Sessional Youth Worker (5949)

The Children's Society; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

36 days annual leave

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension match up to 8%

Free counselling service

Volunteering time

Job summary

The Children’s Society is seeking a dedicated Youth Worker to support and empower vulnerable children and young people in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. Travel within the local area is required and occasional evenings/weekends may be necessary.

You will contribute to expanding services and developing innovative practice in Youth Impact. Applicants should have direct experience with children and young people, a strong commitment to safeguarding, and the ability to work both independently and as part

Qualifications

• Direct experience working with children and young people in one-to-one and group settings.
• Ability to build relationships and maintain professional boundaries.
• Understanding of challenges faced by vulnerable young people and those with complex needs.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting welfare.
• Experience working both independently and as part of a team.
• Experience developing inclusive practice.
• Experience in Youth Work, Social Care, Family support, Education or related areas.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to children and young people.
• Develop innovative practice in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.
• Work irregular hours including evenings and weekends; travel within Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.
• Empower young people and support transitions to adulthood.

Skills

One-to-one work

Group work

Relationship building

Safeguarding

Independent and teamwork

Inclusive practice

Youth work/child welfare

Job description

Location: Gloucestershire - Service will be delivered from Whaddon Youth Centre (Cheltenham) and Tewkesbury Youth Centre (Tewkesbury) and surrounding area.

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave (pro rata for part time roles), inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:
The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

About the role:

This post will involve irregular hours, including late evenings, early mornings, and weekend working. There will be travel primarily within Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, access to own transport will therefore be required.

This role sits within our Youth Impact Domain, which provides one-to-one and group support for children who urgently need support. Your role will be to help us develop innovative practice in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

Youth work is life-changing for young people, and we’re excited to be expanding our services in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. We want to empower young people through impactful and transformative youth work, and we are looking for dedicated professionals to join our dynamic and ambitious team during this exciting period of service mobilisation.

We are seeking a dedicated youth worker with direct experience working with children and young people, either in a professional or voluntary capacity. As a youth worker, you will play a crucial role in providing support to and empowering vulnerable young people and those with complex needs as they transition into adulthood.

Key skills and experience:

The required skills and competencies for this role are:

• Direct experience working with children and young people on a one-to-one basis and in group work settings in a professional or voluntary capacity
• Ability to build relationships and maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Strong understanding and experience of the challenges faced by vulnerable young people and those with complex needs
• Commitment to the values and mission of youth work, as well as safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people
• Experience of working independently and as part of a team in the field of youth work
• Experience of developing inclusive practice
• Experience in a relevant area of work e.g., Youth Work, Social Care, Family support, Youth Offending, Connexions, Education

Closing date: Please note that this advert will be closed once a suitable number of applications have been received.

Interview date: Interviews will be held in a rolling basis as and when new dates become available.

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.
In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.