Role:Youth Support Officer(35 Hours Per Week)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Role:Youth Support Officer(35 hours per week)

Department:Octavia Foundation

Reporting to: Digital Media Programme Manager

Location:Emily House

Contract: 1 year fixed term

The context of this job

The Octavia Foundation work with people affected by unemployment, ill health, social isolation or low incomes to connect them with opportunities for positive personal change. Our unique activities are built around the diverse and changing needs of individuals and we welcome people of all ages to benefit from and be inspired by our jobs, training and volunteering opportunities, our regular groups and activities or our innovative one-off projects. We deliver services in five key areas:

• care and support for older and vulnerable people
• work with young people
• help with training and employment
• help with money and debt
• involving the community

Our vision is to build stronger, happier and healthier communities in central and west London to help create an enriched life where we live.

The purpose of this post

The Octavia Foundation is about to begin a yearlong heritage and media project - “Waking the Dead” - which will identify, explore and capture the history and role of Kensal Green Cemetery and its surrounding community.The project will work engage and develop a group of young people and older volunteers, to research, record and present this history through a variety of digital and creative media activities. The project will encompass short films, music, spoken word and visual arts, and will aim to engage the local community in telling the story of a key landmark in their area, the lasting impact of the lives of some of those for whom it is a final resting place, and exploring different cultures through the lens of their relationship with mortality and the rituals surrounding death.

What is the focus?

• To deliver Octavia Foundation’s youth & media project work alongside the media team
• To spearhead engagement and retention of young project participants
• To effectively and efficiently deliver youth heritage and media activities including monitoring and evaluation; meeting all agreed targets, outputs and outcomes

• To work with other teams and departments at Octavia Housing, where applicable, to ensure that projects are accessible to all tenants as well as other stakeholders and partnership organisations such as other charities or schools.

Key tasks

1. Undertake outreach and engagement activities with local youth groups, schools and colleges in order to engage local young people with the Waking the Dead project

1. Attend training andworkshops such as film shoots or research sessions for the Waking the Dead project, and provide additional in session support to any young people with identified needs.Support the project manager in the planning and delivery ofhigh quality, innovative activities for young people that enable them to explore and develop their skills, encourage confidence, and expand their opportunities

1. Keep participants informed of upcoming sessions and maintain regular contact with them to support retention

1. Assist young people to learn about the world they live in and its diversity. To encourage them to think about their place in the world, their ideas and aspirations. And to appreciate different perspectives through thought-provoking, engaging sessions in a safe and inclusive environment.

1. Work with individuals to identify further opportunities to broaden their skillset if desired (training or employment, additional creative or heritage activities available locally etc) – liaising with the Octavia Foundation’s Employment and Training team where appropriate.

1. Adhere to the Octavia Foundation’s Safeguarding policies and procedures to reduce the risk of harm to children and young people.

1. Deliver agreed projects and outcomes in agreement with your line manager and any external funders, ensuring that monitoring information and paperwork is completed efficiently and effectively.

1. Keep full and comprehensive records of all activities and projects undertakenand carry out monitoring and evaluation to identify whether agreed targets, outputs and outcomes have been met.

1. Carry out regular evaluation with project participants and volunteers, to gain feedback for learning

1. Promote the work of Octavia Foundation’s Employment and Training team and other Youth activities- to assist young people in accessing employment and training opportunities, ensuring that project targets are met

1. Attend community days, jobs fairs where required, with a view to meet and engage young people and/or promote the work of Octavia Foundation

1. Where possible, negotiate for reduced rates for activities/trips and/or gifts in kind.

1. Able to work flexible hours including weekly evening sessions, school holiday periods and occasional weekend days.

Key Competencies

Octavia operates a Skills and Behaviours Competency Framework.

• Responsive
• Respectful
• Reliable

These are set out in the person specification below.

Generic

How will the post holder know if they are performing?

A number of performance targets will be planned and agreed each year with the line manager and these will be monitored at regular meetings. Regular feedback will be provided by the line manager and opportunity provided to discuss any problems, personal and team matters and personal development issues.

Generic requirements

The post holder will be expected to comply with the Foundation’s policies and procedures at all times. These include, but are not limited to equal opportunities, confidentiality, data protection and health and safety.

Client involvement is an essential part of all roles within the Foundation and all are expected to support the policies and procedures relating to the involvement of clients and to contribute to the Foundation’s action plan.

In order to do their job the post holder will be trained and coached in the procedures and policies of the Foundation. They will be expected to familiarise themselves with the association’s procedures and policies and to seek advice and guidance from the line manager if required.

The key tasks listed above are only an indication of the main tasks required to be performed. It is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and may be subject to amendment to take account of changing circumstances. Any changes will be made following discussion with the post holder. The post holder will remain co-operative and flexible in line with the needs of the post and the Foundation.

Please see the person specification overleaf for use in your application

Please respond to each bullet point separately.

OCTAVIA FOUNDATIONPERSON SPECIFICATION

Role: Youth Support Officer

The Person Specification states the minimum knowledge, skills and experience required to carry out the job and is used for both short listing candidates for interview and to identify the areas to explore in an interview. Please show examples of how you meet the essential criteria in your application.

E = Essential criteria;D = Desirable criteria

• Willing to listen and understand others and maintain credibility in your role and for Octavia
• Support others and gains trust, positive and enthusiastic
• Develops young people by helping them individually and as groups so that they may perform the best they can

• Creative, delivers practical solutions, and flexible to meet others needs
• Willing to examine own values, principles and assumptions. Learns from own experiences
• motivates volunteers by establishing clear direction and standards; providing opportunities for participation; motivating by giving encouragement, recognition and personal support for their efforts and achievements

• Well organised, copes well under pressure, takes ownership, pro-active and goal focused.
• Transparent and open, keeps others informed, takes action and is sensitive to people’s needs.
• Manages tasks and resources by planning, organising, directing and monitoring work carried out by others; managing costs and physical resources

• Proven experience of working directly with young people
• Experience of planning and delivering high quality youth and community activities/projects
• Developing printed material and other publicity
• Developing surveys and systems for evaluation and feedback
• Working in a multi-cultural and inclusive environment
• Experience ofworking with young people with additional needs
• Hands on experience of media production or of delivering participatory creative arts projects (film, music, performance, visual arts, other)

• Knowledge of key methods to engage, consult and involve young people in their provision
• Understanding of the impact of poverty, discrimination, disability and societal values has on a child or young person
• A working knowledge of the social model of disability
• Knowledge of the issues that face young people in inner-London; such as territoriality, policing
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and young people
• Understanding of therapeutic approaches to working with children and young people
• Understanding of the developmental stages of child and adolescent development inc. attachment theory

• Ability to negotiate financial and in-kind contributions by external agencies to partnerships
• Ability to identify opportunities and potential partners
• Ability to work with a wide range of individuals, statutory agencies and community organisations and to represent Octavia on external forums
• A clear and effective verbal and written communicator who is able to do so effectively and creatively with diverse audiences
• Proficient in the use of outlook, word and excel
• An organised and efficient administrator, able to keep details, accurate and up to date records.
• Able to use own initiative and work unsupervised if required.

• Willing & able to work flexible, unsociable hours including regular evenings and potential weekends
• Commitment to the organisation’s Diversity Policies

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