Youth Services Manager (Maternity Cover)
Job Type: Full-time, fixed term contract (May/June – approx. December 2026)
Responsible to: Head of Youth and Childcare Services, Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for: Youth Services Staff
Job Description: YMCA Essex are seeking a talented, driven and caring Youth Services professional to manage the development and delivery of YMCA Essex’s Youth Services. The Youth Services Manager will build upon the already established universal, specialist and targeted youth work offer for children and young people across Essex. This will include developing and implementing new services to ensure the sustainability and positive impact of the department. If you would like to make a difference in young people’s lives across Essex, this job could be for you! Our current activity is mainly based around Chelmsford and Colchester, although there are opportunities for expansion county-wide. The Youth Services Manager would oversee 30+ staff across multiple youth provisions and holiday club settings, aided by the Head of Youth and Childcare Services and the supportive YMCA Essex management team.
Responsibilities: To support and develop the youth team, assisting with the monitoring of staff performance and ensuring that staff adhere to policies, objectives and the staff code of conduct.
About You: We are looking for a passionate, organised, and aspirational leader, to inject energy and drive into YMCA Essex Youth Services, inspiring everyone involved to add value, make the most of opportunities, and do the very best for both those we serve and those we are still to reach by creating an environment of growth and development.
You will have at least 5 years experience working directly with young people. You will have at least 2 years experience of managing a team. Ideally, you will have a minimum of three years of leadership experience in the youth work/support sector, although other relevant areas will be considered. You will also have a proven track record of setting up and delivering funded projects from beginning to end ensuring the best outcomes are achieved for young people.
This is a crucial role within the YMCA Essex team and is ideal for people who are looking to develop their career in the sector. We are looking for an inspirational and dedicated individual who has a genuine desire to transform lives.
Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, generally worked within office hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional evening and weekend work.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
Main Functions – This outlines What the applicant will be expected to do in order to fulfil this job role.
Atmosphere
* To both actively and passively be the YMCA Essex values ambassador to the Youth Services Team, wider organisation and those outside of it, exemplifying everything that YMCA Essex stands for.
* To create a warm, comforting and enriching environment for children, young people, families and staff to be a part of, so they achieve the best of their individual abilities.
* To inject energy and drive into YMCA Essex Youth Services, inspiring everyone involved to add value, make the most of opportunities, and do the very best for both those we serve and those we are still to reach by creating an environment of growth and development.
* To be a responsible, caring and nurturing role model for the Youth Department staff in order to create a positive, happy and supportive environment for the team.
* To provide safe, diverse provisions that all children and young people can access equally.
Business
* Oversee all aspects of service delivery ensuring financial, quality, health and safety, contractual targets and performance measures are achieved.
* Be responsible for providing high quality inclusive youth services and ensure the creation of safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all children and young people.
* To deploy staff and resources effectively, maintaining ratios in multiple settings.
* Identify and pursue opportunities for funding to enhance the delivery of the Youth Service.
* Lead and develop opportunities to hear youth voices and encourage participation to improve engagement with our services and deliver positive outcomes.
* To take forward new initiatives and developments required to ensure the youth service meets the needs of children and young people of Essex.
* To support and develop the youth team, assisting with the monitoring of staff performance and ensuring that staff adhere to policies, objectives and the staff code of conduct.
* To manage the budgetary requirements needed to run the Youth Department.
* Working closely with the Head of Youth and Childcare Services, be accountable for safeguarding best practice in the service, ensuring timely and pro‑active risk management and consistency in approach including working with external safeguarding partners
Compliance
* Ensure the Youth provisions meet the high standards set by YMCA Essex, facilitating inspections and implementing recommendations.
* Ensure Health and Safety policies are implemented within the youth provisions and that risk assessments are completed as necessary and ensuring staff are undertaking all appropriate risk assessments for activities, equipment and environment.
* Lead and manage a team, recruiting and inducting new staff, and supporting their performance to ensure high standards of service at all times.
* Ensure the team is adequately trained and empowered to work effectively and creatively with clients to enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes
* Ensure excellent customer experience is provided and queries or complaints are dealt with in line with the organisation policy.
* Ensure that settings are continually developing to ensure high quality, inclusive childcare is provided.
* To ensure any data kept is done in conjunction with our data protection policy.
* Proactively keep up to date with developments in the youth sector.
Personal
* To Liaise with the Head of Youth and Childcare Service, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustee, youth services staff, students and volunteers within the YMCA and External Agencies, parents, children and members of the public.
* To be a professional, dedicated, and integral part of the Management Team that supports the Heads of Departments & C.E.O in running the services that the YMCA Essex offers.
* To carry out other tasks which may from time to time be required by the Head of Department or Chief Executive.
Core Values – These values outline How the applicant will carry out the Main Functions of this job role.
* Kindness – Putting the wellbeing of people first in day‑to‑day life
* Fairness – Equal treatment for all
* Professionalism – Unrelenting competence, even in the face of difficulty
* Perseverance – Never giving up on others, or ourselves
* Joy – Delighting in life, and the opportunity to make a difference
Terms and conditions
This job description sets out the task requirements of this post. Along with the Staff Handbook and the Terms of Appointment it forms the terms and conditions of employment within the Association. It is recognised that the Association is involved in a dynamic environment and as such, job descriptions will be required to be periodically reviewed and amended to reflect the changing nature of the job. Such reviews will be carried out in consultation with the staff concerned and one month’s written notice given of any change in the job description.
Other Duties
To undertake any other specific duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the immediate Line Manager or anyone else designated by the Head of youth and childcare, as necessary. To work in a flexible way to ensure that the workload is completed and to undertake any other jobs commensurate with the seniority of the post.
Discretion to act
To exercise discretion in the performance of the duties of the post and to use best practice commensurate with the safety of clients and colleagues, and the effective and efficient use of resources. Nothing in this Job Description is intended to authorise the post‑holder to undertake responsibilities that belong properly to trustees and members of the Executive Management Team unless properly authorised to do so by the Chief Executive directly or through an appropriate Manager.
Relationships
To establish, maintain and enhance team‑working with colleagues and staff of YMCA Essex and to keep confidential all information about individuals and the business. Any breach of confidentiality is extremely serious and may lead to dismissal.
Personal Development
To play an active role in the development and implementation of your individual development plan.
Association Ethos
To enable the aims, objectives, ethos and core values of the Association. The Association is committed to equality of opportunity in recruitment, employment and service delivery and expects all staff to abide by our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Health and Safety
To adhere to the Association’s Health and Safety policies at all times.
What you should do next: If you are interested in applying for this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply by sending CV and Covering letter to becky.whitaker@ymcaessex.org.uk. Suitable applicants will be contacted and invited to interview.
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