager 

Download the full Job Description and Person Specification

About us 

The Ben Kinsella Trust is one of the UK’s leading anti-knife crime charities. We were set up following the tragic murder of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella in 2008, and everything we do is guided by his legacy. Our mission is to prevent knife crime through education and campaigning. 

Ben was a kind, creative young person who loved art, music, Arsenal FC, and making people laugh. He had big dreams of becoming a graphic designer. His death was a senseless act of violence, and the outpouring of grief and public support that followed marked the start of a movement. Ben’s own words, written shortly before his death, called for change, and his voice continues to inspire our work.  

Through immersive workshops in our Choices and Consequences Exhibitions and free online resources, we have reached over 50,000 young people so far. Our work challenges myths about knife crime, strengthens peer influence, and sparks meaningful conversations. As we grow, we remain committed to honouring Ben’s life by making a real, lasting difference to young people across the UK.  

We’re a small but growing team of 11 (rising to 14), working across Programmes, Fundraising, Communications, Finance and Operations, and Leadership. Our Programmes team is supported by a brilliant pool of freelance facilitators and actors who help bring our workshops to life. We’re now looking for an Youth Programmes Officer to join us at this exciting time. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about evidence-based interventions, thrives in a collaborative environment, and is confident working to establish and maintain relationships with external organisations. 

Ben’s legacy is our guide – we exist to stop knife crime 

About the Role 

We are looking for an education or youth work professional who can deliver our programmes to a very high standard. You will be a skilled facilitator and communicator who can engage with young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Additionally, we are seeking someone who shares our values and is passionate about using education as a tool to support and empower young people and to stop knife crime. 

As Youth Programmes Officer you will be responsible for the delivery and coordination of our flagship knife crime prevention workshops to young people, to a high standard. You will work alongside the Programmes team to ensure workshops at our London exhibitions (currently Islington and Barking & Dagenham) operate smoothly and consistently to serve young people through the achievement of quality outcomes and maximised engagement. You will play a key part in the delivery of our Youth Ambassador Programme and contribute to the development of new programmes and opportunities during an exciting period of growth for the charity.  

Key Responsibilities 

Programme delivery

• Deliver workshops to a range of groups (primary, secondary, PRU/AP and adults), adapting to different needs
• Ensure sessions are engaging, high quality, and responsive to feedback

Programme development

• Gather and analyse feedback to improve programmes
• Support the development of new projects and resources

Workshop coordination

• Coordinate day-to-day delivery across two sites
• Manage bookings, enquiries and pre-visit information
• Maintain strong relationships with schools and partners
• Keep CRM and booking systems up to date
• Coordinate freelance facilitators and support their onboarding and training

General

• Carry out other duties as required

Person Specification 

Experience

• Delivering workshops or training to young people
• Adapting structured programmes to different needs
• Managing behaviour and supporting young people with additional needs
• Coordinating multiple tasks or stakeholders
• General admin and use of digital systems

(Desirable: programme design, training adults, relevant qualification in teaching/youth work)

Skills and knowledge

• Strong facilitation and communication skills
• Ability to build positive relationships
• Understanding of youth violence or knife crime
• Knowledge of inclusive teaching approaches

Personal qualities

• Passionate about supporting young people
• Reliable, organised and proactive
• Collaborative and professional
• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Open to learning and continuous improvement

Benefits  

• Flexible working where possible
• 27 days’ annual leave (+ bank holidays), rising with service
• Enhanced sick pay
• Pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Development opportunities

How to apply

Submit a CV and supporting statement outlining how you meet the person specification.

Deadline: Wednesday 3 June 2026
Interviews:

• Stage 1: 5 June (virtual)
• Stage 2: Week commencing 8 June (in person)

If you share our vision that ‘every young person should be empowered to gain the confidence, independence and skills they need for a better and brighter future’ we might have the perfect role for you!

ThinkForward is recruiting a Progression Coach in New Romney, Kent, to join our team delivering our unique programme supporting young people into further education and employment. If you are….

· Passionate about, and experienced in, supporting young people to make amazing decisions about their futures

· Committed to equity, diversity, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice

· Persistent, empathic and agile in your style of work and able to apply a coaching approach to the delivery of our programme

· Able to tell the stories of our work through data

· Confident in running one-to-one and group work sessions 

· Knowledgeable of employability practices and the importance of tailored progression planning for young people

…then please click on the job pack for our role description and information pack for more details about ThinkForward and the role you could play, then apply with your CV and cover letter.

Applicants should note that this role will require access to a vehicle. 

The role is open to part-time, freelance, and term-time only arrangements.

We look forward to hearing from you.

If you share our vision that ‘every young person should be empowered to gain the confidence, independence and skills they need for a better and brighter future’ we might have the perfect role for you!

ThinkForward is recruiting a Progression Coach in Gillingham, Kent, to join our team delivering our unique programme supporting young people into further education and employment. If you are….

· Passionate about, and experienced in, supporting young people to make amazing decisions about their futures

· Committed to equity, diversity, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice

· Persistent, empathic and agile in your style of work and able to apply a coaching approach to the delivery of our programme

· Able to tell the stories of our work through data

· Confident in running one-to-one and group work sessions 

· Knowledgeable of employability practices and the importance of tailored progression planning for young people

…then please click on the job pack for our role description and information pack for more details about ThinkForward and the role you could play, then apply with your CV and cover letter.

Applicants should note that this role will require access to a vehicle. 

The role is open to part-time, freelance, and term-time only arrangements.

We look forward to hearing from you.

This role will support the development and delivery of our services and resources for young people born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Working closely with the Engagement & Services team to help us achieve our mission. 

The Youth Engagement Coordinator will sit within the Engagement & Services Team. They will join a friendly and supportive team of seven colleagues who, together, are responsible for the delivery of CLAPA’s adult, family, children and young people and involvement services. The post holder will develop and deliver services for eight- to seventeen-year-olds, which will enable the young cleft community to connect, share experiences and access guidance and emotional support. Shaping what support looks like, creating positive impact and strengthening reach, this new role for CLAPA will make a real difference to the lives of children and young people born with a cleft.

If you think you have the talent, passion and experience to help us ensure we can always meet the needs of the community we serve, we want to hear from you.

The role

Job Title: Youth & Community Engagement Officer

Part Time:          8- 12 days per month

Salary: £28-30,000 pro rata

Reporting to: Operations Director

Job Purpose:

 This role will lead the development and delivery of Allergy UK’s youth engagement initiative. We are beginning several exciting new projects focused on engaging young people who live with allergy and providing opportunities for them to have a voice and support them in raising awareness of the issues that affect their life. We are seeking young people’s participation and co-production in all activities we develop to support their needs. The role of Youth Engagement Officer will be to engage with young people across the UK, to ensure that they have the opportunities and support to shape and influence Allergy UK’s programmes and activities for young people living with allergy.

The Youth & Community Engagement Officer will engage with children and young people across the UK to ensure they are meaningfully involved and supported to influence Allergy UK’s services, campaigns and resources. This includes creating safe, inclusive spaces where young people and parents and carers feel listened to and empowered to share their experiences.

The successful individual will develop youth opportunities that build confidence, skills and life chances, while supporting children and young people living with allergy to overcome the social, emotional and practical barriers they may face. A key part of the role will be working collaboratively with parents and carers to ensure their voice inform decision making and design.

As a Youth & Community Engagement Officer, you will have experience of working positively with children, young people and families, and have a proactive, organised and confident approach.

Strong organisation skills and initiative are essential as you will be the lead Allergy UK’s youth provision.

You will coordinate a range of activities on-line and in-person engagement sessions, blogs, podcasts, learning opportunities and digital activities all rooted in co-production principles. You will work as part of a wider team to engage children, young people and parents and carers, to amplify unheard voices and stories, and help drive positive change for families living with allergy.

The post is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund until September 2028. As a grant- funded role, the postholder will be responsible for the effective delivery, monitoring and evaluation of agreed grant outcome and KPI’s, ensuring full compliance with funder requirements and reporting deadlines.

Your main responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Key Accountabilities:

· Design, develop and deliver youth-led and family-centred services across three core areas:

o Continue to design and deliver youth-led services with the existing 18–25 youth group for people living with allergies

o Recruit, , launch and establish a new youth group for 13–17-year-olds living with allergies

o Recruit, launch and establish a support and engagement group for parents and carers of children and young people living with allergies

· Plan, project manage and deliver engaging co-production projects, building positive, trusted relationships with children, young people and parents and carers, and promoting meaningful participation.

· Create opportunities for young people to have a strong and influential voice, supporting them to engage in Allergy UK’s awareness- raising and public affairs activity to influence policy, improve services and drive change.

· Establish, develop and lead the Allergy UK Youth Forum, ensuring it is representative, inclusive and impactful.

· Support and develop young people to become champions and ambassadors for Allergy UK, building confidence, leadership skills and advocacy capability.

· Work collaboratively with a wide range of organisations including but not exclusively schools, local government, health and youth services and voluntary sector organisations.

· Develop and deliver training and development resources to support young people’s skills, understanding and personal development.

· Ensure all required documentation is completed accurately, secularly, and within agreed timescales, in line with contractual, safeguarding and reporting requirements

· Work closely with the Operations Director and wider staff team, providing insight and advice on issues affecting children, young people and families living with allergy.

· Develop and embed effective youth engagement procedures and best practice, ensuring a consistent, safe and inclusive approach across all activities..

· Take responsible for the health and safety including risk assessments and reviews for all youth and family engagement activities, ensuring safety and wellbeing of participants.

· Act as a key role holder for safeguarding, ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults is central to all youth and family engagement activity. This includes promoting a strong safeguarding culture, adhering to Allergy UK’s safeguarding policies and procedures, identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns appropriately, completing and contributing to risk assessments, and working closely with designated safeguarding leads and relevant staff to ensure safe, inclusive and compliant practice at all times.

· Maintain accurate and confidential records, ensuring the secure and compliant recording of sensitive data on Allergy UK’s Salesforce database in line with data protection requirements.

Person Specification

This role involves regular contact with children, young people and potentially vulnerable adults. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, in accordance with organisational safeguarding policies.

Essential:

 Education & Qualifications

 Degree or equivalent and demonstrable/relevant work experience.

Essential Experience

 · Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with young people

· Experience of directly engaging children and young people (ideally across different age groups, e.g. 13–25)

· Experience of developing and delivering engaging youth engagement opportunities, following best practice, and adopting methods of co-production

· Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating projects or programmes

· Coordinating online and inperson activities (e.g. groups, workshops, forums, events)

· Managing multiple workstreams and meeting deadline

· Experience working independently while contributing to a wider team

· Practical experience of working in a safeguarding‑aware environment

Desirable Experience

 · Experience of working with or supporting parents and carers, particularly in health, disability or community contexts

 The purpose of this job description is to focus attention on the most important aspects of the jobholders role. It is not intended to be a complete list of duties: therefore, it is to be expected that the day-to-day performance of the job will include tasks not listed above. The list of duties for which the jobholder is responsible may reasonably be varied or added at the discretion of the charity.

What you will bring

Essential Skills and Knowledge

 · Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities relating to:

o Children and young people

o Vulnerable adults

· Experience of recognising, recording and escalating safeguarding concerns in line with local and national guidance.

· Experience of recording accurate information on a CRM system, ideally Salesforce, ensuring timely and GDPR-compliant data entry.

· Experience of monitoring, evaluation and reporting against grant-funded KPIs.

· A Demonstrable experience of working directly with young people in a youth engagement/participation role.

· Demonstrate experience in the development and delivery of strategies to successfully engage, interact and promote development with young people.

· Experience in planning and delivering youth sessions and activities.

· Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and representing the views of young people.

· Experience of writing reports and meeting conflicting deadlines.

· Experience of managing people, resources, or projects.

· Skills and Knowledge Ability to engage with young people.

· Ability to work independently.

· Ability to motivate others and work as part of a team.

· To ensure young people feel safe and are safeguarded, by ensuring cross partnership and local safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to.

· Understanding of the issues facing young people.

· Understanding and commitment to equal opportunities policies.

· Evidence of challenging discrimination or implementing equal opportunities with young people.

· Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, especially regarding children’s rights, promoting inclusion.

· Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Teams, Salesforce (or similar CRM) and Zoom

· Able to work flexibly to meet requirements of the role.

Desirable

· Understanding of allergy

· An understanding of the charity sector and the work of volunteers.

Behavioural Competencies

 Relating & Networking Working with People

Adhering to principles and values Persuading and influencing Formulating strategies & Concepts Planning & Organising

Attitudes

· A positive individual who can guide, inspire and motivate team members

· Decisive and determined

· Ability to think on your feet and adapt quickly when needed

· Ability to manage a large and varied workload, prioritising to meet competing deadlines

· Empathetic and sensitive

· A passionate commitment to delivering the charity’s vision, mission and values

· Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

You will support the development and delivery of our schools, youth centre and detached programmes. This will consist of one to ones and group work with young people within schools, detached work in designated areas as well as centre-based provision. You will be responsible for building strong, professional relationships with young people and adapting and coordinating a service around their needs. You will work in partnership with the other Youth Workers on the team, the Youth & Community Manager, schools and youth organisations around the county as well as the wider voluntary sector and statutory partners

You will work also in the community to identify and support volunteers to become engaged within our services and provision. You will collate a range of data, information and imagery that creates evidence of your work and the impact it is making not only to young people but also to the wider community.

Main Purpose of the Job:

•Support implementation of the HyPE programme across six key local authority Youth Offending Service areas in East London.

•Manage referral networks including Youth offending services, Youth Courts, Virtual school networks, local MASH networks, and social workers and Feltham and HMP ISIS YOIs.

•To manage a team of specialist support services and partners supporting key aspects of the HyPE scheme

Programme Delivery & Coordination

•Oversee and coordinate weekly HyPE Job Club and associated green-skills and personal developmental activities delivered at New City College and community venues.

•Coordinate and oversee our experienced free-lance delivery team and ensure they are contracted, supported and empowered to lead daily sessions

•Lead delivery partners, to ensure high-quality and consistent programme involvement overlays with renewable energy partnerships, workshops and visitations.

Are you ready for a new challenge?

Do you have a passion for working with young people, helping them grow in confidence, discover their strengths, and explore new opportunities? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Location

This is a hybrid role, combining work from home with work in the community. You'll also have access to our Barnardo's office in Taunton if you'd like to use this space.

Working Hours

Negotiable, up to 37 hours per week, including some evening work (fixed term until 31st March 2027)

About the Role

The Barnardo's Co-op Partnership is an exciting and innovative programme aiming to support more than one million young people to build positive futures.

Our Sedgemoor for our Future service is co-designed with young people and centred around a welcoming, inclusive youth space where young people can feel safe, connected, and empowered to take part in meaningful experiences.

Using a youth work approach, we support young people to:

• Build positive relationships and develop a strong sense of belonging
• Grow in confidence, resilience, and self-esteem
• Take part in a wide range of activities, including creative, practical, and food-based sessions
• Explore issues that matter to them and have their voices heard
• Develop teamwork, communication, and essential life skills for the future

Session Details

You must be available to lead the following weekly sessions:

• Tuesdays – Highbridge, 4:30pm–6:00pm
• Wednesdays – Bridgwater, 4:30pm–6:00pm

As part of your role, you will plan and deliver engaging, youth-led sessions in a variety of settings, including community venues and schools. You will build trusted relationships with young people, create inclusive spaces that meet diverse needs, and support them to achieve positive outcomes.

You will also contribute to community engagement, develop creative approaches to reaching young people across Sedgemoor, and support ongoing evaluation through reflective practice and outcome recording.

What We're Looking For

• Experience working with children, young people, and families
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures, with experience applying this in practice
• Excellent listening and communication skills with a diverse range of children, young people and families
• Creativity and confidence in designing inclusive workshops and group sessions
• Good written and IT skills to accurately record case notes
• Flexibility to adapt to the needs and interests of young people

When applying, please refer specifically to the Person Specification and Job Description, explaining how your skills and experience meet the requirements.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our Youth and Play Practitioners will play a pivotal role in the Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) team, working as a core team of practitioners to ensure the smooth running of our programmes and services. In this role you will be part of a small and dynamic team which delivers a wide range of programmes and activities, both from Tulse Hill Adventure Playground and in conjunction with local schools. The work of the Children, Young People and Families team is diverse and varied. Our current services include open access adventure play and youth activities at our Adventure Playground, school holiday programmes with off-site trips and activities, mentoring, a Young Leaders programme offering paid work experience to young people, and working together with our youth partnerships Building Young Brixton and Lambeth Peer Action Collective.

We are in an exciting time of development for the team. To support our range of children and young people, our team will be made up of specialist Youth Workers and Play Practitioners bringing in relevant skills and experience. Whilst you will work across all of our Children, Young People and Families services you will have a specific focus:

As a Youth Worker you will:

• Focus on supporting our secondary age cohort
• Plan and run appropriate and engaging activities
• Provide structured interventions to support vulnerable young people
• Work with referral partners to provide additional support and activities
• Foster relationships with families and local schools

As a Play Worker you will:

• Focus on our primary age cohort
• Use your knowledge of Playwork Principles to plan and run appropriate and engaging
  activities
• Foster relationships with families and primary local schools

Both roles will include an element of mentoring, relevant training will be provided to give you the necessary skills to deliver this.

To be successful in this role, you will act as a trusted practitioner in all our service delivery, advocating for children’s right to play throughout our programmes. You will work as part of the team on the delivery and planning of all sessions, ensuring that the children’s and young people’s ideas are central to the construction of a varied and engaging play environment. You will understand the wide-ranging challenges facing young people and will be flexible in adjusting your practice to meet these needs. While practitioners may have a primary focus (primary or secondary age), all staff are expected to work flexibly across all age groups, programmes and delivery model including open access play, targeted youth work, mentoring and school link sessions.

Youth Theatre Leader- Hull

• Lead a well-established weekly youth theatre programme for young people aged 11–19 in Hull
• Plan and deliver engaging workshops covering acting, devising, scriptwriting, movement, and performance skills
• Inspire confidence, creativity, and teamwork while supporting young people from diverse backgrounds
• Direct and develop youth theatre performances and contribute to outreach in local schools
• Work collaboratively with the team and visiting practitioners to shape high-quality creative experiences
• Play a key role in a growing charity dedicated to widening access to the performing arts

Duration & hours: Part time freelance contract, 5.5 hours commitment per week, workshops Mondays 3.30pm – 6pm school term time only, from 6th July 2026 to 12th July 2027 (with the possibility of extension)

The National Youth Arts Trust is a small performing arts charity that exists to widen access to the performing arts for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds - through giving bursaries for music, dance, and drama lessons, running youth theatre projects, and taking children to the theatre, often for the first time.

We are looking for an experienced youth theatre leader to join our team and help run our established youth theatre company in Hull each Monday after school at Liberty Academy.

At Base71 Youth Zone, we believe every young person deserves access to a safe, welcoming and inspiring place where they can have fun, feel supported and realise their potential. Since opening our doors, we have already welcomed nearly 8,000 young people, creating opportunities for them to build confidence, develop friendships and access life-changing experiences.

We are now looking for an outstanding Head of Youth Work & Partnerships to help lead the next stage of our journey. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and develop our universal youth work offer, inspire and lead our delivery teams and strengthen partnerships across Barnsley to ensure young people receive the very best support and opportunities.

About the Role

This is a rewarding senior leadership role for an experienced and passionate youth work professional who believes in the transformative power of youth work and the potential of every young person.

We are looking for someone who can lead with energy, creativity and purpose — someone who is ambitious for young people and motivated to create outstanding experiences that help them thrive. You will lead a dynamic team of Youth Workers, Managers and volunteers, creating a culture that is inclusive, supportive and focused on high-quality delivery. With a hands-on and solutions-focused approach, you will bring fresh ideas, drive innovation and ensure young people remain at the heart of everything we do.

No two days at Base71 are ever the same. You will oversee a wide-ranging youth work programme across Junior, Senior, Inclusion and Holiday Club provision, ensuring our offer remains engaging, safe and responsive to the needs of young people. Alongside operational leadership, you will build meaningful partnerships with schools, community organisations, funders and key stakeholders, helping to strengthen the impact and reach of Base71 across the borough.

As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will also contribute to the strategic development and future growth of Base71, helping to shape a Youth Zone where young people feel safe, valued, supported and inspired to achieve their full potential.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about empowering young people
• An experienced leader within open-access youth work, community provision or a similar setting
• Skilled in developing and motivating high-performing teams
• Confident in leading safeguarding processes and responding to complex situations
• Experienced in partnership development and stakeholder engagement
• Organised, resilient and able to manage competing priorities effectively
• Committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and amplifying young people’s voices

 You Will Have Experience Of:

• Leading youth programmes for diverse young people aged 8–19, including up to 25 for young people with additional needs or disabilities
• Safeguarding leadership, ideally as a Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Building strong relationships and communicating effectively with a wide range of audiences
• Managing staff performance, rotas, budgets and operational delivery targets
• Understanding the challenges facing young people today and the role youth work plays in improving outcomes
• Holding a relevant degree-level qualification or equivalent experience, ideally supported by a youth work qualification

To Apply:

To apply, please email a CV and cover letter (no more than two pages) in response to the
person specification and questions below

1. Why do you want to work for us?
2. Looking at the person specification, briefly describe how your skills and experience
(including any lived experience) make you a good candidate for this role. (200 words
max)
3. How would your previous experience support you to be a strong leader at Base71? (200
words max)
4.How you demonstrate your commitment to fairness, equity and respect.
5.Confirmation you are eligible to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required
to provide documentary evidence before a job offer confirmed).
6.Any reasonable adjustments we can make to assist you in your application or the
selection process.
7.This role will be based in the Youth Zone and therefore require an Enhanced DBS.
a.Do you have any unspent conditional cautions or convictions under the Rehabilitation
of Offenders Act 1974?
b.Do you have any adult cautions (simple or conditional) or spent convictions that are
not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions)
Order 1975 (Amendment) (Englandand Wales) Order2020

The St Matthew’s Project is looking for a passionate and experienced Wellbeing and Outreach Worker to help strengthen our trauma-informed approach and support young people through our Fit 4 Life programme.

This role is at the heart of our work with young people facing disadvantage and navigating key transition points in their lives. You’ll deliver 1:1 and group wellbeing support, work closely with families, contribute to staff wellbeing, and help shape a supportive, trauma-informed environment across the organisation.

We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience supporting young people affected by trauma, strong relationship-building skills, and an understanding of community-based work. Lived experience is valued.

The role includes a mix of weekday, evening, and Saturday sessions across community settings in Brixton / Tulse Hill.

If you’re committed to making a meaningful impact and want to be part of a small, dedicated team, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note: This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Are you a passionate leader who wants to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people?​

We are looking for a Youth Service Lead to oversee and shape the delivery of our programmes across Bedfordshire. This is a key leadership role where you will ensure our services are safe, engaging, and impactful for the young people and families we support.​

At F4YP, we support over 500 children and young people across 50+ schools, providing safe spaces, enrichment opportunities, and vital pastoral support. As Services Lead, you’ll play a central role in making this happen every day.​

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading and managing high-quality delivery across face-to-face services

• Supporting and developing a team of delivery staff and volunteers

• Ensuring excellent safeguarding, pastoral care, and behaviour support

• Overseeing planning, staffing, and day-to-day operations across multiple sites

• Monitoring impact, quality, and outcomes to continuously improve delivery

• Working closely with schools and partners to support young people effectively​

What we’re looking for:

• Experience leading programmes or services for children and young people

• Strong knowledge of safeguarding and pastoral support (SEMH/SEND desirable)

• Proven experience managing and supporting staff

• A hands-on, organised leader who can balance people, operations, and quality

• Someone who is passionate about helping young people feel safe, supported, and confident​​

Bedford/Bedfordshire | Full-time (37.5 hrs) | 3-year fixed term​​​​​​​​ | Working pattern: 9-day fortnight (one day off every two weeks), with full 5-day weeks required during holiday delivery periods