Role overview

New Horizon is looking for a talented Jobs, Education and Training (JET) worker to join our amazing team! If you are experienced in providing jobs, education and training support and passionate about working with young people facing multiple barriers, we would love to hear from you. Our JET workers hold small caseloads of young people, providing 1:1 advice and guidance as well as delivering group sessions. Our aim is to support young people to access opportunities that build their skills and help them take their next steps after a period of homelessness. This role also involves working directly with young people in our day centre and therefore we are looking for a candidate who is happy to work in a busy environment, forms positive relationships quickly and above all is inspired to support young people to overcome challenges. The role is fixed-term for 12 months.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday (09:30-17:00), fixed-term for 12 months.

• Starting salary: £32,136 (to £35,778.08)

• Location: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR

• Application deadline: 9am, Friday 26 June

• How to apply: complete our application form below, submit your CV and write a 2 page cover letter/supporting statement. Please don't include your name or address in your CV or cover letter.

Key objectives

New Horizon provides a range of Youth Work opportunities for young people experiencing homelessness. One stream of work is our Jobs, Education and Training (JET) team. The JET team works with young people to support them into meaningful and appropriate employment, training opportunities, apprenticeships, volunteering, and education. They work with young people 1:1, holding small caseloads of young people, as well as working with groups and delivering employment or education-focused sessions on a regular basis. Alongside this, they are also responsible for developing specialist networks and partnerships and creating pathways to appropriate opportunities.

New Horizon also runs a busy day centre from Monday to Friday with an open-access drop-in from 10:00-13:15. We provide basic needs support to young people experiencing homelessness, such as providing breakfast and lunch, clothes, toiletries, showers, laundry facilities and Wi-Fi. This role will be based in the day centre working with young people face-to-face. While most of your time would be focused on specialist JET delivery, you would also provide general youth-work support, helping us to deliver our core day-centre service. As such, you would need to be able to support a diverse range of young people experiencing homelessness at the service.

Reporting to: Service Manager (Youth Work) and Head of Service (Youth Work)

Main tasks and responsibilities

Young People's services

1. Developing and delivering the Jobs Education and Training (JET) programme, creating routes into jobs, education, and training for young people with multiple needs.

2. Delivering ongoing support and casework to young people regarding their employment and education options, and maximising opportunities to gain skills and education.

3. Developing a network of partnerships with external relevant statutory and voluntary sector agencies to provide new and appropriate opportunities for these young people. Formulating Service Level Agreements where appropriate.

4. Working within the Youth Work Team to deliver a holistic service to young people who are unsafe or facing homelessness and enabling them to move on to independence.

5. Referring young people to other internal New Horizon Youth Centre teams to support their overall progression, including rough sleeping, housing, health and youth justice.

6. Contributing to the management and development of the day centre, including attending daily handover meetings and addressing Health and Safety and safeguarding issues as a priority.

7. Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant external forums and meetings.

Information management

1. Monitoring and evaluating young people’s progress to ensure the JET programme meets the standards required by external assessors and funders.

2. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems up to date.

3. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration and following team and NHYC’s administrative procedures.

Performance and development

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

1. Attending reflective practice, JET team meetings, staff meetings and Youth Work team meetings.

2. Continuously reviewing own working practices in line with client feedback and current best practice.

3. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning/development needs and opportunities.

Other

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

1. Covering for other members of the team where necessary.

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

3. Undertaking as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Service Manager, Head of Services or Leadership Team.

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 experience, skills and knowledge

1. Ability to work effectively with young people facing homelessness, or a similar vulnerable group, to identify personal goals, break down barriers, and support to find solutions.

2. Experience developing and delivering jobs, education or training programmes and creating routes into employment, education, and training.

3. Experience of planning and facilitating engaging group sessions with young people, demonstrating creativity, innovation, and cultural competence.

4. A track record of managing a case list of clients including maintaining and updating records, completing assessments, creating action plans, goal setting, coaching, and making relevant referrals.

5. An understanding of the kinds of behaviour young people might demonstrate. Ability to understand this behaviour in a trauma-informed way and developing strategies for managing behaviour effectively.

6. Demonstrable experience working effectively and communicating with groups of people from a range of backgrounds and with diverse experiences and language levels.

7. Experience creating and maintaining external partnerships to achieve organisational aims and objectives, including representing the organisation at external meetings and events.

8. 8. Experience of using IT systems (including knowledge of databases) to support the achievement of personal and collective work goals.

9. A working knowledge of, and demonstrable commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

10. Experience and knowledge around safeguarding and health and safety policy and procedures for children and vulnerable adults.

Desirable experience, skills and knowledge

1. Up-to date working knowledge of Local and National Government policies relating to employment, education, benefits, housing, and young people.

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.

Additional job requirements

1. Willingness and ability to work outside of normal hours on occasion (within New Horizon’s flexible working arrangements), including work over the Christmas period when required.

2. Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements.

3. Willingness to work from different sites including our day centre in Camden.
   

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications: 9am, Friday 26 June

• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: Thursday 2 July

• Interviews: Monday 13 July

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. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR INITIALS IN THE DOCUMENT FILE NAME

3. Write a cover letter / supporting statement (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. Do not include your name, address or any personal details. 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 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.

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.

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