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Youth Support Worker
the 4front project
  • Salary £23,000 - £25,000 per year
  • Location London, Greater London (On-site)
  • Job Type Contract, Part-time, Full-time
  • Category Advocacy , Support Worker
  • Sectors Youth/Children
  • Job Reference : 4FP2020

Job Description

If you have a strong understanding of the impact of the violence, racial inequity and systemic injustice on marginalised communities and are passionate about empowering those most affected to create a change, then we can’t wait to hear from you!

ABOUT US

The 4Front Project is a member-led youth organisation empowering young people and communities to fight for justice, peace and freedom. The organisation was established in 2012 to provide a platform for those who have been impacted by violence to create change. We support members with experiences of violence and the criminal justice system to create change in their own lives, communities and society.

Over the last eight years, we have pioneered an approach that empowers those most directly harmed by violence and the criminal justice system to be at the forefront of a grassroots movement for change. Our holistic model has been designed specifically to support young people aged 13 - 25 with complex needs as a result of multiple systemic disadvantages and disproportionate exposure to serious violence. By advocating for a holistic approach to build peace, we are transforming the way in which society understands how to support young people who have been affected by violence and shaping the agenda around how to tackle the systemic causes of it. 

We acknowledge the impact of racism and discrimination on our members and actively work to dismantle these systems, whilst supporting members to recognise their strengths and identify systemic barriers to their progress. In this way, we support 4Front members to make changes in their own lives, whilst exploring the inequity they’ve experienced and amplifying their voices to create systemic change. Becoming a member means joining a powerful youth-led movement for change that is transforming the way peace and justice are understood by centring healing, rather than punishment.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for an engaging and inspiring Youth Support Worker to provide outstanding support to 4Front members. You love creating safe and supportive spaces for people to explore their challenging life experiences. You are excited about challenging people to think critically about themselves, their communities and society and you enjoy supporting people to explore and build their identity. You care deeply about people and are willing to go the extra mile. You are skilled at creating space to express emotion and you can effectively hold emotion for others. You are not afraid to bear witness to people’s pain and you have a contagious positive energy that uplifts people. You understand the emotional impact of injustice and inequity on marginalised young people and are committed to helping them make sense of their emotions. You are dedicated to developing a thorough understanding of social injustice and actively addressing it. You are comfortable with conflict and have proven experience of managing difficult situations to successful resolutions. You see courage in vulnerability and believe in building the resilience of young people. Most importantly, you are committed to peace and you fundamentally believe in the potential to change, both at an individual and societal level. You will be a visionary leader, seeing your work at The 4Front Project as a crucial part of your identity and purpose in life. You will be committed to upholding our vision, mission, principles and values at all times. You will be bold, actively contributing to a workplace culture that centres justice, healing, change and hope. You will play a fundamental role in supporting 4Front members to transform their own lives whilst amplifying their voices to effect systemic change.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

DELIVER IMPACTFUL SUPPORT

  • Provide consistent, reliable, high quality support services tailored to meet the needs of young people with complex needs

  • Build trusting relationships

  • Protect vulnerable 4Front members and accommodate their mental health, learning difficulties, disabilities, and other needs by creating a safe and supportive environment where they feel accepted and welcomed

  • Provide members with guidance and promote their personal, educational, health and social development through all interactions

  • Work in partnership with members to create individual care and development plans 

  • Provide accountability to enable members to reach their goals and the desired outcomes they share with you (which could include emotional health and wellbeing, substance misuse, sexual health, physical health, education and training, housing and any other areas where they could need support)

  • Learn from and determine with members, the ways in which they may be at risk of harm and work collaboratively to develop measures that reduce risk

  • Empower members to build their identity, develop understanding and express themselves

  • Raise our members expectations of themselves by developing extraordinary, life changing pathways to achievement and transformation 

  • Create a safe and appropriate environment, ensuring you carry out regular risk assessments for members, yourself and all relevant activities

  • Confidently resolve conflict and manage difficult situations to successful resolution

  • Identify where additional specialist support is required and support members to understand and access the services that are available to them

  • Collect and maintain appropriate records using our database system, and ensuring that these are accurate, up-to-date, completed in a timely manner and secure

  • Ensure all data is securely held in line with GDPR and our Confidentiality Policy and Consent Policy.

  • Work closely with members to involve them in service design, delivery and evaluation ensuring that their voices are heard

DELIVER EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with member’s parents, carers and families to ensure they are connected to the journey of their child and to facilitate the development of stronger family relationships

  • Support members and their families to understand the policies, processes, and procedures that impact them

  • Support members and their families to understand legal processes, legal rights and entitlements (understanding conditions and ramifications, necessary appearances, roles of each agency)

  • Work in partnership with the Legal Support Worker to hold criminal justice agencies, local authorities and housing providers to account in relation to their own policies, processes and procedures 

  • Provide support to members if they are arrested by acting as an Appropriate Adult in the police station when required

  • Provide advocacy and representation for members in court through in person testimony and written support

  • Provide context to the local authority to enable them to better meet the needs of members (attending SEAM, SIRM, CIN and CAR meetings as required)

  • Provide context to educational establishments to enable them to better meet the needs of the member (support with the creation of EHCP where appropriate)

  • Provide context to housing providers (local authorities, charities or private placements) to enable them to better meet the needs of members 

  • Liaise with the local authority to facilitate engagement with members and families

  • Liaise with legal professionals to improve communication between members and their lawyers 

  • Provide support to enable members to access health services

You will also provide cover on occasion and undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested of you outside of this role description.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

  • First-hand experiences of the issues we address through our work
  • An understanding of social justice issues, systemic inequality and injustice, including the impact of the criminal justice system on marginalised communities
  • Experience supporting young people that have experienced injustice, inequality and other disadvantage
  • Experience supporting people who identify as Black British, African, Caribbean and Mixed Heritage and a thorough understanding of the specific issues that affect these communities
  • An understanding of safeguarding and child protection frameworks
  • Experience delivering tailored one-to-one emotional support and mentoring
  • Experience delivering specialist support in group settings
  • Experience of working robustly within challenging and unpredictable environments as well as effectively managing change
  • Excellent teamwork skills and experience of supporting and motivating others

DESIRABLE

  • Experience of working in an organisation which promotes the rights of vulnerable communities with multiple disadvantages
  • Experience advocating on behalf of young people who have experienced injustice, inequality and disadvantage
  • Experience liaising with statutory services, other agencies and institutions
  • Experience of monitoring and evaluation systems to collect data and measure impact
  • Experience building and maintaining excellent relationships with community organisations and partners
  • Experience in the creative arts (music, film, animation, photography)
  • Experience in MMA or Boxing
  • Experience participating in activism and campaigns
  • A valid driving license and a car

HOW TO APPLY

THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2020 AT 12.00PM

We would like this position to start as soon as possible. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so we encourage early applications. 

To apply for this position, please send:

  1. A comprehensive and relevant CV

  2. A supporting statement addressing the person specification 

  3. And either:

  • An essay answering the questions below (no longer than 750 words for each question). 

  • A video of you addressing the questions below (no longer than 8 minutes in total).

1) What do the words ‘justice’, ‘peace’ and ‘freedom’ mean to you and how have these concepts impacted your view of the world? 

2) What are your top three priorities for building equity in our society and how would you go about it?

3) What does empowerment mean to you and how do you feel it can be incorporated as a principle in your work?

This will be reviewed by 4Front Members, Staff and Trustees.

There is a 3-stage selection process:

  1.  An initial video interview (30 mins)

  2. An interactive in person interview with 4Front Members and Staff (including a preparation task)

  3. A final round interview with the Board of Trustees.

We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate against candidates who may have previous convictions. We will also make reasonable adjustments for employees that may have access requirements.

Please ensure you quote the job reference number in the subject line of your email.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.