Youth Project Worker - Young Adult Carers

Southend Carers is a small local charity and our mission is to make life easier and fairer for All Carers living in Southend-on-Sea, by providing information, advice & guidance, and supporting their access to essential practical, emotional and financial support services.

We are looking for a dynamic, confident and motivated individual, wanting to transform the lives of Young Adult Carers (16-25 years old) by helping them make positive choices, fulfil their potential, identify life goals, build life skills and ultimately thrive.

This exciting role will empower, support and transform the lives of Young Adult Carers, who may be struggling with socioeconomic disadvantages. Through positive early interventions, it will create meaningful change - improving Young Adult Carers social & health wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence, and supporting them to access educational, employment, learning and wellbeing opportunities.

Working hours: 21 hours per week. Due to the specified client group availability - evening and weekend work will be required.

Contract length: 18 months fixed term

Salary: £22,000 to £24,000 per annum pro rata. Subject to experience

Workbase: Flexible: Outreach & community locations, main office and home

Full job description available for download from Southend Carers website

MAIN TASKS

Development, delivery & implementation of Young Adult Carers services

• Create awareness of Young Adult Carers within the health, educational, social care, business and community sectors, to improve community identification, recognition & inclusion, support positive health and wellbeing outcomes & their personal development.

• Provide information, advice, guidance and practical support; to help develop confidence; support education, training & development of employment skills; enabling self-empowerment and self-advocacy.

• Plan and facilitate weekly & monthly one to one, group support and workshop activities offering positive socialisation, life skills, wellbeing support, & life skill developmental, as well as cultural and issue-based sessions that provide an opportunity to explore their world view. This will include evening & weekend events.

• Support Young Adult Carers, on an individual and group basis, to self-identify any needs during transition periods into early adulthood and beyond - helping to engage with support and achieve positive outcomes.

• Develop a forum platform that provides young adult carers with opportunities to constructively voice their needs, concerns, hopes and issues, raising awareness of their support needs and influence decision makers.

• Ensure the programme is user-led through regular consultation & evaluation with young adult carers and those who support them.

Promotion & Networking

• Promote the Young Adult Carers support service & project, publicise and raise awareness of the needs of Young Adult Carers with relevant organisations, general public, agencies and local media. This will include national awareness & action days, freshers university, college events, and community outreach events.

• Arrange, facilitate and attend networking/community events to raise awareness, identify, enable and empower Young Adult Carers participation in all aspects of influencing support services provided by Southend Carers, health, educational, social care, community and business sectors.

• To build on existing - and develop new - partnerships that support transition and offer routes to positive wellbeing, employment, further/higher education, apprenticeships or training. Working with Southend Carers Young Carers and Adult Carers support projects to promote and facilitate a supported transition when required

• Maintain existing relationships with further education providers, youth services, third sector organisations, local employers and apprenticeship schemes, and develop new strategic relationships that provide additional progression opportunities for project participants

• Development of user forum, which promotes the needs and rights of Young Adult Carers, liaising with a range of agencies including schools and health and social care providers, facilitating opportunities for young adult carers and their families to influence services and have their voice heard with decision makers.

• Build a rapport with Young Adult Carers and maintain contact using their preferred communication method (including face to face, text, telephone, e-mail, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Zoom/MS Teams, Facebook, Instagram)

• Attend and facilitate Young Adult Carers activities programme including day trips and residential events when necessary (i.e. Young Carers festival)

Outcomes and impact measurement

• Undertake data collection, monitoring of the project including preparation of case studies/lived experiences, evaluation reports and statistical information on the outputs and activities of the project, to measure impact of support to Young Adult Carers, as well as assist Governance, Management and Funding requirements.

• Maintain accurate, timely and detailed case records of all support work undertaken on Southend Carers CRM database and/or other reporting systems as required

Support requirements

• To provide support and guidance to sessional workers and volunteers that support the projects activities

Person Specification

* Minimum 2 years’ experience of working with vulnerable young people, as individuals and in groups, working towards and achieving positive outcomes.

* Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively

* Ability to demonstrate initiative, to develop and implement new ideas

* Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to find solutions for improving outcomes and enhancing engagement activities.

* Confidence to develop networks, community connections and relationships

* Good presentation and communication skills.

* Fully competent and comfortable with the use of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams). Knowledge of smartphone communication apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok & Whatsapp.