Role overview

New Horizon Youth Centre runs a busy day centre from Monday to Friday. Open from 10.30am – 4pm every day to young people, we provide basic needs to young people experiencing homelessness, such as breakfast and lunch, clothes, toiletries, showers, laundry facilities and Wi-Fi. Alongside basic needs, we run an ambitious, varied and exciting programme of youth work and life skills. The Services Manager Youth Work is part of the NHYC Youth Work Team.

The Youth Work Team deliver our day centre service 4 days per week as well as planning and delivering a range of Youth Work opportunities for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This includes jobs, education and training, arts, sports, men’s and women’s sessions, youth participation and activities.

This role has two areas of focus: delivering our frontline day centre service, as well as managing our Jobs, Education and Training (JET) programme. This is a frontline operational and managerial role, which means you will be based at the service the majority of the week. You will spend 1 or 2 days per week as our Duty Manager in the day centre and then for the rest of the week, you will be line managing and motivating a team of youth workers to deliver our ambitious programme of JET and youth work projects.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: 6-month contract - Fixed Term. Full-time, 35 hours a week Monday-Friday. Some work over the Christmas period and occasional evenings will also be required.
• Salary: The starting salary for the role is £46,800.00 (pro rata)
• The salary scale is: AP37 (£46,800) to AP41 (£52,000).
• Location: The post is based at: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR. Some travel across London will be required.
• Application deadline: 9am Monday 2 December 2024

How to apply

• Read through all the information on this page
• When you are ready, complete our application form below:
  • Complete the diversity and adjustment questions
  • Upload your CV. This must not include your name in the document or in the file name, or any contact details or references. This must be no more than 2 pages.
  • Submit your supporting statement into the box marked 'cover letter'. This must be no more than 2 A4 pages, or 1500 words, and must not contain your name, address or contact details. We recommend drafting it in a different document and copying and pasting when you are ready to submit.

Key objectives:

• To lead on New Horizon Youth Centre’s (NHYC) Youth Work services, including the Day Centre, Lifeskills programme and Jobs, Education and Training (JET).
• To develop and manage a programme of services within the day centre (and remotely) capable of responding holistically to young people with multiple needs or barriers.
• To motivate, lead, develop and manage a multi-disciplinary team of, delivering a holistic service to young people and enabling them to move on to independence.
• To maintain and build a network of partnerships with relevant external stakeholders.
• To work collaboratively and productively as part of the Leadership Team, promoting effective cross-team working that contributes to the overall objectives of NHYC.
• Reporting to : Director of Operations

Main tasks and responsibilities

Young People’s Services

To develop and manage services and projects that will ensure the provision of high-quality services to young people. This will include:

1. Establishing, developing and sourcing an innovative programme of activities that responds to young people’s changing needs
2. Continuing to develop our Youth Voice strategy, supporting the frontline team to ensure young people are included and able to participate in the organisation’s strategy and service development.
3. Providing expert coaching and guidance to staff and monitoring and evaluating their work in providing high quality support services to clients.
4. Development and management of JET, lifeskills, sports and arts services to meet the standards required by young people, external partners and funders.
5. Leading on management of the day centre, developing our weekly face-to-face offer, coordinating daily work planning, and overseeing safeguarding.
6. Taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases.
7. Working with the Fundraising team on applications for new project funds or other resources.

Staff Management

To work with the Director of Operations and managers to lead and develop the Youth Work Team, ensuring they make a full and positive contribution to the achievement of NHYC’s mission. This will include:

1. Participating in the recruitment and selection of new staff, volunteers, students and locum workers to the team.
2. Leading, managing and motivating team members including deputy managers and staff through:
3. Setting and monitoring annual individual performance objectives and development plans
4. Holding regular supervisions, annual appraisals and team meetings.
5. Actively promote a learning and development environment.
6. Dealing with problems concerning staff conduct, performance and attendance in line with policies and procedures.

Sharing best practice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders in order to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

1. Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to client needs e.g. Local Authorities, Social Services, the DWP, health services, and other voluntary sector agencies. Formulating Service Level Agreements where appropriate.
2. Researching, developing and piloting innovative services and projects that ensure NHYC remains a leading organisation within the sector.
3. Promoting and representing NHYC externally at relevant forums, meetings and events.

Information Management

To produce and maintain accurate and useful information in a range of formats in order to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. This will include:

1. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems.
3. Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of the Leadership Team, Board of Trustees, partners and funders.
5. Inputting and extracting information from the CRM and other accounting systems. Utilising computer software for the production of correspondence and reports.
7. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration and following NHYC administrative procedures and GDPR policies in all functions of the post.

Reviewing Personal Performance and Development Needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

1. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning and development needs and opportunities.
2. Undertaking development and training opportunities and being responsible for obtaining maximum benefit through review, reflection and practice.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate the following competencies to a high level and want to use these to the full in their work.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

These are the essential skills and experiences which we’re looking for in a Service Manager (Youth Work).

1. Experience of managing a programme of activities, in particular employment and education projects, within youth work, homelessness or community settings.
2. Experience working in, managing, or coordinating, a similar frontline service, such as a youth service, day centre or service for vulnerable groups.
3. A genuine passion, energy and drive to deliver high quality youth work programmes and have a genuine interest in helping young people make changes in their lives and move towards independence.
4. Experience of casework oversight and managing diverse behaviour in a psychologically informed manner.
5. Experience recruiting, inducting, and managing staff, students, volunteers, and locum/temporary staff.
6. Ability to create and maintain effective external partnerships to achieve organisational aims, including effectively communicating information or presenting at external meetings and events.
7. The ability to multitask, make decisions, and manage multiple priorities effectively in a pressured, fast-paced environment.
8. Knowledge or experience working to performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service outputs/outcomes, tracking, analysing performance information, and identifying corrective action.
9. Confidence using IT systems such as Microsoft Office and databases to support the achievement of personal and collective team goals.
10. An understanding of and a commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it applies to a supportive service and in the workplace.
11. A thorough understanding of safeguarding policies including raising concerns, reporting information, and implementing procedures.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

We’d love to hear from you if you also have these desirable skills and experiences, but don’t worry if you don’t. These are the extras we’d really like!

1. Experience inspiring and leading staff, volunteers, locums, including effective line management through supervisions, appraisals, managing sickness/annual leave, and managing the workload of others to achieve effective outcomes.
2. Previous experience developing and delivering jobs, education or training programmes and creating routes into employment, education, and training.
3. Knowledge of youth work principles and practices, or knowledge of homelessness, and an understanding of how these interact together.
4. An understanding of the issues, barriers, and challenges which young people experiencing homelessness might be facing, especially at the point of accessing help and support.
5. Experience managing and implementing health and safety procedures within a service, including completing risk assessments.
6. An understanding of the kinds of behaviour young people might demonstrate, and ability to understand this behaviour in a trauma-informed way and develop compassionate and psychologically informed strategies for managing behaviour.
7. Up-to date working knowledge of Local and National Government policies relating to employment, education, benefits, housing, healthcare, sexual health, and young people.

Additional Job Requirements

1. Willingness and ability to work outside of normal office hours on occasion (within New Horizon’s flexible working hour’s arrangements) and over the Christmas period.
2. Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements.
3. Willingness to work from different sites including our day centre in Camden

Key information

Contract

The contract is a fixed-term contract of 6 months. It is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period.

Location

The post is based at: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR. Some travel across London will be required.

Hours of work

The role is full-time (35 hours per week), Monday-Friday. Some work over the Christmas period and occasional evenings will also be required.

Pay

The starting salary for the role is £46,800.00 (pro rata)  The salary scale is: AP37 (£46,800) to AP41 (£52,000).

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 2 December 
• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: Friday 6 December 
• Interviews: Wednesday 11 December

Application process

1. Complete the application form below
2. Upload your CV setting out your career history, education or qualifications, and other key responsibilities or achievements. PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR NAME OR INITIALS IN THE FILE NAME OF THE DOCUMENT
3. Write a cover letter (supporting statement), of no more than 1500 words, highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the ESSENTIAL criteria listed on the Person Specification, and any additional relevant desirable points you wish to share. This is an important part of your application so must be completed. We recommend you work on this in another text file (such as Word) and copy and paste it into the 'Cover letter' box below when you are ready to submit.

We do not consider incomplete applications.

You will be notified if you have not been shortlisted. However, we are unfortunately unable to provide each individual application with feedback.

Click here to see the job pack in PDF format or the job pack in Word format.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please feel free to email us at recruitment@nhyouthcentre.org.uk or call 0207 388 5560.