Are you a dedicated and compassionate Youth Worker passionate about making a tangible difference in the lives of young people? Do you excel at building rapport and providing tailored support to students facing social, emotional, or behavioural challenges?
About the Role:
As our 1:1 Youth Worker, you will be a key member of our dedicated pastoral and student support team. You will be responsible for providing bespoke, student-centred support to young people identified as needing additional guidance. Your role will involve fostering a safe, trusting, and supportive environment where students can explore their challenges, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience. Your interventions will be tailored to address specific areas such such as attendance, behaviour, emotional regulation, peer relationships, and academic engagement, ultimately empowering students to thrive within the school environment and beyond.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Individualised Support: Design, implement, and deliver highly effective 1:1 mentoring and support sessions for students identified by the pastoral team or SENDCo.
2. Relationship Building: Establish and maintain strong, positive, and professional relationships with students, fostering trust, respect, and a sense of belonging.
3. Needs Assessment & Intervention: Conduct informal assessments to understand students' individual needs and develop tailored intervention plans to address specific social, emotional, and behavioural challenges.
4. Behaviour & Attendance Improvement: Work proactively with students to improve school attendance, reduce behavioural incidents, and promote positive engagement in lessons and extracurricular activities.
5. Emotional Well-being: Support students in developing emotional literacy, self-regulation strategies, and resilience in managing personal challenges.
6. Safeguarding: Uphold the highest standards of child protection and safeguarding, adhering strictly to the school's comprehensive policies and national guidelines ("Keeping Children Safe in Education"). Promptly identify and report any safeguarding concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
7. Collaboration & Communication: Liaise effectively with teaching staff, pastoral leaders, SENDCOs, parents/carers, and external agencies (., CAMHS, social care, youth offending teams) to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach to student support.
8. Record Keeping: Maintain accurate, confidential, and up-to-date records of all interventions, progress, and communications, ensuring adherence to data protection regulations.
9. Promoting Positive Ethos: Contribute actively to the school's inclusive culture and promote its values throughout all interactions with students and the wider school community.
The Ideal Candidate Will Possess:
10. Qualifications:
A relevant qualification in Youth Work, Social Care, Education, Counselling, or a related field (., Level 3 Diploma in Youth Work Practice, relevant Diploma/Degree in Health & Social Care, Psychology, or Education).
11. Experience:
Significant proven experience (ideally 2+ years) working directly with young people aged 11-18 in a 1:1 capacity, preferably within a secondary school or similar educational/youth setting.
Demonstrable experience in applying effective behaviour management strategies, de-escalation techniques, and restorative approaches.
Experience of supporting young people with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and/or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
12. Skills & Attributes:
Exceptional active listening and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust quickly with young people from diverse backgrounds.
Patience, empathy, and resilience when navigating challenging situations and complex student needs.
A non-judgemental, supportive, and solution-focused approach to working with young people.
Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage a caseload and maintain meticulous records.
Ability to work both independently on initiative and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
A proactive, adaptable, and flexible approach to problem-solving.
13. Safeguarding:
A comprehensive understanding of UK safeguarding legislation and "Keeping Children Safe in Education" guidance.
An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (on the Update Service is highly desirable) or willingness to undergo one.
Why Join Our School in Preston?
14. A welcoming and inclusive secondary school with a strong commitment to student well-being and academic success.
15. The opportunity to make a profound and lasting positive impact on the lives of young people in the Preston area.
Application Process:
To apply for this highly rewarding position, please submit your CV along with a compelling covering letter (no more than two A4 pages) outlining your relevant experience, your approach to 1:1 youth work, and how you meet the person specification to are strongly encouraged as soon as possible, with initial interviews likely to be conducted throughout the summer term for a September 2025 start.
This school is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and relevant qualification checks.