Role overview

New Horizon Youth Centre runs a busy day centre from Monday to Friday. Open from 10.30 am – 4 pm 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 Services Manager (Day Centre) 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 role is primarily focused on delivering our frontline daycentre service each week. You will spend around 2-3 days per week as our Duty Manager in the day centre. You’ll also be responsible for coordinating our weekly rota, line management of the team, overseeing our Locums, Students and Volunteers programme, supporting with donations and day centre stock, delivering regular staff training and ensuring the day-to-day running of the service.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: 6 months Fixed Term. Full time.

  Both full and part-time hours (between 21 and 35 hours per week) will be considered, Monday-Friday.

• Salary: The starting salary for the role is £37,024.00 (pro rata) including London weighting. The salary scale is: AP37 (£37,024.00) to AP41 (£41,600.00).
• 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 Friday 17 January 2025

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 support the Head of Services in the running of the day centre, delivering a holistic, trauma-informed service to young people who are unsafe and/or facing homelessness, enabling them to move on to independence.

• To lead on the day-to-day coordination of the day centre including managing staffing, coordinating donations and health and safety.

• To work effectively and collaboratively with operational managers and wider teams across the organisation to deliver of a weekly drop-in service.

To support the management and development of a multidisciplinary team of youth and life skills workers, volunteers, students, and locums

Reporting to: Head of Services Youth Work

Main tasks and responsibilities

1. Staff management

To work with the Head of Services to lead and develop a staff team that makes a full and positive contribution to the achievement of NHYC’s mission. This will include:

1.1 Participating in recruitment and selection of new staff, volunteers, students and locum workers.

1.2 Leading, managing and motivating team members including staff, volunteers, students and locum workers by means of:

• Developing and implementing planned programmes of induction
• Holding regular recorded supervisions, annual appraisals and team meetings.
• Managing the workload of the team to ensure an appropriate work-life balance
• Actively promoting a learning and development environment

1.3 Dealing with problems concerning staff conduct, performance and attendance in line with policies and procedures.

2. Young People’s Services

To work with the Head of Services on ensuring the provision of a high-quality life skills programme to young people accessing the day centre service. This will include:

2.1 Supporting the Head of Services in all aspects of the development and delivery of the service, ensuring young people receive a high-quality service from the point of registration to move-on.

2.2 Leading the day-to-day operational management of the day centre including:

• Providing regular duty management cover in the day centre, as well as ad hoc cover when required by the service.
• Attending morning and afternoon handover.
• Supporting frontline staff to problem solve and troubleshoot queries throughout the day.
• Ensuring appropriate staffing levels and drawing up weekly rotas.

2.3 Liaising with internal team, external partners and funders regarding donations and requirements for the day centre.

2.4 Managing daily Health and Safety issues as they arise and addressing any safeguarding issues as a priority. Liaising with Designated Safeguarding Officers.

2.5 Maintaining a welcoming and fully equipped day centre for young people. Liaising with the Admin team and on any building management matters.

2.6 Coordinating youth work and lifeskills activities in the day centre alongside other managers to meet the standards required by young people, partners and funders. 

2.7 Continued use of feedback and showing a commitment to a service that is sensitive and responsive to young people’s needs.

2.8 Taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases.

3. Sharing Best Practice

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

3.1 Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with services who might offer resources or funding relevant to young people’s needs. Formulating Service Level Agreements where appropriate.

3.2 Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant external forums, meetings, and events.

4. Information Management

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

4.1 Recording all contacts with young people appropriately. Maintaining all relevant files and keeping recording systems.

4.2 Inputting and extracting information from the CRM and other accounting systems. Utilising computer software to produce correspondence and reports. Ensuring relevant project monitoring and evaluation is completed.

4.3 Being proactive in own day-to-day administration, including time management, paperwork, and emails.

4.4 Being fully and compliant with NHYC Data Protection and Safeguarding policies.

5. 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:

5.1 Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development.

5.2 Undertaking development and training opportunities and engaging regularly in clinical supervision and reflective practice.

6. Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the teams, service and NHYC. This will include:

6.1 Willingness to undertake duties in relation to the smooth running of the day centre and life skills service, including covering for other members of the team where necessary.

6.2 Following NHYC’s policies, procedures, and performance expectations in all functions of the post.

6.3 Undertaking as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Head of Services, Director of Operations or CEO.

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 Day Centre.

1. Experience managing or coordinating a similar frontline service, such as with a day centre, homelessness/housing provision or youth service with vulnerable client groups.
2. Ability to maintain enthusiasm for a high level of contact with young people on a day-to-day basis and a genuine passion in helping young people to make positive changes in their lives.
3. Experience of managing diverse behaviour in a psychologically informed manner.
4. Ability to create and maintain effective external partnerships to achieve organisational aims, including effectively communicating information or presenting at external meetings and events.
5. The ability to multitask, make decisions, and manage multiple priorities effectively in a pressured, fast-paced environment.
6. Experience managing and implementing health and safety procedures within a service, including completing risk assessments.
7. A thorough understanding of safeguarding policies including raising concerns, reporting information, and implementing procedures.
8. Confidence using IT systems such as Microsoft Office and databases to support the achievement of personal and collective team goals.
9. An understanding of and a commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it applies to a supportive service and in the workplace.
10. Experience working to performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service outputs/outcomes, client tracking, analysing performance information, and identifying corrective action.

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 of line management , including recruitment, training and supervision of staff and management of performance issues.
2. 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.
3. 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).
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 fixed-term for up to six months, subject to 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

Both full and part-time hours (between 21 and 35 hours per week) will be considered, Monday-Friday.

Pay

The starting salary for the role is £37,024.00 (pro rata) including London weighting. The salary scale is: AP37 (£37,024.00) to AP41 (£41,600.00).

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications: 9 am, Friday 17 January 2025
• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: Monday 20 January 2025
• Interviews: 24 - 27 January 2025

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.