Job Title : Youth Engagement Officer
Contract Type : permanent
Salary : £30,859 per annum
Working Hours : 37.5 hours per week
Working Pattern : between 7:30am and 8:30pm. working every other weekend
Location : Hackney, London
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.
The difference you will make as Youth Engagement Officer
Are you passionate about helping young people thrive? We’re looking for a proactive and inspiring Youth Engagement Officer to support young people aged 16–19 on their journey towards brighter futures. You’ll deliver a range of engaging activities and personalised support to help them access education, training, and employment opportunities.
This is a hands-on role where you’ll work directly with young people to build confidence, raise aspirations, and support progression into positive outcomes.
You will be working from one of our supported services providing support to our customers in a variety of ways.
Some of your responsibilities will include:
• Engage young people aged 16–19 through outreach, one-to-one sessions, and group work.
• Design and deliver a variety of activities including CV writing workshops, job clubs, skills-based training, and employability sessions.
• Organise and promote training opportunities, work experience, and volunteering placements.
• Support young people to identify goals, overcome barriers, and develop action plans for personal and professional growth.
• Build strong partnerships with colleges, training providers, employers, and local organisations to maximise opportunities for young people.
• Champion youth voice and participation through feedback, co-designed programmes, and leadership opportunities.
• Ensure all work is inclusive, youth-led, and aligned with safeguarding and equal opportunity practices.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to monitoring and evaluation of impact.
• Using SMART goal planning to provide needs led holistic support
About you
We are looking for someone with:
• Experience working with young people aged 16–19 in a supportive or developmental role.
• Is confident in delivering employability sessions, CV workshops, and group-based learning.
• Understands the barriers young people face and is skilled in motivational and strengths-based approaches.
• Has great communication, facilitation, and organisational skills.
• Can build rapport with diverse groups of young people and work effectively in a multi-agency environment.
• Holds a relevant qualification (. youth work, careers guidance, education, or community development) or has equivalent experience.
Why Riverside?
(One Housing is a part of Riverside) At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
1. Competitive pay & generous pension
2. 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
3. Flexible working options available
4. Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
5. A wide range of benefits
Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
Role Profile
We are looking for motivated, flexible, and committed individual to across our 16/17yr old complex needs and young parents’ scheme in Hackney.
Applicants should be educated to degree level or a professional qualification in a relevant field and
experience of programme delivery with either children or families.
Demonstrates the ability to deal with considerable levels of work-related pressure, for example from deadlines, interruptions, or conflicting demands
Ability to communicate and engage a wide range of practitioners and professionals particularly those working in a multi-agency context
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively verbally and by writing clear and concise reports.
Ability to reflect on own practice and assess/express own developmental needs.
To deliver evidence-based programmes for 16/17yr olds with complex needs, including young parents of children. This will include organising and delivering group sessions and training staff within agencies to run the programme themselves ensuring we have a model that is sustainable now and in the future. One-to-one interventions will also be delivered by the Youth Engagement Officer to customers where appropriate.
Deliver youth work programmes that meet the needs of young people, support young people to deliver youth social action/youth volunteering programmes that meet youth work policy and practice standards.
To lead on the development and delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Awards Programme for One Housing in Homelessness & Prevention.
To oversee DofE Programme delivery across all services.
To act as an Ambassador for the DofE Awards, attending meetings, events and projects and taking every opportunity to promote it in a positive manner.
Demonstrable technical/specialist/policy & procedural knowledge which can be applied across a wide range of activities. Ability to complete a range of complex tasks such as report writing, presentations, detailed assessments, and calculations.
You will be responsible for support plans, risk assessments, customer reviews, and independent living skill including organising trips and sourcing funding.
You will have experience of working with young people and young parents.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life of our customers, building confidence and skills to allow them to move on independently ink those within the parent’s scheme, while playing an active role in their communities. We view all our customers as individuals with specific needs, treating them with respect and dignity, and focusing on achieving real results.
Develop, with staff and customers, a wide range of activities, work experience and training opportunities designed to provide young people with additional life skills.
Principle Outputs & Responsibilities
• To work with wider teams to support participant progression.
• To provide outstanding in work support services to optimise job retention and sustained outcomes.
• Assess needs and barriers of participants through SMART goals, action plans and needs assessment.
• Support participants into training and employment.
• Track and record customer outcomes and activities on the CURA system.
• Assist customers to become job ready by coaching and providing employer led advice and guidance.
• Work to targets and deadlines as set out by contract profiles.
• Work alongside the Team Managers to support work ready participants into employment.
• Provide ongoing support to participants post recruitment (in work support).
• Deliver a high-quality service in line with Get Set UK’s delivery model or any other youth targeted model to engage young people in employment.
• Ensure compliance and accuracy with all aspects of service delivery.
• Will have previous welfare to work experience working on DWP/ESF Funded contracts or having demonstrable set of transferable skills to work in a target driven environment with focus on Quality and Compliance.
• Must have strong communication, conflict management and negotiation skills
• Must be resourceful and innovative with a positive outlook ·
• Must be target driven and confident to work in a target driven environment
• Must be a team player and supportive of colleagues
• Must be empathetic to vulnerable and at-risk adults and have a strong desire to help
• Be able to demonstrate previous experience in a target driven environment.
• Have experience dealing with challenging priority groups.
• Have an employment focused approach to their work.
• Can create SMART support plans and conduct individual needs assessments
• Can demonstrate a high level of accuracy and contractual compliance in their previous roles.
• Computer, data entry and MS Office skills
• Ensure the service is running at exceptionally high standard and meeting all the service specification outlined by commissioners
• Offering support and guidance to staff with complex cases that have been referred to the service
• Offering advice and taking the lead on any incidents and safeguarding concerns in accordance with organisational policies and procedures
• Representing the service at external local authority/provider panels and conferences
• Supporting the management team with auditing of files and quarterly organisational quality support audits
• Facilitate and encourage effective customer participation, consultation, and feedback within the service.
• Promote Social Inclusion
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• You will have experience of planning 1-1 work with hard to engage young people
• Experience and knowledge of safeguarding and child protection
• Excellent level of IT skills and literacy
• Knowledge of the employment law or relevant legislation
• Extensive experience of multi agency and partnership working to achieve the best outcome for young people and children
• A good understanding of issues faced by young people/parents that live in supported accommodation and have statutory services involvement
• A good understanding of steps required before moving on to independent living
• Some understanding of the benefits/ welfare system
• Some understanding of youth work and participation
Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Delivering and planning group work to promote independent living skills and EET (employment, education, and training)
• Knowledge of local community resources available to young people/parents in the service
Professional Qualifications and Membership
• Relevant degree level qualification or equivalent in social work, youth work, sociology, employment, family, and adolescent studies
Decision Making Accountability
• Maintain the positive and strong relationship with commissioners and professionals involved with customers that have been referred to the service
Other Duties
• Ensure that responsibilities for Health and Safety are properly understood and discharged as defined in One Housing Group’s Health & Safety Policy and that Health & Safety concerns are promptly and clearly communicated to the appropriate people.
• Comply fully with One Housing Groups policies and procures including the standing orders and financial regulations.
• Ensure that your own work and that of the service works within and contributes to the
• service, departmental, and corporate plans.
• Comply with the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
• Comply with the data protection act (all employees will not disclose or make use of for their private advantage any information held on record which is not available to the public)
• To carry out any other reasonable duties as required