Switch Thinking – Youth Prevention Worker

SWITCH THINKING – YOUTH PREVENTION WORKER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title	Switch Thinking – Youth Prevention Worker
Salary:	£27,817 pro rata per annum £22,554 actual salary
Hours:	30 Hours – Fixed term position until 31st March 2028, subject to further funding
Location:	SWA Women's Centre, Stafford or SWA Stoke Office (Office based with a requirement to travel throughout Staffordshire, occasional home working)
Responsible to:	Sexual Violence & Therapeutic Services Manager, and will also be responsible to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Trustees
Job Purpose	The purpose of this role is to deliver prevention-focused youth work, including healthy relationships workshops, activities and peer support interventions, in a range of settings such as detached youth work, sports academies, community groups and schools across areas of identified need, including Stafford, Cannock, Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent.
	Working with a range of multi-agency partners, the postholder will develop and deliver interventions that increase the 'safety of young people at risk of harm and abuse, equipping them with the knowledge, tools and confidence to seek help at the earliest opportunity.
	In addition, the postholder will work collaboratively with young people to co- design and develop a multimedia campaign that raises awareness of sexual
	abuse and supports young people to use their voices as agents of change, contributing to Staffordshire Women's Aid's vision of a world where domestic and sexual violence are no longer tolerated. This role will involve some evening and weekend working.

JOB DETAILS

Core Requirements:

• To work as a committed member of the Staffordshire Women's Aid team.

• To support the mission, aims, values and working principles of Staffordshire Women's Aid, and to work in alignment with Staffordshire Women’s Aid’s Policies and Procedures.

To take all possible steps to ensure the safety and confidentiality of service users, staff, volunteers, and management of Staffordshire Women's Aid.

Key Responsibilities:

Plan, develop and deliver prevention-focused workshops, group programmes and awareness sessions for children and young people in schools, community settings, youth provision and other informal environments.

• Provide flexible and accessible interventions that respond to the needs of schools, youth services, sports academies, community groups and local partners across Staffordshire.

Deliver engaging and age-appropriate education on healthy relationships, consent, online safety, exploitation, abuse and help-seeking.

• Identify risk factors affecting children and young people and deliver targeted interventions that reduce vulnerability and increase safety.

• Use trauma-informed, child-centred and strength-based approaches to build trust, confidence and resilience in young people.

• Work collaboratively with young people to co-produce activities, resources and campaigns that raise awareness of sexual abuse and promote positive change.

Develop and maintain positive working relationships with schools, youth settings, community organisations and multi-agency partners to support effective referral pathways and coordinated responses.

• Promote awareness of Staffordshire Women’s Aid services and other relevant support available to children, young people and families, enabling timely access to help.

Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records, and contribute to monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements in line with GDPR, safeguarding responsibilities and contractual obligations.

Work within organisational safeguarding policies and procedures at all times, taking appropriate action where concerns about the safety or welfare of a child or young person are identified.

• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery, ensuring interventions are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the lived experiences of young people.

Contribute positively to the wider team by attending meetings, training, events and service development activities, and by working flexibly, including some evenings and weekends, to meet service need.

General Responsibilities:

• To take responsibility for covering the Help Line during office hours as required, making sure there is cover throughout the day when needed.

• Work flexibly to allow us to offer the best service possible to service users, this will involve working some evening/ weekend sessions.

• Attend team and service meetings as required and collaborate with colleagues in achieving team and organisational objectives.

• Maintain an awareness of issues/current legislation related to VAWG attending relevant training/ conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.

Variation Clause:

Staffordshire Women’s Aid reserves the right, following consultation with the member of staff, to vary, add or alter any of the terms and conditions of employment attached to this post.

This job description will be reviewed annually and may need to be revised according to the priorities of current workload with the agreement of the Board of Trustees and the CEO.

The performance of the post holder will be monitored through regular supervision by the line manager and reviewed at each annual appraisal.

It is in the nature of the work of Staffordshire Women's Aid that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises so that tasks which are not specifically covered in their job description are undertaken. These additional duties will normally be to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work and will normally be compatible with the regular type of work.

Please be aware that you will be required to undertake a DBS check and may be required to undertake additional security checks to work in some settings.

A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential requirements of the post.

General Information and Conditions of Service

• 28 days holiday (pro rata) per year, plus statutory holidays.

Staffordshire Women’s Aid contributes a sum equivalent to 3% of the annual salary to the company pension scheme subject to staff contribution as part of auto-enrolment.

• Overtime is unpaid; time of in lieu is to be taken in consultation with line manager.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge & Understanding:

Strong understanding of, and commitment to, the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda and its alignment with the values of Staffordshire Women’s Aid.

• Knowledge of the issues affecting children and young people, including healthy relationships, sexual abuse, exploitation, online harm and barriers to seeking support.

• Relevant qualification or training applicable to working with children and young people, youth work, education, safeguarding or a related field.

• Sound understanding of safeguarding, child protection, confidentiality, consent and appropriate information sharing.

• Understanding of anti-discriminatory practice, equality, diversity and inclusion, and the importance of delivering accessible and responsive services.

Experience:

• Experience of working directly with children and young people, particularly those who may be vulnerable or at increased risk of harm.

• Experience of planning and delivering workshops, group programmes or educational sessions in formal or informal settings.

• Experience of engaging children and young people using creative, participative and strengthsbased approaches.

• Experience of working in partnership with schools, community organisations or other agencies to support positive outcomes for young people.

• Experience of monitoring, recording and reporting on activity, outcomes and impact.

• Experience of working within the voluntary, community, education or support sector is desirable.

Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive and professional relationships with children, young people, colleagues and partner agencies.

• Ability to deliver engaging, informative and age-appropriate sessions to a range of audiences.

• Ability to assess risk, respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns and follow organisational procedures.

Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage workload, prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.

Competent ICT skills, including the ability to maintain records and contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

• Ability to use initiative, solve problems and adapt delivery to meet the needs of different groups and settings.

Other Requirements:

• Commitment to the values and aims of Staffordshire Women’s Aid and to improving outcomes for children and young people.

• Ability to work flexibly, including some evening and weekend working, to meet service need.

• Willingness to participate in supervision, training and continuous professional development.

• Resilience, professionalism and the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries when working in sensitive and demanding contexts.

• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle in order to travel across Staffordshire.