AYWP - Maternity cover - REQ003805

INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

Job title: Advanced Youth Work Practitioner

Salary: JNC £35,542 - £38,540

Hours: 37

Contract: Temporary Maternity Cover

Location: Technorth, 9 Harrogate Road LS7 3NB

As an Advanced Youth Work Practitioner, you’ll thrive on managing a team to support them to achieve positive outcomes for the most vulnerable young people of Leeds. You will develop lots of partnership work.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As an Advanced Youth Work Practitioner, you will bring to the role:

Hold a JNC recognised level 6 Youth Work qualification.
Effectively record and evaluate youth work sessions, produce reports within specific timescales
Managing administration and finance
Able to undertake a flexible and varied working pattern i.e. late evenings, weekends, schools holiday weeks and some substantial residentials
Demonstrate a positive approach and commitment to providing training and development for your staff.

About the role

As our Advanced Youth Work Practitioner, you’ll be the best you can at motivating in a fast-paced environment where frontline staff will need your support as and when required and for you to shine by showing fantastic management skills within your role, where staff can look up to you to feel mentored in a positive way.

The role of an Advanced Youth Work Practitioner is integral to our Return Interview Service, the team provide a statutory service to young people who have been reported missing to the Police with a return interview. A return interview is an opportunity for young people to talk about why they were missing, where and who they were with, and to offer support where appropriate. The advanced Practitioner will allocate these referrals to and provide direct support to the team. In addition the team also work in Leeds City Centre, delivering detached youth work to support vulnerable young people in the city centre and working alongside a range of partners to help keep young people safe.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

How to apply

Apply for this job online.

Read our guidancefor further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Ravinder Kumar, Team Leader Call 07891277553 or email Ravinder.kumar@leeds.gov.uk

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose: Lead on the delivery of youth work/youth work projects, focusing on leadership of professional practice and on developing and raising standards of services. Ensure that the planning, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of Youth Work programmes are responsive to the needs of young people and are in line with Children’s Services strategic plan and priorities.

Responsibilities:

Work directly with young people to develop and maintain relationships to help identify their starting points, needs and aspirations.
Work face-to-face for 50% of the role. This will include routinely working late in the evenings (including weekends) school holiday weeks and some residentials.
Work in partnership to assess needs, provide and evaluate, a well-planned and resourced programme of activities, services and facilities for young people using youth work methodology.
Make significant contribution to the improvement of the services’ curriculum development and create opportunities for innovation.
Facilitate the development of the service by planning, delivering, monitoring, and reviewing youth work provision in line with the Youth Service Quality Assurance scheme.
Ensure young people participate in designing, delivering, and reviewing their programmes and their involvement at governance level where possible.
Undertake research with young people and other stakeholders to develop the Service’s ability to effectively respond to the changing environment and key priorities.
Responsible for management of a local team ensuring policies and procedures relating to managing staff are undertaken including induction, improving attendance, improving performance and grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Provide regular supervision and appraisal to staff members maintaining supervision and appraisal records using the appropriate documentation and associated guidance.
Contribute to the service’s staff development programme through facilitating appropriate training opportunities, forums, and the dissemination of good practice.
Organise and lead staff meetings on a regular basis to ensure effective communication and the smooth running of youth work delivery.
Be a visible member of an integrated management team at cluster/area of citywide level as appropriate and contribute to departmental/ multi-agency groups as required.
Explore partnerships and develop them to improve outcomes for young people.
Co-ordinate and implement publicity and marketing programmes for their area of responsibility.
Ensure that Youth Service performance targets are met within their area of responsibility.
Ensure the effective performance management of staff to the required standards through appropriate assessments of practice.
Deputise for the Youth Service Team Leader/Centre manager when appropriate.
Act as a mentor, coach, and role model for other practitioners in order to help develop and broaden their professional youth work practice.
Manage relationships to ensure effective working with all appropriate services and partners (including Elected Members)
Responsible for substantial building and resource management and security (including key holding and alarm duties) covering a multi-site operation.
Prepare and submit funding bids and manage external funding up to £50k.
Responsible for the day-to-day administration and finance including budget control, health & safety, the banking of monies, ordering of equipment, inventories, records keeping, and communication, to ensure the smooth running of the programme of activities, services, and facilities.
Be contactable by telephone and deal with out of hours emergencies.
Use a Restorative Practice approach as an overarching ethos.
Be proactive in safeguarding and promoting welfare of Children & Young People
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications JNC recognised level 6 Youth Work qualification. Management qualification or equivalent transferable skills

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
Able to undertake a flexible and varied working pattern i.e., late evenings, weekends, schools holiday weeks and some substantial residentials.
Able to audit young people’s needs and plan and deliver a corresponding youth work curriculum.
Able to communicate effectively with the voluntary sector, other agencies, and the local community in order to develop initiatives and services for young people.
Able to empower young people to tackle problems, take appropriate actions and become active citizens.
Able to work effectively with young people in groups and secure their commitment to achieving learning outcomes.
Able to work with young people to safeguard their welfare.
Able to effectively deploy available resources to ensure optimum benefit to young people.
Able to effectively manage conflict.
Able to plan and organise own workload with minimal supervision.
Able to address any HR related procedures, in the management of Youth Service staff.
Able to lead, motivate and supervise staff (Paid employees and volunteers)
Able to carry out administrative duties and meet deadlines (to include submission of external funding bids and preparing quality reports and producing annual profiles and development plans)
Able to publicise and market the work.
Able to lead on responding to immediate health & safety issues.
In depth understanding of the issues which concern young people today
Knowledge of child protection and welfare issues
Knowledge of local and national policies and their relationship to Youth Work
Knowledge of Health & Safety issues affecting all activities within the posts remit
Knowledge of working knowledge and understanding of Outcome Based Accountability (OBA), Restorative practice and Child Friendly City priorities.
Knowledge of the voluntary sector, other agencies and the local community and services provided for young people.
Knowledge of responsibilities in terms of Health and Safety, security, confidentiality, and data protection
Experience of exemplary leadership and strategic development of face-to-face practice and initiatives within young people’s Services
Substantial experience of working with young people in a diverse range of youth work environments
Experience of enabling young people to work effectively in groups.
Experience of effectively planning youth work sessions with young people linked to Children’s Services priorities and youth service targets.
Experience of effectively recording and evaluating youth work sessions, produce reports within specific timescales.
Experience of working with the voluntary sector, other agencies, and the local community in order to develop initiatives and services for young people.
Experience of managing and supervising paid staff and volunteers
Experience of managing administration and finance
Experience of developing positive links/partnerships with the voluntary sector, the community, and other agencies

Behavioural & other Characteristics required.

Positive view of young people and a commitment to a young person-centred approach
Flexible approach to meet the changing demands of the Youth Offer
Demonstrate a positive approach and commitment to providing training and development for your staff.
Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Able and Willing to drive a mobile and minibus.
Knowledge of relevant off site education qualifications
Knowledge expedition delivery qualifications

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