District Youth & Community Worker in Training

Essex County Council; Harlow; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is looking for a motivated District Youth & Community Worker in Training to engage young people in community activities and support their personal development. This full-time role includes managing youth provisions, encouraging participation, and building relationships within the community. Successful candidates will already hold or work towards required qualifications, including a minimum of JNC Level 3. A driving license and mobility to meet operational needs are necessary.

Benefits

30 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Healthy work-life balance

Learning and development opportunities

Health and wellbeing support platform

Qualifications

• Experience working with young people, voluntary roles acceptable.
• Ability to motivate and facilitate learning among young people.
• Commitment to challenging prejudice and ignorance.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with Senior Youth and Community Worker.
• Supervise Youth and Community Workers in the hub area.
• Develop youth provision with community participation.
• Encourage young people to participate in educational activities.

Skills

Ability to build relationships

Motivating young people

Working in partnership

Flexibility to meet needs

Education

GCSE grade C and above in English and Maths

JNC Level 3 qualification or working towards

Job description

District Youth & Community Worker in Training

Permanent, Full Time

From £29,606 to £36,837 per annum depending on experience, plus an Outer Fringe allowance of £954 pa

Location: Harlow

Closing Date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 11.59pm.

Interview Date: Tuesday 20th January 2026

About Us

Ready to take the next step in your career? We're looking for a passionate and talented individual to join our Youth Service Team. Whether you're already qualified or require training, if you're driven, innovative, and eager to make an impact, we want to hear from you!

We are currently seeking a District Youth and Community Worker (qualified or in training) to support the commissioning and development of programmes and imaginative activities within the West Essex community, whilst encouraging the active participation of young people in developing their own ideas as well as their personal skills.

With a focus on working in / around Epping but with the potential to cover anywhere In West Essex.

Benefits

• Healthy work life balance.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
• IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied.
• 30 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
• Up to 4 days per year Volunteering leave.
• Study towards a Level 6 Youth Worker Apprenticeship with the University of East London.
• London Area Fringe Allowance: £954 per annum

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees.

What our Apprentices say

"I really enjoyed my apprenticeship with ECC, I loved that the majority of the apprenticeship is on the job learning and minimal classroom work. The opportunities for career development have been much wider than I originally thought, and the apprenticeship is such a great way to develop your career."

"As an apprentice currently working at Essex County Council, I can confirm that it is a very rewarding role. I'm proud to be a part of this team and you will be too."

The Role

As a District Youth and Community Worker, you will take ownership and accountability for defined areas of the work programme but will also work flexibly across internal and external teams to support delivery of youth provision in other areas. You will plan and deliver commissioned youth activities and work collaboratively with colleagues and partners and help others to achieve. You will develop new approaches, based on sound evidence and creative thinking, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for young people and their communities; you will be both proactive and responsive, combining energy and enthusiasm with the tenacity and drive to see things through.

The District Youth and Community Worker will work with young people and their communities to:

• Work closely with the Senior Youth and Community Worker to help young people and the community to develop the skills and capacity to design and deliver youth provision in their community.
• Have supervisory responsibility for the Youth and Community Workers within a hub area.
• Make contact and establish relationships with young people and their communities.
• Ensure the 'voice' of young people is heard in the design and delivery of effective youth work provision.
• Encourage and enable young people to participate in a range of educational and personally challenging activities.
• Ensure access to information and personal support, which enables young people to develop the confidence and skills to become creative, active, and critical participants in the wider community.

About You

You will:

• Have the ability to work in partnership and to influence partners across a range of sectors to support the identification of desired outcomes for young people.
• Be experienced in working with young people, which may be in a voluntary role.
• Have the ability to build relationships and relate well to young people.
• Be able to motivate young people and facilitate young people's learning.
• Be committed to challenging prejudice and ignorance.
• Ability to develop work with young people to achieve planned outcomes.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Be flexible to meet young people's needs.

Essential Requirements for the 'In Training' role

• The successful candidate must hold a minimum of a JNC Level 3 qualification or be working towards achieving this within Youth Work and be willing to undertake a JNC level 6 qualification supported by Essex Youth Service.
• You must have a GCSE grade C and above, or equivalent in English and Maths and have good IT skills.
• Have the right to work and study in England.
• Have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years before the apprenticeship start date.
• As apprentices have employed status you must have the right to permanently live, work and study in the UK. Apprenticeships are not covered by student visas.

What will you be doing?

• Manage the organisation to a high-performing, customer-centric culture through exemplar behaviour in accordance with ECC's Values and Core Leadership Behaviours.
• Manage employees in working flexibly and collaboratively across structural boundaries as part of project or process teams in support of key outcomes.
• Manage the development of organisational capability through good people management, including the training, development, mentoring and coaching of team members.
• Thinking creatively, challenging the norms, and constructively challenging those around them to ensure continuous improvement, commercial astuteness, and inspire the same in employees.
• Ensure the proper assessment, management, and mitigation of risk, including Health and Safety and Business Continuity

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.