Job title: Community Youth Worker - Bikes
Hours: Full time (35hours), including evenings and weekends. Fixed term contract until end of March 2028.
Reporting to: Lead for Communities (Swindon)
Salary: £29,829
Interview date - Tuesday 4th August
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Overview
We’re looking for an enthusiastic Youth Worker to join our growing team at Young Swindon and Wiltshire (YSW)! Young Swindon and Wiltshire exists to empower young people to be their best self by increasing their confidence, improving relationships and increasing engagement in healthy and positive activities. We’ve been doing this for more than 25 years and would love you to join us on the adventure.
We are looking for a self-motivated, enthusiastic and organised person who will take a key role in the delivery of our youth engagement work and developing our emerging youth work offer around Bike maintenance. You will be a self-starter, happy to work on your own, but also able to build a supportive team around you. You will be a clear and confident communicator with both the team, young people and our external partners. Ultimately though, finding someone with the right character and personality is the most important thing for us, so if you don’t have direct experience of this or aren’t a trained bike mechanic, please don’t let that stop you from applying – we are happy and able to train you up as we go.
For our part, we will be a charity that you love being part of, offering you all the support and encouragement you need to not just do the job well, but flourish as a person. How we care for our team really matters to us, and this will reflect in how this job looks and how we look after you.
We are deliberately advertising this post beyond our own network because we hope we’ll find applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We value diversity in all forms and we believe that increased diversity will only make our charity better.
Job Purpose
As our Community Youth Worker you’ll be part of the team supporting young people across a wide range of our projects, with a particular focus on one of our Youth Centre Specialisms. The role will involve coordinating and undertaking all aspects of the service offered, including handling referrals, session preparation and delivery monitoring and evaluation. The post-holder will represent YSW externally in the course of their work.
Main Duties
- To champion YSW’s vision and values through excellent youth work and 1to1 sessions involving Bikes + Bike Maintenance, aimed at supporting young people to find their voice and develop their skills.
Specific Duties
- Plan session material including preparing resources.
- Listen to and support participants wellbeing through encouraging youth-led engagement.
- Abide by YSW’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Attend team meetings for personal and service development.
- Assist in gathering outcome related data in relation to funding requirements
- Report to Line Manager participant feedback, complaints or concerns in a timely manner.
- Ensure the service remains compliant with statutory, legal and best practice obligations and YSW policy.
- Record and capture participant attendance using relevant recording systems
- Ensure that all identifiable participant and volunteer application data is held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Young Swindon and Wiltshire’s Data Protection Policies
- Maintain awareness of, and implementing the requirements of, health and safety policies and risk assessment(s) for each venue/location.
- Act as an ambassador at all times while representing YSW in public.
- Promote and share the benefits of programmes and services within the community.
- Any other duties that are fair and reflective of the role requirements.
Skills, Experience + Knowledge
Essential
Experience
- A robust understanding of the world of young people and the pressures they face.
- Experience of following safeguarding guidelines, especially in relation to lone working and working in the evening
- Experience of designing and delivering youth work sessions with and for young people
- Understanding of developing successful networks and partnerships.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and local/national policies.
Professional skills
- The ability to communicate effectively with both adults and young people
- Able to maintain clear and appropriate boundaries
- Strong relationship-building and influencing skills
- Flexibility to adhere to the time commitments of the programme
- A commitment to on-going professional development
Interpersonal skills
- An understanding and acceptance of the YSW values and the centrality of these to the work of the charity.
- Confident, with a calm and resilient nature – not easily phased.
- The ability to instil self-belief and support personal development of participants.
- Ability to use an empathic approach to establish rapport quickly and develop relationships at all levels.
- Assertiveness and ability to manage expectations.
Additional requirements
- Access to a vehicle and a full clean driving licence.
- Other activities relating to the general charitable purposes of SMASH as and when they may be required.
Desirable
Education/training/qualifications
- Qualification in Youth Work, voice or participation
- Qualified Bike Mechanic
- Mental Health First Aid trained
- Trauma Informed Practitioner
- First Aid Trained
Experience·
- Direct work with engaging young people in positive activities
- An understanding of working in the voluntary sector.
- Experience of working in collaboration.
- Successful development of sustainable community projects.
- Awareness of the ACEs criteria and their impact on young people
Professional Skills
- Creativity.
- Training and development skills.
- Good IT skills and knowledge (Microsoft)
- Able to organise own time and work on own initiative
Interpersonal Skills
- Ability to take and give direction.
The nature of the work means that the post holder will be expected to work outside of office hours and occasionally at the weekend in order to meet the client group’s requirements
In accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
In line with our safer recruitment practices, any appointment will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, receipt of two satisfactory references and a probationary period
Pay: £29,829.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee mentoring programme
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
