Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.
•Plan, coordinate, and provide a programme of activities and projects for young people according to catchment area
•Build extensive networks to develop this work as much as possible.
•Collaborate with the rest of the Youth Service Team to ensure the youth support work ties in with the community youth work
•Implement a programme of activities and projects, ensuring the best possible experience for young people
Responsibility for functions
•The Youth Worker will be responsible for overseeing and organising the projects. He/she will also be responsible for equipment, ensuring it meets health and safety requirements.
Main duties
•Work directly with young people to develop their social skills by offering a wide-ranging programme of activities that leads to an accreditation / qualification during school time that create ties with the community
•Prepare, arrange, plan, evaluate, organise and manage resources for each project
•Create a space where young people are given the opportunity to enjoy themselves, to feel safe, to receive support, to be appreciated, to learn how to take control over their lives, and identify and resist harmful influences that could affect them
•Build a positive relationship with the Schools' Pastoral Team and the Youth Service Team
•Provide a programme of activities / projects at the schools during the school term and a community provision during school holidays
•Attend moderating and training meetings arranged by awarding bodies
•Present Duke of Edinburgh Awards at the Schools
•Develop a range of learning opportunities for young people, using informal youth working methods within the school and the community, that are suitable for these young people’s needs.
•Introduce accreditation programmes at the schools and in the communities
•Enable young people to access recognised awards (e.g. Youth Challenge Schemes, ASDAN Youth Achievement, Agored Cymru, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, John Muir Award, Children's University).
•Encourage young people by instilling in them a sense of achievement and acknowledgement.
•Work with Schools Staff, the Education Department, YOTs, Social Services, Community Safety and other agencies that could help support young people.
•Ensure a clear and correct record of work is kept on the information management system in accordance with the requirements of all the relevant agencies, and in accordance with the requirements of the policies and systems of the relevant agencies.
•Attend the planning meetings of the schools and youth service, review meetings etc. as required.
•Attend moderating and training meetings arranged by awarding bodies, and cascade information about new developments to other members of the youth work team.
•Compliance with any of the Service's procedures and systems
•Develop and expand the projects' curriculum by fostering links with agencies and providers including consulting with young people, collaborating with schools and other education providers
•Responsibility for inputting any required information into the information gathering system
•Adhere to the Occupational Standards relating to Youth Work, Rights of the Child
•Prepare progress reports on his/her work.
•Attend Youth Service meetings, participating fully in the discussions and sharing information with teams.
•Organise and hold events, provide projects and activities during school holidays jointly with the Social Workers
•Seek grants to further develop the work
•Provide volunteering opportunities locally and abroad
•Ensure that any report has been completed by the designated time
•Ensure that the Voice of the Young Person is heard through everything that is proposed and developed
•In conjunction with the manager, ensure appropriate development in performance measuring and information gathering in order to measure the scheme’s effectiveness and fulfil the objectives determined by reporting and planning arrangements.
•Attend training for youth workers arranged by, or on behalf of, the Council
•Responsibility for registering equipment, including Duke of Edinburgh Awards, with the Accreditation Administrator
•Operate as Site Manager as and when requested by the Manager
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety regulations in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s equal opportunities and equality policies.
•Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management standards and guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary and responsibility level of the job
•Responsible for reporting any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special circumstances
Employment: JNC for Youth and Community Workers Points 14–17
Annual Leave: JNC Terms - 30 days annual leave for the first five years and 35 days for subsequent years.
Working Hours: The working week: 37 hours a week, no more than eight evening sessions a fortnight, and at times flexibility could be required in order to meet the needs of specific work. It could also mean working evenings (three evenings) and some weekends, which could be on a residential basis, within the 37 hours.
Hours: The hours to include evenings and weekends and some could be residential.
Car use: The post-holder will be designated an “essential car user”.
Language: The post-holder will need to be confident in spoken and written Welsh and English from the outset.
Mobile Phone User: A mobile phone will be provided for the purposes of the post.
You will be appointed to work in your catchment area; however, in special circumstances you will be required to
work outside your catchment area e.g. to cover holiday, sickness.
We will look in detail at the job description in a year's time following the appointment.
The Department has a continuous programme of training and personal skills development. An Appraisal Scheme will be implemented that will contribute towards this provision. The post-holder will be expected to participate in the programme. You will be following the training matrix for Field Workers.
We draw your attention to the fact that some specific duties and responsibilities are difficult to analyse in detail in some cases and they can change from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility. In addition, every member of staff is required to accept an element of flexibility in their duties and responsibilities, and when necessary exchange within the Authority in order to meet the needs and requirements of the service which continually change. This type of requirement will enable the post holder’s specific expertise to grow and develop for the benefit of the employer and employee.