Youth Work Team Lead

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE OF JOB: Youth Work Team Lead

JOB REFERENCE: YWTL/Feb26

SERVICE: Children & Young People’s Service (CYP)

LOCATION: Brighton

HOURS: 21 hours per week, including some evening work and occasional weekend
work by agreement, to support planned youth work activities.

CONTRACT: Permanent

SALARY: Starts at Band 5 / Scale Point 24 / £33,727 FTE, pro rata (£19,142 actual). Paid
monthly by automated credit transfer on 25th of the month, in addition to enhancements
specified below.

HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT: 27 days + 3 extra days at Christmas and the usual statutory
holidays (all pro rata)

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Wednesday 4 March 2026

INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD: Tuesday 10 March 2026

ACCOUNTABLE TO:  Head of Children and Young People’s (CYP) Services

LINE MANAGED BY:  Head of Children and Young People’s (CYP) Services

ROLE PURPOSE: To deliver high-quality, inclusive youth work while playing a key role in
shaping and developing Impact’s evolving youth work offer. The role offers the
opportunity to bring creativity, energy and leadership to a service that is actively
strengthening practice, embedding participation and working collaboratively across the
Children & Young People’s Service, while supporting the emotional wellbeing and
mental health of children and young people through trauma-informed youth work
practice.

FOR AN INFORMAL CHAT ABOUT THE POST:  Please contact Jennifer Tulloch on 01273
887886 or jennifer.tulloch@impact-initiatives.org.uk.

Impact Initiatives is a registered charity, no. 276669. Company registered in
England, No.1402692. Registered office: 69 Ship St, Brighton, BN1 1AE.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF IMPACT INITIATIVES

Providing a voice, hope and change for Sussex people in need.

Impact  Initiatives  was  founded  in  1978  to  resolve  the  social  issues  that  Brighton  and
Hove communities were facing at the time.  Our founders were a diverse collection of
individuals who cared enough about community issues to come together and act against
the injustices they saw on their doorstop.  Over the years Impact has grown and evolved
as an organisation, but what has never changed, is that we continue to provide a voice,
hope and change for the people who need it most.

Today our  services  work  tirelessly  to  support,  champion  and  inspire  children,  young
people, adults with disabilities and older people.  Ultimately, we believe that everybody
should have the opportunity to be the best they can be.  Our vision is for Sussex people
of all ages to reach their potential, living healthy and fulfilling lives.

Impact’s model of having a Central Team - who provide expertise in finance, HR, IT and
facilities, health and safety, and business development - ensures each of our specialist
teams  can  focus  on  excellence  in  individual  service  delivery  and  development.    We
employ around 100 staff who are supported by a team of volunteers and currently work
with over 10,000 people each year.

Children & Young People’s (CYP) Service

Our Children and Young People’s Service provide safe, inclusive spaces where children
and young people can connect, be heard, build confidence and develop skills to support
their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Our work creates opportunities for young
people to have fun, build friendships, try new things and feel a strong sense of belonging.

We work with children and young people aged 8–25, supporting them at key transition
points,  including  primary  to  secondary  school  and  into  adulthood.  Our  approach  is
grounded in youth work values and principles, and informed by Protective Behaviours,
trauma-informed practice, and neurodivergent-affirming approaches, ensuring our work
is accessible, inclusive and responsive to individual needs.

We  deliver  a  mix  of  school-based,  community-based  and  digital  provision  across
Brighton & Hove and Sussex, working in partnership with other organisations to ensure
young people can access the right support at the right time.

The  CYP  Service  is  focused  on  strengthening  and  evolving  its  youth  work  offer,
embedding participation, inclusion and collaboration across how we support children
and young people, and we are seeking people who want to contribute to thoughtful, high-
quality and inclusive practice.

Youth Work Team

Our Youth Work Team delivers relationship-based youth work for young people aged 10–
25, offering safe and welcoming spaces where young people can relax, have fun, build
friendships  and  feel  a  strong  sense  of  belonging.  Through  group  work,  activities  and

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shared  experiences,  we  support  young  people  to  build  confidence, emotional  literacy
and resilience, and to explore their identities in ways that feel safe, inclusive and led by
their interests.

Our youth work supports young people at different stages of their lives, including those
navigating key transitions, building social connections, exploring identity, and managing
their emotional wellbeing and mental health. We offer a mix of open and targeted youth
work, creating flexible and responsive opportunities that meet young people where they
are and reflect what matters to them.

Alongside  this,  we  offer  nature-based  youth  work,  recognising  the  benefits  of  time
outdoors for wellbeing, regulation and connection. We provide opportunities for young
people  to  connect  with  nature  in  a  range  of  environments,  including  coastal  and
countryside  settings  such  as  Stanmer  Park,  and  to  engage  in  creative,  reflective  and
shared activities as part of our wider youth work offer.

The Youth  Work Team  works closely with  partner organisations at the Young People’s
Centre  (YPC),  supporting  young  people  to  access  additional  specialist  support  where
needed, including around wellbeing, identity and life circumstances. The YPC, in central
Brighton, provides a welcoming hub for youth work and specialist services, with a clear
commitment to developing the space as a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE)
for young people and staff.

This  role  would  suit  a  motivated  and  collaborative  youth  work  professional  who
enjoys building relationships, contributing ideas and being part of a service that is
actively developing, learning and evolving.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

•  To deliver high-quality, engaging youth work, embedding youth participation and

creativity across the planning, delivery and review of activities.

•  To coordinate and deliver youth work programmes within the Young People’s
Centre (YPC) and off-site locations, including nature-based provision (e.g. our
plot at Stanmer Park) and trips, working independently and as senior member of
staff for sessions and activities, with responsibility for the safe coordination of
staff, volunteers and young people during delivery.

•  To provide leadership including managing risk, safeguarding concerns and lone-

working responsibilities, in line with organisational policies and agreed
escalation routes.

•  To work collaboratively with partner organisations, contribute ideas, shared

activity and creative approaches that strengthen our Youth Hub offer, support
progressive pathways for young people accessing services at the YPC, and help
improve outcomes.

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•  To provide line supervision and day-to-day support to youth workers, sessional
staff and volunteers, promoting reflective practice, safe work, and high-quality
delivery.

•  To work alongside the Head of Service to ensure youth work delivery meets

agreed quality standards, risk assessment requirements and Health & Safety
regulations, within agreed budgets and contract specifications.

•  To work as part of a team of other Team Leads, contributing to shared

operational planning, consistency of high-quality practice and cross-service
working within the CYP Service and the YPC.

•  To provide initial guidance and support to youth workers, sessional staff and

volunteers in relation to safeguarding concerns, ensuring concerns are managed
and escalated in line with Impact’s Safeguarding Policy and procedures.

•  To support the Head of Service with financial and funding-related activity,

including contributing to funding applications, monitoring spending against
agreed budgets, and providing information and reporting to support funder and
organisational requirements.

•  To contribute to monitoring, evaluating and reporting requirements, supporting

service learning, accountability and funding requirements.

•  To contribute to the positive promotion of youth work services through day-to-

day practice and collaborative work with colleagues and partners.

•  To create safe, welcoming and inspiring environments for young people,

encouraging collaboration between services within shared delivery spaces.

GENERAL:

1.  To work within service specific and organisational policies and procedures.

2.  To  attend  regular  supervision  sessions  and  relevant  service  or  management

meetings as required.

3.  To attend annual Impact Conferences and training events as relevant to your role

and to facilitate regular team meetings as appropriate.

4.  To  contribute  positively  to  a  supportive  working  environment,  recognising  the

needs of paid staff and volunteers.

5.  To  comply  with  and  actively  promote  Impact  Initiatives’  Diversity,  Equity  and

Inclusion policies.

6.  To  comply  with  Impact  Initiatives’  Health  &  Safety  policies  and  procedures

relevant to youth work delivery.

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7.  To comply with Impact Initiatives’ Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and

procedures.

8.  To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself, colleagues, young

people and others affected by your work.

9.  To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature and level of the role, as

reasonably requested by the Head of CYP Services.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Skills and Abilities

Essential  Desirable

Experience of supervising and supporting staff teams, sessional
workers and/or volunteers.

Experience of delivering youth work programmes with children and
young people.

Experience of working independently and as a lead worker, including
responsibility for safe delivery of sessions.

Strong understanding of youth work principles and models of
participation.

Sound knowledge of safeguarding, health and safety, and risk
assessment in youth work settings.

Experience of acting as the senior member of staff on duty,
including responsibility for decision-making, staff support and
managing incidents or emergencies.

Understanding of the mental health, emotional wellbeing and social
needs of children and young people, particularly those facing
disadvantage.

Confidence in working off-site, including outdoor or nature-based
youth work delivery.

Experience, knowledge and understanding of the benefits of using
nature and the outdoors to bring about positive change for children &
young people

Experience of contributing to monitoring, evaluation or funder
reporting.

Experience of collaborative or partnership-based youth work delivery.

Experience of supporting the development of systems or ways of
working within a service.

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Qualifications

Significant professional experience delivering youth work aligned with
NYA Youth Work Practice Standards, with a commitment to ongoing
professional development.

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A recognised youth work qualification (e.g. JNC-recognised Youth
Work qualification or equivalent).

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✔

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