Specialist Young People’s Wellbeing Co-ordinator - Rapid Response

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ABOUT
REACHING
HIGHER

Reaching Higher is a youth organisation which works with
almost 2000 young people aged 10-25 each year across
Croydon and surrounding boroughs.

We place particular emphasis on providing trauma-informed
support to young people and facilitating their development
as leaders.

Developed in partnership with local churches, we are a
youth-led charity with a Christian ethos (although we work
with young people and partners of all faiths and none).

We have established strong links with key local, London and
UK-wide organisations and our approach leads us into
regular working contact with partner schools, community
groups, statutory services and faith groups.

Specialist Young People’s
Wellbeing Co-ordinator -
Rapid Response

LOCATION: Croydon (community-based across partner sites)
HOURS: Full time, 37.5 hours per week excluding lunch breaks
SALARY: £33,573 per annum (before deductions)
CONTRACT DURATION: 36 months
REPORTS TO: Head of Contextual Safeguarding, with close matrix management by
Partnership Lead (CVA-hosted Project Coordinator interface)

We are looking for someone with experience in supporting young people with
high safeguarding risks, who is passionate about wellbeing and mental health.
This role will combine collaborative partnership working with supporting a
caseload of young people, and working closely with Reaching Higher’s Head of
Contextual Safeguarding to ensure the young people’s wellbeing is safeguarded
and promoted at all times.

This role is a new position beginning in April 2026, as part of the new
Croydon Mental Health Partnership pilot programme (MHP) led by
Croydon Voluntary Action. The MHP is part of the Building Brighter
Futures (BBF) initiative funded by the Maudsley Charity. Reaching Higher
is one of the BBF consortium members.

The Co-ordinator will provide early, relational, trauma-informed
interventions for young people (15–19) presenting with mild–moderate
emotional wellbeing, mental health, and social needs.

This role will deliver timely engagement (contact within 72 hours), needs-
based assessments, short-term support, and warm handovers into the
most appropriate pathway across the BBF consortium, avoiding
duplication and repeated storytelling. The role is central to the front-door
and allocations model, ensuring young people receive the right support,
at the right time, from the right organisation.

This new role is perfect for someone who is looking to grow their skills in
partnership working, including building partnerships between statutory
services and the voluntary sector, while making a meaningful difference in
the lives of young people. You will play a hands-on role in both the
development and delivery of an exciting new mental health initiative, in
line with Reaching Higher’s contextual safeguarding strategy.

PRACTICE MODEL & SCOPE OF WORK

1) What the role will deliver

Non-clinical, youth-work-led support, focused on engagement, stabilisation, goal-based
progress, and navigation into community or clinical pathways as appropriate. Therapy is not
delivered in this role.

Work within the three-phase intervention structure (up to ~20 weeks):

Phase 1 (0–6 weeks): engagement, stabilisation, safety plan, early goals;
Phase 2 (6–14 weeks): goal-based support, practical skills, supported access;
Phase 3 (14–20 weeks): transition, ending well, onward pathways.

Use Goal-Based Outcomes (GBOs) and agreed ROMs (YP-CORE / CORE-10 or ORS, plus
simple experience feedback) to inform planning and review.

Contribute to weekly triage/huddles and monthly case-monitoring panels for allocations and
joined-up case decisions.

2) Permitted approaches (examples)

Trauma-informed youth work; solution-focused techniques; motivational interviewing;
psychoeducation; practical problem-solving; CBT-informed life skills (not therapy); DBT-informed
regulation skills (not programmes); AMBIT-informed team/network practices where adopted.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE

Young Person Contact & Assessment

Brief Intervention & Navigation

Make first contact within 72 hours of referral; agree a youth-friendly
setting for first meeting.
Complete an initial holistic assessment (presenting needs, risk/safety,
strengths/supports, early goals), using a 5Ps-informed structure where
helpful.
Co-create a Stabilisation & Safety Plan and start GBOs; introduce basic
grounding/regulation strategies.

Hold a small caseload of young people; deliver brief interventions using
trauma-informed, youth-centred approaches; review GBOs and ROMs at
agreed points.
Facilitate supported access to partner programmes/activities and mentor
offers; plan and deliver warm handovers into longer-term or specialist
support when needed.
Work flexibly in the community (youth hubs, schools, cafés, partner sites).
Undertake home visits only where policy/training permits and where
indicated by need.

 Allocations, Coordination & Meetings

Recording, Evaluation & Learning

Participate in weekly triage/huddles: capacity check, new referrals,
allocation rationale, quick risk/safeguarding sweep.
Contribute to monthly case-monitoring panels: progress review,
barriers, step-ups/downs, transitions, recording panel decisions in the
shared system.
Liaise with schools, CAMHS/SPOC (as appropriate), and partner teams
to avoid duplication and reduce repeated storytelling.

Maintain accurate, timely records in the BBF project CRM (referral → first
contact → assessment → safety plan → panel decisions → milestones →
exit/outcomes).
Contribute to evaluation and learning: capture ROMs, case vignettes, and
feedback; participate in developmental evaluation (e.g., impact of home
visits; effectiveness of goal-based mentoring).

Safeguarding, Risk & Information Sharing

Partnership Working

Identify, assess, and respond to safeguarding and risk in line with
organisational and partnership procedures, escalating where indicated
(e.g., acute risk, psychosis, significant escalation).
Share information on a need-to-know basis to support safety and
continuity of care across the partnership.

Youth Participation/Co-production

Involve young people in the co-design and evaluation of project activities
by:

Supporting the Youth Voice Champion appointed by Reaching Higher
Reporting back from the Youth Advisory Group.

Working as a cohesive BBF team by:

Keeping in close contact with the Project Coordinator.
Co-locating (virtually) with fellow Rapid Response professionals – attending
daily huddles and providing peer-support.
Attending regular supervision.
Becoming fully informed of and familiar with each BBF partner’s activity
offer
Working towards the goal of front door integration to improve access for
young people by:
Interfacing with the evolving Single Point of Contact for smoother triage
and shared learning.
Advising CAMHS on the right BBF profiles – from the tier 2-3 overlap if
required.

Ways of Working & Values

Key Performance & Quality Indicators (indicative)

Youth-led, respectful, and inclusive practice; attention to equity and
access.
Collaboration across the BBF partnership to minimise duplication and
improve the young person’s experience.

72-hour first-contact compliance.
Proportion of young people with documented GBOs and agreed ROMs
at start/exit.
Timely recording in project CRM across the intervention lifecycle.
Warm handovers completed with clear pathway rationale and consent.
Contribution to weekly/monthly governance (attendance, actions
completed).

TRAINING,
SUPERVISION
AND SUPPORT

The successful applicant will have access to training in THRIVE,
AMBIT and trauma-informed practice; agreed ROMs induction.

Reaching Higher provides weekly CPD sessions on a Monday, as
well as monthly group clinical supervision and regular line
management. This role will also receive peer support via weekly
huddles and participation in partnership learning activities.

PERSON
SPECIFICATION

We are looking for applicants with experience in the youth work and/or mental health sector.
The successful applicant will understand our organisational values and culture and demonstrate a strong
desire to contribute to Reaching Higher’s vision to empower young people to be leaders of their own lives.

Essential

Experience supporting young people with emotional distress, anxiety, trauma, or
social vulnerability; strong relational engagement skills.
Knowledge of trauma-informed and contextual safeguarding practice.
Ability to complete holistic assessments, set goals, and make pathway decisions;
confidence working across organisational boundaries.
Competence using or learning GBOs and one of YP-CORE / CORE-10 / ORS;
ability to maintain concise, accurate records.
Creativity and confidence in developing a new service and forming strong
relationships with new partners
Experience in youth work, mentoring, or therapeutic support (non-clinical
delivery).
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build
meaningful relationships with young people, colleagues, and external stakeholders
Cultural awareness and local knowledge, particularly of the Croydon area and the
social, emotional and creative needs of young people in the community
Empathy and understanding of the risks faced by socially excluded young people,
and the confidence to contribute to trauma-informed and safeguarding-aware
environments
Good organisational skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage digital
assets, keep accurate records, and track engagement using monitoring tools and
platforms
Strong IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Desirable

Familiarity with THRIVE and/or AMBIT practice frameworks.
Experience contributing to multi-agency meetings; use of 5Ps to structure
assessment/formulation.
Experience developing new partnerships from inception.

Qualifications

Therapeutic, Mental Health or Wellbeing related qualifications.
 Safeguarding qualifications.

An Enhanced DBS Check is a requirement of this role.

OUR VALUES

EXCELLENCE

RELATIONAL

SIMPLICITY

TRUST

INNOVATION

YOUTH-LED

We extend trust across our teams and with the young people weengage. It is this type of trust that provides our staff, volunteers andyoung people with the platform to raise their confidence andsharpen their skills. We treasure and recognise that those engagingin our work trust us and believe that trust can transform lives.TRUSTYoung people have immeasurable amounts of innovative ideasand skills but can lack the experience that comes with age. AtReaching Higher we scaffold this by allowing young people tothink as wildly as they can and support them to implement theirown ideas in a safe and stimulating environment.YOUTH - LEDBeing relational means being present, it means being attentive tothose around us and seeing everyone for who they are. We arerelational because we care about and value people. We arepassionate about building genuine and long-lasting relationshipsthat will flourish and impact the wider community.RELATIONALWe believe that innovation is the key that unlocks new value. It isthinking about what is yet to be thought of and preparing newways to thrive in the future. Innovation provides us with theability to make an impact and change things for the better.INNOVATIONWe believe in giving the best of ourselves in our pursuit to helpchange the lives of young people. We believe that obtaining astandard of excellence is a continual process and we intentionallyreflect on how and why we do what we do.EXCELLENCEWe believe that less is more! Simplicity requires hard workfollowed by high levels of focus. Obtaining simplicity is easier saidthan done. Simplicity is our catalyst for growth and will ensure weremain accessible and well understood.SIMPLICITYAPPLICATION GUIDANCE

At Reaching Higher we want to provide those who are interested in working with us the best possible chance to submit a successful application.

We understand that applying for jobs can be nerve-racking and overwhelming at times. We also recognise that imposter syndrome can sometimes get the
better of us! However, we want all potential candidates to feel supported throughout their application process and have created ten top tips for you to
consider before applying.

1. Take your time! When applications are rushed and not personalised it
can give the impression candidates are not interested in the role they are
applying for.

6. Do not forget to double check and proof-read your application (or
even better, ask someone else to) and check for any errors before
returning it to us.

2. Read the job description carefully and make sure you have a strong
understanding of the job you are applying for so you can link this to your
answers.

3. Do your best to provide specific examples of what you have done and
how you believe this demonstrates you meet each requirement.
Maximise this by using real experiences from your paid and or voluntary
experience.

4. Sell yourself! You are unique and have a lot to offer and it is important
that you make this known through your application.

5. It is important to remember that those involved in the selection
process cannot guess or make assumptions about you.

7. Before submitting your form, it’s a good idea to take a copy for
your own reference in case you need to resend anything.

8. Allow plenty of time to submit your form before the deadline, as
late applications will not be considered.

9. If you are having problems submitting your application, please get
in touch by emailing info@reachinghigher.org.uk.

10. Lastly and most importantly, be yourself! At Reaching Higher we
value each individual and care about ‘the person’ before ‘the job role’.
We want to get to know you and support you in becoming an amazing
member of our team!

Reaching Higher
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Centre, 194
Selhurst Rd, London SE25 6XX

www.reachinghigher.org.uk
info@reachinghigher.org.uk

Registered Charity: 1137915 Company Number: 07266483