Job Description

Job purpose

The Young People’s Supported Accommodation (YPSA) Manager is responsible for ensuring that progression coaches provide an exceptional standard of coaching and youth work support to young people - within both their homes and community settings.

We have ambitious targets for young people’s outcomes and the YPSA Manager will be driven to make our vision of YPSA residents growing to see themselves, and be seen as, future change makers a reality.

Managing relationships expertly, with a wide range of stakeholders (in particular housing partner Response) the manager will seek out the best opportunities for young people and ensure they are taken up.

Youth work principles of reflective practice, active listening and co-design will drive your work ethic. The Oxfordshire Youth YPSA team takes a youth work approach. This means you will ensure:

1. Your team listen to, and are led by, the needs, ambitions and assets of the young person

2. Staff support young people as they acquire the skills needed to design their roadmap to personal growth

3. Your team are reliable, consistent and aspirational role models who clearly define and adhere to professional boundaries.

All YPSA team members receive high quality training ensuring they are upskilled to take their part in building an excellent service. YPSA managers attend up-to-date training in emotional literacy, emotional regulation, physical wellbeing, financial empowerment, creativity and group skills.

Key responsibilities and main duties

The YPSA Manager will:

• Ensure young people’s voices are heard and valued.
• Take overall responsibility for ensuring that young people’s individual pathway plans are in place, reflect assessed needs and aspirations, and are implemented, regularly reviewed and updated to reflect day-to-day changes.
• Provide leadership and model high quality management skills to progression coaches, night and weekend workers through regular supervision and group reflective practice.
• Support your team to ensure that individual young people’s needs and aspirations are assessed appropriately and sufficient resources available to meet them. This includes planning and leading thorough and robust induction programmes involving probation meetings, training and performance assessments.
• Establish, maintain, and ensure that robust safeguarding practices for young people and staff are in place and regularly reviewed in line with policy change and Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (OSCB) guidance.
• Ensure risk assessments are routinely updated, audited and monitored via case management
• Managers will be required to be on call for emergencies on a rota basis.
• Ensure the delivery of evidence-based interventions and, where appropriate, develop these in partnership with other service providers.
• Ensure young people’s pathway plans and risk assessments are routinely updated and information shared with relevant stakeholders.
• Link with contract organisations to ensure robust management information sharing and reporting arrangements are in place, and report and track progress against key performance requirements.
• Work with other teams within Oxfordshire Youth to support the work of the Charity and to ensure young people have access to a wide range of opportunities
• Set and demonstrate good standards of work practice, with particular emphasis on maintaining professional boundaries.
• Place diversity and equality of opportunity at the heart of your practice.

General

• To attend team meetings and regular supervision with line manager.
• To ensure all HR procedures are carried out in accordance with Oxfordshire Youth’s guidelines, policies and procedures.
• To undergo training enabling personal and professional development.
• To undertake other relevant duties related to the further development, promotion and sustainability of the charity.

Safeguarding

• Understanding that safeguarding children, young people and adults is everyone’s business and accessing training and supervision appropriate to the role.
• To ensure concerns are responded to appropriately in line with the OY's Safeguarding Adults Policy and the Child Protection Policy and interagency safeguarding procedures.
• To comply with recruitment and other checks as requested by the organisation including undertaking a DBS check.

What we are looking for

o Management and leadership experience, ideally within a similar field

o An understanding of the many issues affecting young people such as mental health, substance misuse, sexual health and homelessness.

o An understanding of Service Provision for Young People

o Full UK driving license and car owner

o Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to positively engage and motivate others

o Able to support staff on an ongoing basis and through periods of change

o Work well under pressure and prioritize effectively, working to tight deadlines and targets

o Strong planning and organizational skills

o Ability to assess and manage risk

o Able to solve problems and think creatively

o IT skills including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and CRM systems

o A flexible approach to work and a positive, enthusiastic and can-do approach that demonstrates the attributes of a growth mindset

o An unwavering commitment to Oxfordshire Youth’s vision, mission and values

o The ability to relate to and empathize with young people

o Integrity and discretion when dealing with sensitive information

o A commitment to treating people equally, being aware of unconscious bias and working proactively and openly to challenge it within your own and within others practice

o Respecting differences and challenging prejudice and discrimination

o Accountability for the quality of your work and responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills

Beneficial Skills and Experience

o Management qualification(s) and/or vocational qualification(s) in related fields including mental health, children’s and young people’s social care, youth and community development

o Training in Trauma Informed Approaches (TIC) and Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE)

Application Instructions