Title of the Position: Thrive Youth Worker

Title of the position: Thrive Youth Worker

Reports to: Thrive Team Leader (Barton)

Location: Barton, Oxford

Hours: Full time (including some evening and weekend work)

Salary: £21,000 - £24,400 depending on qualifications and experience

Specific Occupational Requirement (SOR): This role has a SOR to be filled by a Christian under the provisions of the Equality Act (2010)

Purpose of the role

Thrive teams exist to help young people bring hope to life in communities with multiple deprivations

The Thrive Youth Worker develops and delivers a range of responses to meet the holistic needs of young people in line with Thrive’s Christian ethos and vision for individual and community transformation.

Ethos

As part of the core team of staff and volunteers the youth worker must live in Barton, and must adopt Barton Community Church as their church. We can support you to find suitable accommodation in the community. To truly build relationships and see change takes time, and so we ask you to consider committing to this role for 3 years. We hope that you’ll grow to love the area as much as we do and want to stay for even longer! We also ask all team members to help support this long term work by raising some personal financial and prayer support from amongst your existing connections and networks – with our help of course.

Responsibilities

Youthwork (approx. 70% of time)

·  Building relationships with local young people and their families of all faiths and none, via detached work

·  Identifying the needs of local young people of all faiths and none, and developing youthwork and mission activities that address this and help young people develop:

o  emotional, behavioural and relational skills

o  leadership skills and experience

·  Developing leadership in young people, including helping them to lead activities themselves

·  One-on-one mentoring and/or coaching with young people

·  Being available (at defined times) for first contact in crisis situations

·  Contributing towards the monitoring and evaluation of these activities

·  Leading and supporting volunteers as they take part in youth work activities as part of the team

·  Adheres to and supports and monitors team compliance with Safeguarding policy and practice

·  Ensures administration and recording keeping is completed on time

·  Pursues personal development (as agreed in Personal Development Plan)

·  Raise personal support for the role (aided by and working with Innovista Communications and Development team and Thrive Team Leader)

Mission and discipleship (30%)

·  Deliver activities for young people exploring or growing in Christian faith

·  Build the capacity of other church members to support young people exploring or growing in Christian faith

·  Deliver the church’s engagement with young people who attend the Sunday service

·  Build the capacity of other church members to engage young people in church life

·  Play a full and active role in weekly staff prayers

Person specification

·  Committed and growing Christian, passionate about mission among young people and committed to Thrive’s ethos and values

·  Proven experience of youth work (including detached), preferably with some experience in a similar context of communities with multiple deprivations – or an awareness of the specific challenges and opportunities such contexts can pose

·  JNC qualification or equivalent experience

·  Demonstrates ability to take initiative and solve problems

·  Patient, and able to (or willing to learn to) respond constructively to difficult behavior

·  Well organized and (preferably) has experience of supporting volunteers

·  Strong communication skills – listening, speaking and written

·  Eager to grow and develop and welcomes constructive feedback

·  Deals with conflict quickly and constructively

·  Absolute discretion with members of the opposite sex

·  Track record of being a trustworthy and dependable team member

·  If applicable: spouse/family is in agreement with and fully supports your call to live in a community with multiple deprivations, and is understanding and equally committed to the 3 year+ commitment involved

Notes

This Role Description is not exhaustive and changes may be required as the organisation develops. Changes to this job description will be carried out in consultation with the holder of the post.

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