297 Youth engagement jobs

YEF Detached Youth Work Project Lead

Relationships change lives.

At M13 Youth Project, we believe every young person deserves trusted adults who believe in them, walk alongside them and help them discover who they are, what they have to offer and the difference they can make. For over 30 years, we've built those relationships through detached youth work - meeting young people where they choose to be, listening deeply and creating opportunities for belonging, belief and hope.

We're now looking for an experienced Detached Youth Work Project Lead to join our team and play a central role in one of the UK's most ambitious detached youth work research pilots.

M13 is leading the Greater Manchester consortium delivering the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) Detached Youth Work Pilot. The Pilot aims to build a strong evidence base for researching detached youth work, combining outstanding frontline practice with rigorous evaluation to shape the future of youth work nationally.

Reporting to the Founding Director, you'll provide the day-to-day leadership of M13's delivery of the pilot. You'll lead a small team of detached youth workers, coordinate operational delivery across intervention neighbourhoods and ensure the project is delivered safely, consistently and in line with the YEF Shared Practice Model and research requirements.

This is first and foremost a practice leadership role. You'll spend much of your week out in parks, streets and neighbourhoods, building trusted relationships with young people through high-quality detached youth work. Alongside this, you'll supervise and support colleagues, oversee monitoring and reporting, build positive relationships with community members and partner organisations, and, together with the Founding Director, work closely with the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) and consortium partners to ensure the successful delivery of the project.

We're looking for someone who is an experienced detached youth worker, confident leading others and passionate about relational practice. You'll be organised, reflective and proactive, with experience of supervising staff, coordinating projects, maintaining high-quality records and working collaboratively with partners. Most importantly, you'll share our belief that relationships are the foundation for meaningful change.

This is a 35-hour per week, office- and community-based role. (M13's full-time week is 37.5 hours). Your week will include six detached youth work sessions (three afternoons and three evenings), alongside team leadership, partnership working, supervision, monitoring and project coordination. Some flexibility can be offered around when office-based work is undertaken, where operationally possible.

In return, we offer a supportive, reflective and values-led working environment, regular supervision, ongoing professional development, a generous employer pension contribution, TOIL for out-of-hours working, additional Christmas gift leave and the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant research that could shape the future of detached youth work.

If you're an experienced detached youth worker ready to combine excellent frontline practice with leadership, learning and innovation, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

This Youth Development Mentor for young men is part of Bright Futures, our mentoring and employability support programme for young Gypsy and Traveller people aged 15-25. You will build trusted, consistent 1-1 mentoring relationships with young men, supporting them to grow in confidence, work out what they want, and build the skills to get there.

You will deliver the programme's set mentoring offer, adapting your approach to individuals as needed, alongside group sessions on skills and personal development. Many of the young men we work with have had negative experiences of school or other services and are often not in education, employment or training (NEET). The role is about helping the young men move forward at a pace that works for them, towards something they've chosen and can stick with, rather than pushing them down a set route. You will keep detailed records of progress and milestones reached.

You will also play a role in outreach and community engagement – building relationships with families and community members. This includes keeping up good working relationships with colleges, training providers and employers, and making sure young people's voices are heard, both within Bright Futures and externally.

This role is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

About You

This role is for someone who wants to make a real difference in young people's lives – someone committed to supporting young men from marginalised and underserved communities to get equitable access to opportunities, and to helping bring about wider change for those communities.

You will enjoy the challenge of working with young men who may take time to trust and engage, and see that as part of what makes the role rewarding.

The role is ideal for someone with experience of mentoring, youth work or a similar community-based role working with young men (paid or voluntary). Someone patient, non-judgemental and comfortable adapting support to suit the person in front of you. You will be just as comfortable speaking to family members as with college staff or social services.

We don't expect you to already have all the answers – what matters most is your commitment and ability to build genuine, trusting relationships and to keep going with young people who may take time to open up. We will support your development through supervision, training and a small, collaborative team environment.

We know not everyone will meet every requirement in the job description below, but if you feel you have what it takes, please apply and tell us how your experience and skills make you suitable.

If you are not sure what the work looks like or you want to ask questions before applying, we are happy to chat with you about the role. Please contact Mini Ravi (Programme Lead) by calling our office phone.

About LGT and Bright Futures

London Gypsies and Travellers (LGT) challenges social exclusion and discrimination, working for change in partnership with Gypsy and Traveller communities living on council caravan sites, roadside camps, in flats and houses, and those experiencing homelessness.

Bright Futures supports Gypsy and Traveller young men and women aged 15–25 through mentoring, skills development, employability and wellbeing support. The programme helps young people build confidence, develop practical skills and identify realistic pathways into training and employment, working at their own pace and around their needs and interests. The programme is shaped by a deep understanding of the Gypsy and Traveller culture, and designed to empower young people to engage with wider society with pride, motivation and confidence.

Our services also include accommodation advice and advocacy, family support, community development, research, policy work and campaigns, and we support hundreds of individuals and families each year.

We are a small, committed and supportive team who seek to live our organisational values throughout our work: Collaboration, Courage, Empowerment, Inclusivity, Equity, Community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and workforce diversity. We strongly encourage applications from Gypsy and Traveller communities.
 

To Apply

Review the responsibilities and person specification in the job description enclosed.

Using the ‘Apply Now’ button, please submit your CV

Instead of a cover letter, please submit answers to the following 3 questions in the space provided when you apply.

1. Briefly tell us about your experience of working with young men/people. What did you do and what kind of support did you provide?

2. What is one of the barriers young men from vulnerable or marginalised backgrounds face around education, training and work? Why?

3. Why are you interested in this role and working with London Gypsies & Travellers?

250-300 word answers for each question is enough, but you are welcome to write more.

There is no right answer and we are not interested in perfect responses. We want to know about you and the knowledge, skills, and experience your will bring to the role.

Closing date: Wednesday 30th September 2026

Interviews: Wednesday 14th October (stage 1, in person), Thursday 22nd October (stage 2, online)

Please check you are available on these dates before applying, in case you are shortlisted for interviews.

Please note: An enhanced DBS check is required for the role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. 

About the Role

This Project Officer role is part of Bright Futures, our mentoring and employability support programme for young Gypsy and Traveller people aged 15-25. You will keep the programme organised, connected and running smoothly - managing records and systems, building partnerships, and coordinating workshops and activities so that young people can find their way in and get the most out of the support on offer.

Many of the young people we work with have faced exclusion or discrimination within mainstream education, employment and other services, and are often not in education, employment or training (NEET). The processes, systems and communications you manage all need to be accessible and responsive to young people who may be wary of formal support.

You will coordinate outreach and community engagement to bring young people into the programme, build and maintain relationships with colleges, training providers, employers and community organisations, and manage day-to-day communications with young people, families and partners. You will set up and coordinate a Youth Advisory Group, giving young people a structured way to help shape the programme. You may also be asked to cover for mentee support when a mentor is unavailable or at capacity.

This role is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

About You

This role is for someone who enjoys keeping things organised and connected, and who wants that work to make a real, practical difference in young people's lives – someone committed to supporting young people from marginalised and underserved communities to fairly access relevant opportunities.

You will be highly organised, with strong admin skills and confidence using digital tools and databases. You will also be a confident communicator, equally comfortable writing a promotional post, following up with a training provider, or having a conversation with a young person or their family.

The role is ideal for someone with experience of outreach, building partnerships or community engagement, who can build trusting relationships with a wide range of people – from young people and families to colleges, employers and community organisations. You should be open to providing support to young people when needed.

We don't expect you to already have all the answers what matters most is your admin and organisational ability, your commitment to the communities we work with, and your confidence building relationships across a wide range of people and settings. We will support your development through supervision, training and a small, collaborative team environment.

We know not everyone will meet every requirement in the job description below, but if you feel you have what it takes, please apply and tell us how your experience and skills make you suitable.

If you are not sure what the work looks like or you want to ask questions before applying, we are happy to chat with you about the role. Please contact Mini Ravi (Programme Lead) by calling on our office phone.

About LGT and Bright Futures

London Gypsies and Travellers (LGT) challenges social exclusion and discrimination, working for change in partnership with Gypsy and Traveller communities living on council caravan sites, roadside camps, in flats and houses, and those experiencing homelessness.

Bright Futures supports Gypsy and Traveller young men and women aged 15–25 through mentoring, skills development, employability and wellbeing support. The programme helps young people build confidence, develop practical skills and identify realistic pathways into training and employment, working at their own pace and around their needs and interests. The programme is shaped by a deep understanding of the Gypsy and Traveller culture, and designed to empower young people to engage with wider society with pride, motivation and confidence.

Our services also include accommodation advice and advocacy, family support, community development, research, policy work and campaigns, and we support hundreds of individuals and families each year.

We are a small, committed and supportive team who seek to live our organisational values throughout our work: Collaboration, Courage, Empowerment, Inclusivity, Equity, Community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and workforce diversity. We strongly encourage applications from Gypsy and Traveller communities.
 

To Apply

Review the responsibilities and person specification in the job description enclosed.

Using the ‘Apply Now’ button, please submit your CV

Instead of a cover letter, please submit answers to the following 3 questions in the space provided when you apply.

1. Briefly tell us about your experience of providing admin and coordination work. What exactly did you do and what tools or systems did you use?

2. What is one of the barriers that young people from vulnerable or marginalised backgrounds face around education, training and work? Why?

3. Why are you interested in this role and working with London Gypsies & Travellers?

250-300 word answers for each question is enough, but you are welcome to write more.

There is no right answer and we are not interested in perfect responses. We want to know about you and the knowledge, skills, and experience your will bring to the role.

Closing date: Wednesday 30th September 2026

Interviews: Tuesday 20th October (in person), Tuesday 27th October (potential stage 2, online)

Please check you are available on these dates before applying, in case you are shortlisted for interviews.

Please note: An enhanced DBS check is required for the role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

We are looking for a passionate and engaging Youth Engagement Officer to join our new Thriving Change Makers programme, supporting young people aged 14–20 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs) to develop their confidence, leadership skills and ability to create positive change in their communities.

You will build trusted relationships with young people, schools and community organisations, recruit participants and facilitate engaging Youth Social Action Hub sessions. You will mentor young people to identify issues that matter to them and turn their ideas into social action projects, campaigns and activities.

You will also help young people develop their leadership skills and access opportunities such as Youth Ambassador, peer leadership, advisory and governance roles, while ensuring participation is inclusive, safe, accessible and genuinely youth-led.

We are looking for someone with experience of working directly with young people and facilitating inclusive group activities, who can build positive relationships, provide effective mentoring and support young people to take ownership of their ideas. Experience of youth-led social action or community projects would be an advantage.

This is a great opportunity to join an exciting new programme and help young people find their voice, develop their potential and lead change in their communities.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details about the role and requirements.

What we offer:

• Generous annual leave entitlement - 28 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible and hybrid working (dependent on role) to ensure you enjoy a good work-life balance.
• Christmas office closure
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• Pension scheme – 5% employee contribution, 3% employer contribution
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Promoting a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

At CB Plus, we promote a diverse and inclusive workplace where we can all be ourselves. Everyone is treated fairly, individual differences are celebrated, and all employees are valued and respected. We actively encourage applications from disabled applicants, including those with mental health conditions, people from Global Majority and minoritised communities, and those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria as outlined in the Disability Confident Scheme. However, in the event of a high number of applicants, it may not be possible to interview all candidates who meet these criteria, and we reserve the right to limit interviews to a manageable number.

We also have experience supporting Access to Work applications to ensure that employees who need adjustments have the support they need to feel confident and do their best in their roles.

If you need adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.

As Fearless Youth Lead for Scotland, you will lead a national programme that empowers young people to understand crime-related issues and overcome barriers to reporting crime safely and anonymously. Working with schools, communities, government partners and key stakeholders, you will drive engagement campaigns, develop meaningful partnerships and lead a small team to deliver positive outcomes for young people across Scotland.

Please read the full job pack , before submitting your CV and covering letter.

FTC until March 2029 | Full time | Based in Scotland (Glasgow/Edinburgh) with regular travel | £36,000 - £38,000 DOE | PVG required

The Youth Worker (Mentoring) will support Inspiring Inclusion’s Our Schools, Our Change programme by providing trauma‑informed, one‑to‑one support to Black and racially minoritised young people with adverse childhood experiences. Working closely with Camden schools and community partners, they will build trusting relationships that help young people feel seen, heard, and empowered while wider systems change progresses. They will use holistic, strengths‑based, participatory approaches, contribute to a test‑and‑learn model, and bring strong reflective and organisational skills. Personal experience of racial profiling in state education is essential, enabling deep empathy and authenticity. The postholder will be a collaborative practitioner committed to equity, inclusion, and ensuring young people have real influence over decisions shaping their education and futures.

At One YMCA, we work alongside young people to help them develop confidence, skills, resilience, and positive futures. We are looking for an inspiring, experienced and motivated Youth Work Manager to lead and develop our local youth work provision, ensuring that high-quality, impactful services reach young people across our communities.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering our Youth Work Strategy, managing a dedicated team, driving quality and developing services that make a real difference in the lives of young people.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Youth Work, you will take operational responsibility for the delivery, development, monitoring, and quality assurance of our youth work services. You will lead and support Youth Work Coordinators and wider youth work staff, ensuring services are safe, effective, youth-centred, and aligned with One YMCA's strategic priorities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and delivery of youth work programmes, specialist support services, mentoring initiatives, life skills courses, and large-scale youth events.
• Managing and supporting staff through recruitment, induction, supervision, training, and performance development.
• Monitoring contract performance, outcomes, impact data, and key performance indicators to demonstrate the difference our services make.
• Building strong relationships with schools, local authorities, partner agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Leading quality assurance, compliance, safeguarding, and continuous improvement across the service.
• Acting as Designated Safeguarding Lead and participating in the safeguarding on-call rota.
• Working with young people and teams to ensure youth voice is at the heart of everything we do.

We're looking for someone who combines strong operational leadership, experience in managing contractual compliance, with a genuine commitment to young people.

You will bring:

• Significant experience delivering and managing youth work programmes, projects, or contracts.
• A strong understanding of issues affecting young people's lives and a passion for helping them achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience leading, motivating, and developing staff teams.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and partnership-working skills.
• The ability to analyse data, monitor impact, and use insight to improve services.
• A youth work or related community-focused qualification at degree level, or significant equivalent experience.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Location: Home-based role but with regular travel to YMCA youth work delivery sites across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, as well as to support the broader youth work within One YMCA. 

Driving licence and access to a car is essential for this role.

If you are an experienced youth work leader ready for your next challenge, we would love to hear from you! 

Important: Please include a supporting statement with your application/CV.

We do not provide visa sponsorship; you must be eligible to work in the UK. You must reside in the UK for the duration of your employment and provide Right to Work evidence.

As some of our roles involve working with vulnerable members of society, this position may require a Basic or Enhanced Criminal Disclosure, which will be conducted once a conditional offer is made

Previous Applications: We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. However, if you have applied for a similar role within the last 6 months and were not successful, please consider whether your experience has developed further before reapplying

Accessibility & Adjustments: We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and will strive to be as accommodating as possible. Please inform us in advance of any arrangements you may need to fully participate in the process.

At One YMCA we are an inclusive organisation and actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We do not discriminate on the basis of Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Pregnancy/Maternity, Race, Religion/Belief, Sex and/or Sexual Orientation. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, generally Monday to Friday but with flexibility of working pattern to support both the ideal candidate and business need. Some evening work expected, and occasional weekend, overnight stays or residential work.

YEF Detached Youth Work Area Lead

Relationships change lives.

At M13 Youth Project, we believe every young person deserves trusted adults who believe in them, walk alongside them and help them discover who they are, what they have to offer and the difference they can make. For over 30 years, we've built those relationships through detached youth work - meeting young people where they choose to be, listening deeply and creating opportunities for belonging, belief and hope.

We're now looking for an experienced Detached Youth Work Area Lead to join our team and play a key role in one of the UK's most ambitious detached youth work research pilots.

M13 is leading the Greater Manchester consortium delivering the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) Detached Youth Work Pilot. The Pilot aims to build a strong evidence base for detached youth work, combining outstanding frontline practice with rigorous evaluation to shape the future of youth work nationally.

Reporting to the YEF Detached Youth Work Project Lead, you'll work across three neighbourhoods and lead detached youth work in at least two of these, within M13's delivery of the pilot. You'll be responsible for delivering high-quality detached youth work outdoors in public spaces (on streets, in parks and other community spaces), modelling excellent relational detached youth work practice, supporting less experienced colleagues through day-to-day practice, contributing to monitoring and evaluation, and building positive relationships with young people, local residents, community organisations and partner agencies.

This is first and foremost a frontline detached youth work role. You'll spend much of your week in outdoors in parks, streets and neighbourhoods, building trusted relationships with young people through conversation, consistency and purposeful informal education. Alongside this, you'll help ensure high-quality implementation of the YEF Shared Practice Model within your neighbourhood patches, contribute to monitoring and reporting and work closely with the Project Lead and wider team to support the successful delivery of the pilot.

We're looking for someone who is a qualified (NVQ L2 in Youth Work) and experienced (2 years) detached youth worker, confident leading excellent practice and passionate about relational detached youth work. You'll be organised, reflective and proactive, with experience of taking responsibility for detached youth work within a neighbourhood, maintaining high-quality records, building effective local partnerships and supporting colleagues through encouragement, reflection and shared learning. Most importantly, you'll share our belief that relationships are the foundation for meaningful change.

This is a 22.5- 25 hour per week, community and office-based role (M13's full-time week is 37.5 hours). Your week will include six detached youth work sessions (three afternoons and three evenings), alongside planning, monitoring, partnership working and reflective practice. Some flexibility can be offered around when office-based work is undertaken, where operationally possible.

In return, we offer a supportive, reflective and values-led working environment, regular supervision, ongoing professional development, a generous employer pension contribution, TOIL for out-of-hours working, additional Christmas gift leave and the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant research that could shape the future of detached youth work.

If you're an experienced detached youth worker, confident in leading work in ourdoor community public spaces, ready to combine outstanding frontline practice with leadership of detached youth work across neighbourhoods, learning and innovation, we'd love to hear from you.

About us

The Alliance for Youth Justice is an alliance of more than 70 non-profit organisations advocating with and for children to drive positive change in youth justice across England and Wales. We mobilise our members’ frontline expertise, children’s lived experience, and evidence from research to champion a child-centred, rights-based and trauma-informed system that treats contact with the justice system as a sign of unmet need and systemic failure, prioritises support over criminalisation and gives every child the opportunity to thrive.

We're widely recognised as the most influential group campaigning for improvements to the system, with trusted access to decision makers, working towards three goals: keeping children safe from the youth justice system through prevention and diversion; racial justice across the system; and custody as a last resort for children.

About the role

Following the launch of our new strategic approach, our Operations and Membership Lead will provide the operational, financial and administrative backbone of the organisation — keeping our finances and governance on track, and coordinating our network of over 70 member organisations.

Finance, operations and governance (70%) — manage bookkeeping in QuickBooks, coordinate banking, prepare management accounts, support grant financial reporting, maintain internal systems (SharePoint, IT), lead on policy compliance (safeguarding, GDPR, health and safety), and support Board governance and statutory filings.

Membership coordination (30%) — manage the end-to-end membership process from enquiries to renewals, coordinate member surveys and data, and organise our events — quarterly member meetings, roundtables and webinars.

Anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice runs through how we work with our Board, staff, members and stakeholders.

About you

You have experience in an operations, finance or administrative coordination role within a non-profit or membership organisation, including managing the full financial cycle within a charity and a working knowledge of charity fund accounting. You're practically experienced with QuickBooks (or equivalent), highly proficient in Microsoft 365, SharePoint and Excel-based tracking systems or CRMs, and bring exceptional organisational skills, discretion and a proactive, self-motivated approach. You have a personal commitment to anti-racism, social justice and child rights.

Why join us

We're a small team of three punching well above our weight, with real scope to shape how we work and few layers of hierarchy. We offer flexible, trust-based home working (within core hours), plus 25 days' leave (pro rata), Christmas office closure, and a 5% employer pension contribution.

We encourage applications from historically marginalised groups even if you don't meet every requirement, and we do not use criminal records to exclude candidates.

Please download the reruitment pack to find out more and read the full job description and person specification.

Job Title:Freelance Facilitator

Reporting to: Senior Programme Lead

Location: Nottinghamshire

Salary:£120-140 per day (including travel) plus £25 to attend meetings with a school (if required) and £50 for attending half day training or £100 for full day training. Expenses can also be claimed for programme snacks and travel to training.

One-year contracts might also be available.

Power2 is a fast growing and energetic children and young people’s charity that has supported 30,000 young people since 2001.  We are based in the North West of England and London and deliver early-intervention asset-based programmes to children and young people who have mental wellbeing challenges and are disengaged from school and more widely. We are well-known for our accredited Teens and Toddlers programme.

We believe every child and young person deserves the opportunity to thrive, even when things get tougher. We support young people to get the most out of their education by helping them to improve their mental health and wellbeing and develop their skills. We inspire young people who are at significant risk of school exclusion to re-engage and fulfil their potential at school, at work and in life.

We are seeking Freelance Programme Facilitators to join a pool to deliver our programmes in Nottinghamshire. Supported by our Programme Development Manager with training and resources you will help children and young people who are experiencing vulnerabilities and disadvantages improve their wellbeing, re-engage with school and learning, build networks and access opportunities.

Programme Facilitators work with significant autonomy and authority. They must embrace responsibility and are accountable for their work. They work collaboratively alongside young people, operating as a mentor as they empower young people to develop self-esteem, become resilient and engage with school and their own future. They give each young person the time, the confidence and skills to engage with their education.

You will work in schools and community settings to support young people and their families to ensure that at-risk children and young people make the most of their potential and improve their life chances. Work will include 1:1 support and delivery of Power2’s core programmes.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a CV and expression of interest. Your expression of interest should be no longer than two pages of A4 and must cover:

· Where you are based

· How your skills and experience match the role

· Two references

· Your DBS status

The successful applicants will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check (child workforce) and provide details of two referees.

We’re looking for a creative and enthusiastic Youth Worker to help us expand what we offer young people beyond sport.

About Alford House

Alford House is a youth and community organisation in Kennington, providing young people with safe, welcoming and structured opportunities to spend time, build relationships and develop their interests.

We want Alford House to be a place where young people can try new things, discover what they enjoy and develop their skills and confidence.

The role

As our Creative Spaces Youth Worker, you’ll help us develop and deliver creative and educational sessions for young people.

This is a varied role. You could be supporting young people with their homework, running an arts session, helping them explore dance and movement, supporting activity in our music studio or developing new creative ideas with young people.

We’re looking for someone who can bring their own creativity and interests to the role and turn them into engaging opportunities for young people.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop and deliver engaging arts and creative sessions.
• Support our homework club and educational activities.
• Deliver or support dance and movement activities.
• Help young people make use of our music studio.
• Create opportunities for young people to explore different interests and develop new skills.
• Support youth-led creative projects.
• Build positive and trusting relationships with young people.
• Encourage young people to try new activities and get involved in the wider Alford House offer.
• Record attendance and outcomes.
• Work alongside our wider youth work team to create a positive environment for young people.

Who we’re looking for

You don’t need to be a traditional youth worker to be right for this role. We’re looking for someone who has something creative to bring and knows how to engage young people.

You’ll need:

• Experience of working with children or young people.
• Strong creative facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of safeguarding.
• The ability to build positive relationships with young people.
• Enthusiasm for creating activities that young people will genuinely want to take part in.

Experience or qualifications in youth work, arts, dance, teaching or tutoring would be an advantage.

Why work with us?

This is an opportunity to help shape something new at Alford House.

We’re developing our creative spaces and want to create a broader range of opportunities for young people alongside our established sports provision. You’ll have the freedom to bring ideas, develop sessions and help create a space where young people can explore their interests.

If you’re creative, enjoy working with young people and want to use your skills to create opportunities they’ll genuinely enjoy, we’d love to hear from you.

Hours and pay

10 hours per week
Preferably 2 hours per day across the week, with flexibility.

£14.80 per hour

Part-time employment based at Alford House, Kennington.

Safeguarding

This role involves working with children and young people. Appointment is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and completion of safeguarding training.

How to apply

Please complete the Alford House application form and provide a CV.

In your application, tell us about your experience of working with young people, what creative skills or interests you could bring to Alford House, and how you would use them to create engaging opportunities for young people.

Note: This post is exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1, and is open to female applicants only, due to the nature of the role. Subject to an enhanced DBS check.

The Head of Youth Programmes sits in our Senior Leadership Team and holds overall operational responsibility for our frontline youth programmes across three pillars: Prevention, Intervention and Healing. The postholder leads and line manages the delivery team, and carries DSL responsibility for the organisation.

You'll lead delivery, expansion and impact evaluation across all three pillars, line manage the Education Lead, IDVA Team and Creative Projects leads, and work closely with the CEO to consolidate our delivery models. You'll hold responsibility as our Designated Safeguarding Lead, manage operational budgets, and build multi-agency partnerships across Barnet and neighbouring boroughs.

It's an opportunity to bring fresh energy and strategic leadership to a small, values-driven charity that trusts its team to do meaningful, creative work with the young people we support.

Essential criteria

• Experience as an IDVA, ISVA or in a comparable frontline advocacy role supporting young women and girls affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence or other forms of harm.
• A strong understanding of VAWG, domestic abuse and youth harm, grounded in survivor-centred and harm-prevention approaches.
• Experience of overseeing and responding to complex safeguarding through multi-agency working.
• At least Level 3 safeguarding training. Designated Safeguarding Lead training is desirable, or a willingness to complete this within an agreed timeframe.

We have highlighted the essentials above. The rest of the person specification, in the attached recruitment pack, is a guide to what we are looking for in a strong candidate, rather than a checklist. Your experience may not meet all of it, but if you have the essential experience we would encourage you to apply. We are just as interested in transferable experience as in a conventional career path.

Benefits

• Regular clinical supervision with an external practitioner 
• Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme, including a 24/7 helpline, counselling and a wellbeing app
• Free on-site parking in Colindale and funded travel between delivery sites

Details

£38,000 to £40,000 pro rata. 28 hours per week (four day working week). Permanent. Barnet, London / Hybrid.

Closing date: Thursday 15th October 2026. Interviews: w/c Monday 26th October 2026.

About School of Hard Knocks

School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) is one of the UK’s leading education charities, working in 29 secondary schools across England, Scotland, and Wales. Using rugby as a key delivery tool, we support young people who are struggling to engage in early secondary education - often because of anxiety, low confidence, disrupted home lives, or behavioural challenges rooted in trauma. For many of the children we support, life has already brought more hardship than most adults experience in a lifetime. Our purpose is clear: to help young people facing complex challenges break the cycle and move towards a safer, stronger, more hopeful future.

The SOHK Schools Programme is a two-year intervention working with cohorts of around 20 pupils from Year 7 through to Year 9. Pupils are selected by the school and are typically among the hardest to reach young people. Each week, we deliver half a day of rugby training and classroom sessions built around our 3Cs framework, covering topics such as growth mindset, goal setting, and decision-making, alongside monthly one-to-one sessions with every pupil. The programme’s impact is evaluated by SOHK staff, teachers, parents, and the pupils themselves.

90% of our participants report feeling more confident and more engaged with school after taking part, with long-term effects on attendance, attainment, and life outcomes. Find out more about our Schools Programme.

Since 2023, SOHK has been proud to partner with Impetus, a charity that invests in and supports organisations helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed. This partnership combines investment with strategic and organisational development support, helping to strengthen our impact and set SOHK up for sustainable growth.

We are proud to be delivering long-term programmes that meaningfully reach hundreds of young people each year - but the societal need is vast. Our ambitious four-year strategic plan targets growth, aiming to bring our impactful programme to hundreds more young people each year.

“Despite the usual challenges that every education or sport for development charity faces, School of Hard Knocks really is unique. It is not so much what we deliver at a programme level (which is of course brilliant) but who we are as a team. If you are a values-led leader and love the idea of ‘team’, then School of Hard Knocks is the place for you.”

- Ken Cowen, Founder and outgoing CEO

The Role

The CEO is the public face and leader of SOHK, responsible for the overall strategic direction, vision, and management of the charity - ensuring SOHK meets its mission and strategic objectives while maintaining strong relationships with Trustees, staff, supporters, and the wider SOHK community. We’re looking for a mission-driven charity leader and effective fundraiser, capable of building a sustainable growth model.

Strategy and Direction

● Be the face and voice of the charity - its principal ambassador

● Lead the development and periodic review of SOHK’s strategy with the Trustees and Senior Management Team

● Translate the 2026-30 strategy into organisational priorities, plans, and goals

● Ensure safeguarding, wellbeing, and the lived experience of young people remain central to every decision and growth plan

Programme Delivery, Quality and Impact

● Hold a high bar for programme quality and outcomes for young people

● Line-manage and support the Director of Programmes, working with delivery teams and partners to build a world-class, evidence-based intervention

● Ensure SOHK can evidence the impact of its programmes, with insights feeding back into constant improvement

Income Generation, Fundraising and External Relations

● Lead income generation across trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, individual giving, and challenges and events

● Line-manage and support the Head of Fundraising in executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy

● Hold senior relationships with funders and partners, building SOHK’s brand, reputation, and profile

Leading People, Culture and Operations

● Build and lead a high-performing Senior Management Team

● Foster a positive, inclusive, high-performing culture aligned with SOHK’s values

● Line-manage and support the Director of Finance & Operations, ensuring operational excellence

Governance and the Board

● Act as the primary link between the organisation and the Trustees

● Attend all Trustee meetings (held quarterly) and provide timely, accurate reporting

● Ensure compliance with all legal, regulatory, and Charity Commission requirements

About You

Essential

● Proven senior leadership experience in the charity, education, youth, or social impact sector - whether as CEO or as part of an executive team - including working directly with a Board of Trustees

● Demonstrated success in building or significantly growing an organisation, programme, or initiative

● A collaborative and values-led leadership style, with the ability to inspire trust, hold people to account, and build high-performing teams

● Strong track record of income generation, including securing significant funding from trusts, foundations, corporates, or major donors

● Experience of financial oversight, budgeting, and organisational planning at a senior level

● Strategic thinker, able to translate vision into clear plans and delivery

● Strong relationship-builder and communicator, confident with a wide range of stakeholders

Desirable

● Previous charity CEO experience - a bonus, but not essential; we know brilliant candidates come from a wide range of backgrounds

● Direct classroom, youth work, or education leadership experience

● Knowledge of the UK education system and youth policy landscape

● Experience of scaling a multi-site delivery organisation and working with local authorities

Personal Attributes

● Deep commitment to improving outcomes for young people, especially those facing disadvantage

● Resilient and persistent, able to work under pressure and navigate setbacks

● Collaborative, open, and reflective leader who seeks feedback and learns from it

Terms of Appointment

Contract type

Full-time, permanent

Location

Greater London, with offices in Edinburgh & Cardiff

Salary

£85,000 – £90,000 per year + £5,000 PRP

Reports to

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Direct reports

Director of Programmes; Head of Fundraising; Director of Finance & Operations

Travel

Regular UK travel, primarily to Edinburgh and Cardiff. Occasional evenings for stakeholder engagement and fundraising events

Trustee meetings

Quarterly, in London, in the evening, plus ad hoc subcommittees

Job description

The Young Ealing Foundation is a place-based charity based in Ealing, West London which brings together the voluntary, statutory and private sectors in the local area to increase and improve opportunities for children, young people and families.

The Young Ealing Foundation’s vision is to ensure all young people in Ealing can access the opportunities and support they need to grow up and lead happy and safe lives, fulfil their potential and become a valued and listened to part of the local community. We work towards this by working with and in the community to empower small, local charities to thrive and flourish.

The Young Ealing Foundation is seeking to appoint a Head of Youth Voice and Advocacy to join our small but impactful team. Youth Voice and co-production is an important and developing strand of YEF's work and this role would suit someone with strong experience of co-production and project development.

Main purpose of the role:

· Work alongside young people to develop the delivery framework for the Ealing Youth Voice Strategy including oversight of existing and new programmes.

· Work with high-level strategic partners and stakeholders to advocate for youth-led coproduction and develop partnerships to extend the reach of YEF’s youth voice activities.

· Develop a robust impact measurement framework to create a culture of learning and enable sharing of best practice.

· Identify and apply for appropriate grants, contracts and other income streams to deliver the ambitions set out in the strategy.

· Oversee people and processes to ensure services meet high standards of delivery and compliance.