Head of Centre

Appointment Brief

Head of Centre

Who we are

Action4Youth is a Buckinghamshire based ambitious, proactive charity

focused on driving forward the crucial youth agenda to transform lives for

the better. Every child should have the opportunity to be heard, to be safe

and to succeed.

We believe change is most impactful when delivered in collaboration with

other youth agencies and key partners. We build partnerships across sectors

so that we can share resources and expertise to secure the best possible

outcomes for young people and thei

r communities in Buckinghamshire, the

wider East and South East.

We listen and engage with our young people to give them a voice in

developing our work and agenda. Our groups have a fundamental role in

ensuring our programmes meet the needs of young participants across a

wide spectrum of differing backgrounds including

young people from the

most deprived areas of society, those with disabilities and additional needs,

and those who need support and inspiration to reach their goals and surpass

limitations. Co

- production is at the heart of programme development, and

we regu larly consult on improvements and new initiatives which are often

led by our young people.

What we do

Our aim is to provide a valuable intervention which makes a positive

contribution to a young person’s development. This can be via outdoor
education delivered at The Caldecotte Xperience in Milton Keynes, The

Junction, our multi service youth centre in Hig
Edinburgh Award, The Mentoring Programme and our range of programmes

h Wycombe, the Duke of

delivered in schools.

Funding and Finance

In this transitional year, Action4Youth has undergone significant

restructuring following the abrupt closure of the National Citizen Service

which it had successfully delivered for many years. The organisation is now

smaller than in recent years but is well placed to meet the opportunities and

challenges of the future.

The strategic and operational focus has now moved from contract delivery

to sales growth in programmes and outdoor education and to the activities

supported by charitable fundraising.

In early 2025 a major redevelopment project at The Caldecotte Xperience

was concluded ensuring the centre is perfectly equipped for future growth

and this area is felt to have strong growth potential.

Our Mission and Values

To support all young people’s growth towards fulfilling and responsible
adult lives, A4Y develops physical, mental, spiritual, moral and cultural

abilities which act as:

•  A Springboard towards realising dreams
•  A Safety Net for those at risk
•  A Voice of influence

-  from the young and for the young

In order to benefit as many young people as possible while maintaining

A4Y’s financial stability, we partner with those (government, schools, youth
clubs, businesses, trusts and foundations and others) who share our mission.

Values

Be exceptional

–  Use imagination, determination and resilience to achieve

exceptional outcomes everyday

Care  – Always seek to understand and look after each other

Trail blaze

–  Be adventurous in exploring how we could serve more and

better

Make responsible choices

– Use resources wisely so that we can sustain our

investment in young people

Do what is right

–  Hold ourselves and others to the highest standard of

behaviour

.

Job Description

JOB TITLE:

Head of Centre

BASED IN:

The Caldecotte Xperience, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

HOURS:

LEAVE:

37 hours per week with some evening and weekend work

28 days holiday per annum plus bank/public holidays

CONTRACT:

Full-Time, Permanent

SALARY:

£38,000 to £54,000 per annum

PENSION:

Up to 5% matched contributions

TRAVEL:

Occasional travel around Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes

Position in the Organisation

•  Reports To:
•  Responsible For:
•  Working With:

  The Chief Executive

 The Caldecotte Xperience staff team

The Caldecotte Xperience staff team
The Finance Team
Business Development Manager

Main Purpose and Scope of the Role

•  To ensure the safe, efficient running of all aspects of

T he Caldecotte

Xperience outdoor education centre in accordance with
Action4Youth’s ethos and standards

Duties and Key Responsibilities

est  quality outdoor education

•  The delivery of high
•  Setting and managing the annual budget to meet targets
•  Leading the staff team: instructors, admin and domestic
 and guests
•  Ensuring the health and safety of staff, visitors
•  Ensuring a high standard of accommodation and catering for guests
•  Ensuring an excellent customer experience from initial enquiry to

guest departure

•  Ensure that all equipment, buildings and property at

The  Caldecotte

Xperience is maintained to a high standard

•  Lead on team recruitment, appraisal and training
•  Liaising with customers as appropriate

•  Lead on the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
Chief Executive
•  Work with the

 and others to ensure the development

•

and growth of Caldecotte Xperience
Implement new initiatives as agreed by the Senior Management
Team and Board

•  Maintain the standards as required by the Adventure Activities

Licensing Service, British Canoe Union, Royal Yachting Association,
British Mountaineering Council and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

General Responsibilities

•  Support events and meetings when required.
•  Support the continued development of quality standards as specified

by Action4Youth.

•  To have regard for the vision of Action4Youth and to display a
commitment to equal opportunities and to the protection and
safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
•  Report any behaviour, conversations or comments which are
inappropriate within a setting for children and young people.

•  To carry out any other Action4Youth duties as required by

the  CEO

or Directors.

•  Administering own workload which includes meeting targets and

deadlines in line with the Action4Youth Performance Management
System.

•  Attending relevant CPD training events in line with Performance

Management appraisal.

•  Undertaking responsibility, as part of the team, for all Health and

Safety work related matters.

•  Working within the guidelines of Action4Youth policies and

procedures.

Person Specification: Head of Centre

Essential (E)

Demonstrated at:

Desirable (D)

Application (A)
Interview (I)

Skills, Experience and Knowledge
Ability to work on own initiative,
prioritise workload to deliver outcomes
Ability to set workload for staff team to
achieve outcomes
Ability to negotiate with teachers and
Youth Workers to agree outcomes
Ability to work within a variety of
policies
Ability to monitor and evaluate work
programmes against outcomes
Selection and recruitment skills
Ability to deliver projects on time and to
budget
The ability to initiate and create generic
and site specific risk assessments across
a range of hazardous and general
activities
Ability to monitor the risk management
of the staff team
Able to identify and strive for continual
improvement across the staff team
Skilled at creating an appropriate
enriching, safe, educational learning
environment
Ability to develop the Outdoor
Education curriculum in line with
National initiatives
Able to manage, motivate, supervise and
evaluate the work of others
Ability to develop and train staff in a
variety of activities
Able to set, monitor and report on
budgets
Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent
Team building and management training
relevant to the post
First Aid Qualification
Relevant and appropriate Outdoor
Education Qualification

E

E

E

E

E

D
E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

D
E

D
E

I

I

I

I

I

I
A/I

A/I

I

A/I

A/I

A/I

A/I

A/I

A/I

A/I
A

A
A

Personal Attributes
Commercially astute
Negotiating Skills
Solutions Driven
Leadership Skills
Ability to solve problems for yourself
and others without direction
A positive, enthusiastic and ‘can do’
approach to work
Ability to communicate well at all levels
Ability to prioritise and manage large
workloads
A team player who is outgoing, friendly
approachable, flexible and enthusiastic
Strong interpersonal skills, tact,
sensitivity and diplomacy
Understand the ethos, values and
culture of Action4Youth
Demonstrate an awareness of equal
opportunities

E
E
E
E
E

E

E
E

E

E

E

E

A/I
A/I
A/I
A/I
A/I

I

I
I

A/I

I

I

I

To Apply

To apply for this role please send a copy of your CV and a covering letter
explaining why you are applying for this position to
@action4youth.org

sachita.syal

If you would like a
Syal  (as above)

n in formal chat regarding

the  role , please email

 Sachita

 or call 0300 003 2334

Closing Date for Applications:

14th  November 2025

 at  5pm

Action4Youth is committed to safeguarding and protecting the young
people that we work with.  All our posts are subject to a safer recruitment
process, including the discourse of criminal records and vetting checks.
We have policies and procedures in plac
safer working practices across the organisation.

e that promote safeguarding and