Job Description

ThinkForward Progression Coach

Salary: £35,045
Contract: 37.5 hours per week
Start date: January 2020
Location:               East London
Reporting to:         London Regional Delivery Manager

To apply:  Press 'Apply Now' to send your CV along with a cover letter (Word versions, not PDFs, please) of no more than one side explaining your interest and motivation in applying for this role; and outlining your experience, knowledge and skills that demonstrate your suitability for the role.  Application Deadline – 9am on Monday 6th January 2020

Overview of ThinkForward

ThinkForward runs a breakthrough programme which intervenes early to ensure that young people make a successful transition from school to work. ThinkForward targets areas with large numbers of young people at risk of not making a successful transition from education into employment.

At the heart of the programme are our Coaches who provide young people with personalised one-to-one coaching and group activities, as well as exposure to the world of work and cultural enrichment activities. Coaching enables young people to overcome challenges holding them back from achieving their potential and ultimately a safer and more successful pathway into employment and adulthood. Our young people are supported by ThinkForward for five years, from 13-18 years old.

We are proud that our programme has a strong track record. Having started out in London in 2011 it has since expanded to Nottingham and Kent and is currently working in 18 schools and many local colleges. To date, 80% of all young people to graduate from the programme were in education, employment or training.

Overview of the role

Our Progression Coaches project manage the ThinkForward programme within one of our schools and its local community, ensuring that quality and impact is achieved; whilst managing successful relationships with our partner schools and businesses.

Key responsibilities

With young people – to build and maintain relationships with young people to ensure that the ThinkForward programme has impact

1. Engage young people in the ThinkForward programme
2. Assess the needs of the young people, using outcome data to design a tailored action plans
3. Use the ThinkForward coaching methodology to hold regular one-to-one and group sessions with young people
4. Ensure young people engage with opportunities provided by third parties including employers and partner charities
5. Ensure that young people meet the required outcomes of improved behaviour, improved attendance, level 2 and level 3 attainment, and a sustained transition to further education, employment or vocational training, continually driving their work readiness
6. Adhere to all relevant policies (safeguarding, health and safety, etc.) when delivering activities with young people
7. Document and evidence all work and use data to provide the most effective support with young people
8. Liaise with and support parents, carers, guardians etc of the young people, and other relevant third parties

In school – accountable for day-to-day relationship management of school

1. Liaise with senior school staff to establish and manage the relationship between the school and ThinkForward
2. Represent ThinkForward at school senior leadership team and governor meetings
3. Oversee enrolment process with school staff to identify at risk young people based on ThinkForward’s scoring mechanism
4. Build an extensive knowledge of the support available to the cohort of young people
5. Work with school data manager for regular access to required data
6. Produce and communicate termly reports to demonstrate impact
7. Review with the school, the quality and impact on a termly basis

With colleagues - share knowledge and experience with colleagues to improve effectiveness of the programme

1. Report risks to relevant member of staff
2. Participate in peer quality assurance processes
3. Collaborate with internal support staff to ensure young person outcomes are maximised

Programme quality & standards – to ensure that delivery of the ThinkForward programme meets the required standards

1. Perform a termly review and plan of the ThinkForward programme
2. Ensure that the Programme Promise is met i.e. one-to-one meetings, group work, action planning, ready for work activities
3. Ensure that activities are planned according to need and in line with budget
4. Ensure that all interventions are logged on database
5. Work in adherence to organisational policies
6. Actively participate in QA process

With businesses – to contribute to the relationship management of businesses linked to the school

1. Responsible for attendance and engagement in Ready for Work activities
2. Support with the training of business mentors
3. Plan and lead mentoring session content and communicate with the business in advance
4. Conduct review with the business during and post the mentoring period
5. Participate in externally facing activities from time to time

Person specification

ThinkForward’s staff competency framework informs our recruitment and performance management of staff. The following behaviours for each competency define the expectations for this position:

Communication

• Ability to communicate with staff at all levels from a variety of different stakeholders
• Approachable, open and transparent with young people, stakeholders and colleagues
• Ability to deliver messages in an interesting and stimulating style, appropriate to each audience

Planning and organising

• Self-motivated, able to work independently and proactively
• Very strong organisational and project management skills, including use of appropriate tools and systems
• Excellent computer literacy

Teamwork

• Working in a team ideally in a fast paced environment, working collaboratively to achieve goals
• Building lasting relationships with different stakeholders for example schools, colleges, other charities, alternative education providers and employers

Impact and quality focused

• Comfortable working to targeted outcomes/goals for young people within the boundaries of a programme
• While working to targeted outcomes, ability to keep young people at the heart of what you do
• Knowledge of how to support young people to become more job ready
• Driven by excellent standards and high quality
• Use of data to inform delivery and improve provision

Professional expertise

• Five years direct experience of working with vulnerable young people, ideally in school
• An understanding of the complex barriers that vulnerable young people face and the services available for them
• Ability to support young people in both a one-to-one setting and by running group work
• Experience of recording data for measing impact, reporting, analysis and planning
• Knowledge of careers and employment IAG and the importance of tailored progression planning for vulnerable young people
• Persistence, patience and empathy in challenging difficult individuals
• A professional qualification related to work with young people, or relevant experience

ThinkForward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.

ThinkForward is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

This will role will be offered subject the outcome of a DBS check.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants.