Deputy Head of Statutory Services (Job Reference: 26004644)
Primary Location : Tyrone-Omagh-Omagh Office
Other Locations :Antrim-Belfast-Belfast Office, Down-Dundonald-Dundonald Office, Antrim-Antrim-Antrim Board Centre, Armagh-Armagh-Armagh Office, Antrim-Ballymena-Ballee Centre
Contract Type : Permanent
Duration of Contract/Contract End Date : N/A
Status : Full-Time
Hours per Week : 36 hours per week
Working Pattern : Monday - Friday May occasionally be required to work outside these hours
Grade/Scale : Adviser | EIP Scale Pts 13 - 16/*19 | £58,400 - £62,634/* £66,724 per annum *Includes three points which may be awarded under the agreement relating to Structured Professional Assessments.
Additional Allowance(s) : Not Applicable
Anticipated Interview Date(s) : 30 June 2026
Additional Information: The base location will be agreed upon appointment. The role will cover the following council areas: Belfast, Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid Ulster, and Fermanagh & Omagh.
JOB DESCRIPTION
REPORTS TO: Head of Local Youth Services
JOB PURPOSE
To have overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and activities of Local Youth Services within the designated area.
To develop strategies and operational processes to support delivery of a range of opportunities for children and young people that meet the statutory requirements of the service, in line with Department of Education policy.
To innovatively manage and deploy resources in order to deliver consistently high standards of statutory Youth Services.
To monitor, review and analyse the effectiveness of existing statutory youth provision and develop their capacity to ensure quality standards for youth work delivery.
To work with all management staff of Local Youth Services to identify and promote opportunities for collaboration.
Job Purpose & Main Activities:
To be responsible for the direct line management of Senior Youth Officers and implement a strategy that establishes quality standards for statutory youth work that will assist young people to achieve positive youth work outcomes through the delivery of the Regional Youth Development Plan.
To lead on the delivery of statutory Youth Services identified in Local Youth Development Plans and the Regional Youth Development Plan.
To support the engagement, design and development of Local Youth Development Plans and the Regional Youth Development Plan.
To develop delivery processes for statutory youth work and advise the Statutory Services Manager on all curricular and management issues within the statutory Youth Service, taking into account any proposed policy changes.
To support and provide appropriate approval for youth work activities, including educational visits, in order that educational outcomes of such activities are identified and that risks are managed in line with best practice.
To support Senior Youth Officers with effective Quality Assurance Systems and reporting key outcomes and benefits realisation.
To liaise with relevant staff to assess and support inspection readiness, through ongoing review, to produce quality standards for youth work in line with ETI inspection indicators. To support the development of inspection action plans where required, and/or support sustained improvement for statutory services.
To present reports as required.
To support the development and where required, the assessment of the statutory Youth Service workforce.
To show commitment to continuing professional development by attending educational conferences, courses and ongoing training, as required to enhance Youth Service outcomes.
To support Senior Youth Officers and provide oversight for recruitment within statutory Youth Service, including hiring manager duties where required in the appointment of Local Youth Service staff.
To provide representation or deputise for the Statutory Services Manager on relevant multi-agency partnerships, bodies or boards, contributing to improving the wider outcomes for children and young people.
To ensure that risk in all statutory Youth Service activity is managed effectively and that Health and Safety legislation and guidance is followed fully.
To contribute to Government strategies for safeguarding and to ensure that the statutory Youth Service works within safeguarding policies and procedures.
To liaise with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organisational outcomes.
To support the achievement of targets/objectives and meet challenging deadlines, through leading and motivating the statutory Senior Youth Officer team.
To ensure the effective engagement of children and young people in service design, delivery and evaluation of statutory Youth Service.
Liaise and work co-operatively with colleagues in other sections of the Authority to ensure consistent and coherent approaches towards service delivery.
To work as part of a team to lead the effective delivery of statutory Youth Services.
Other Duties
Comply with EA policies and procedures in relation to the duties and responsibilities of the post.
Always maintain confidentiality of information received in line with GDPR regulations.
Any such other duties that the EA may from time to time require.
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor
Essential Criteria
Method of Assessment
Qualifications
Be a qualified Youth Worker in accordance with the JNC Report for Youth Workers, Paragraph 5.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Experience
Have three years’ demonstrable post qualifying experience in the delivery of youth work practice.
Have three years’ demonstrable experience of managing youth work staff.
Have three years’ demonstrable experience working within a leadership role, supporting strategic objectives and outcomes.
Demonstrable experience in the use of information technology systems to include the following Microsoft Office packages: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Skills/
Abilities
Ability in the design, delivery and evaluation of youth work programmes, including training programmes.
Ability to embed a Quality Assurance process.
Evidence of skills in designing, delivering, and evaluating youth work delivery.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Other
The successful candidate will be required:
to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion;
OR
be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Section 2 - Essential Criteria
The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.
Factor
Essential Criteria
Method of Assessment
Qualifications/
Experience
Demonstrable knowledge of the following:
-
NI Youth Work Curriculum.
-
Outcomes Based Accountability
-
Understanding of government policy and legislation in relation to Youth Service
Skills/
Abilities
In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of:
Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with young people and staff.
Ability to use own initiative and make effective and objective decisions.
Evidence of excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Skills to develop assessment of need and evaluate impact.
Ability to embed a Quality Assurance process.
Demonstrable skills in the design, delivery and evaluation of youth work programmes, including training programmes.
Practical experience of financial management processes.
Values Orientation
Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here.
Section 3 - Desirable Criteria
Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor
Desirable Criteria
Method of Assessment
Experience
Experience of managing outcomes through a Management Information System (MIS) to report on outcomes and support self-improvement.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Our Values
Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.
In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.
Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.
