Role Profile
Youth Worker – Recreational Activities/Youth Engagement

Job title

Reporting to:

Location:

The Person:

Job Purpose:

Sessional Youth Worker -
REC

Recreational and Holiday
Club Lead

Unitas Youth Zone, 76
Montrose Avenue, Edgware,
HA8 0DT

Salary:

£13.15 per hour. Saturday
evening premium is £15.12

Holidays:

33 days including bank
holidays (pro-rata)

Hours:

Up to 16.5 hours per week
Evenings and weekends

You will be a Youth Worker committed to working with and creating
positive relationships with young people, with an ice breaker, game, or
challenge for every occasion. The “rec area” is the heart of the Youth Zone
and you will be passionate about creating a fun, positive, challenging, and
energetic environment, alongside facilitating conversations with young
people to explore their views and express their opinions

The recreation and activity area is the heart of the offer to young people. The recreation offer is wide
ranging, and no day is ever the same. As a member of the team, you will be key in ensuring young
people  have  access  to  an  exciting  and  engaging  programme,  which  could  range  from  pool
competitions hosting your own version of ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’, to organising a debate
on mental health or hosting an anti-bulling project. The possibilities are endless. The post holder will
be  responsible  for  creating  a  lively,  dynamic,  creative,  and  fun-loving  environment  for  all  young
people, whilst also creating space for young people to explore and discuss some of the big issues of
the day and of course have FUN! You will support our front of house, ensuring young people get a
warm welcome when they arrive. You will be involved in session delivery, planning, preparation, and
work with young people closely. You will be provided all the necessary equipment and training and
will be afforded plentiful personal development opportunities. You will be someone with a clear ‘can
do’ approach, committed to a growth mindset, eager to learn and willing to take risks all for the benefit
of supporting young people. You will demonstrate our values through all you do and will commit to
giving your best at every session for young people.

Context of the post:

Barnet  Youth  Zone,  named  “Unitas”  by local young people, was  the  second  Youth Zone  in London
opened by the national charity, OnSide, in the summer of 2019. Unitas, like all OnSide Youth Zones,
exists to give young people, particularly those who are disadvantaged, somewhere to go, something
to  do  and  someone  to  talk  to.  Each  Youth  Zone  is open  5-7  days  a  week,  all  year  round,  with  the
purpose of supporting young people to become happy, healthy, and successful adults.

Unitas Youth Zone is centrally located, dedicated to young people, and makes a bold statement about
the importance of giving young people high quality places to go in their leisure time.  Open 6 days a
week  including  school  holidays,  the  Youth  Zone’s vision  is  to  unite  young  people  to  fulfil  their  full

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potential.  The state-of-the-art £6.5 million building provides young people with access to a range of
activities, all offering young people the opportunity to try new things, meet new friends and gain new
experiences.

Duties and Responsibilities - General

  Be a role model for young people and present a positive “can do” attitude
  Take personal responsibility for own actions
  Commit to a culture of continuous improvement
  Work within the performance framework of Unitas Youth Zone and OnSide
  Represent Unitas Youth Zone positively and effectively in all dealings with internal colleagues, and

external partners

  Comply with all policies and procedures, with reference to safeguarding, codes of conduct, health

and safety and equality and diversity to ensure all activities are accessible

  To be alert to issues of safeguarding and child protection, ensuring the welfare and safety of Youth
Zone members is promoted and safeguarded, and to report any child protection concerns to the
Designated Safeguarding Leads using the safeguarding policies, procedures, and practice (training
to be provided)

  To assist with any promotional activities and visits that take place at the Youth Zone
  To  actively  promote  the  Youth  Zone  and  positively  contribute  towards  increasing  Youth  Zone

membership

  To always adhere to Unitas Youth Zone policies, with reference to Health and Safety, Safeguarding

and Equal Opportunities

  To be willing to step in and step up, and not see the below set of duties and responsibilities as

exhaustive

Duties and Responsibilities - Detailed

  The role is 100% face to face delivery with young people with requirement to support planning

and reviews when necessary.

  To work directly with young people to develop their social skills
  To directly deliver a high-quality programme of activity that is exciting, safe, varied, innovative
developmental, and directly responds to the diverse needs, concerns, and interests of the
members

  To have great energy and establish positive relationships with young people, the wider youth

work team, and visitors to the Youth Zone

  Welcome young people at front of house, ensuring a warm and safe welcome.
  Engage with young people in the vicinity of the youth zone – support them to the centre and

promote what is on.

  To respond to the needs of young people through activities in the recreation area
  To support and motivate volunteers working in the recreation area
  To work flexibly to ensure the needs of the members are met, including disadvantaged young

people and those with disabilities or additional needs

  To ensure that the members maintain a high standard of behaviour and discipline during

sessions by making the area a hub of activity and fun

  To ensure the participation of young people in activities and ensure that their ideas contribute

fully in the delivery of activities in a safe way

  To assist with any promotional activities and visits that take place at the Youth Zone

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  To actively promote the Youth Zone and positively contribute towards increasing Youth Zone

membership

  To always promote and safeguard the welfare of young people
  To be able to think on your feet and create a fun activity with minimal equipment
  Ability to enthuse others, including staff, volunteers, and young people, making the environment

fun and the place young people want to see

  To be an active member of the team and operate in line with the values and principles of Unitas

Youth Zone

  Carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by management

Person Specification

Selection Criteria*
A = Application Form   I = Interview   T = Test/Personality
Profile
Experience
Face to face activity delivery, working with young people both
in groups and individually
Experience of delivering a range of informal, creative activities
to young people
Experience of supporting young people who are disaffected,
underachieving and / or have social / emotional barriers to
participation
Experience of working in a team and alongside volunteers
Organising a programme of youth work activities
Experience of working with challenging young people
Residential work with young people
Qualifications
Introduction to Youth Work or Youth and Community Work
Level 1- 3 or equivalent
Skills
Ability to engage and build positive relationships with young
people, including the disengaged / disadvantaged
Ability to develop good professional relationships with young
people and adults
Ability to work with young people to enable the development
of their social education by providing activity programmes,
services and facilities that are fun
Ability to be enthused by young people and others
Ability to coach, encourage, motivate, and provide reliable
support to young people
Ability to dynamic risk access
Knowledge
Understanding of issues affecting young people’s lives
Knowledge of health and safety, diversity awareness and
safeguarding best practice
Special Requirements

Essential or
Desirable

Essential

Essential

Essential

Essential
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable

Desirable

Essential

Essential

Essential

Essential
Essential

Desirable

Essential
Desirable

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A willingness to work unsociable hours
Enhanced DBS clearance. Commitment to Safeguarding
children
The ability and willingness to travel to events in the region and
beyond

Essential
Essential

Essential

Unitas Youth Zone are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young
people, and vulnerable groups. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. The strength of the
OnSide Network of Youth Zone is the diversity of its people, we place huge value on different people
doing things in different ways and we welcome applications from what might be considered non
traditional backgrounds. The one thing we all have in common is our desire to raise the aspirations
of young people across the country. We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be
considered  for  employment  without  attention  to  race,  colour,  religion,  sex,  sexual  orientation,
gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

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