Youth Participation Worker (Birmingham)

Waythrough; West of England; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Life assurance (3× salary)

Enhanced sick pay

Birthday leave

Professional fee reimbursement

GP access 24/7

Discounts & benefits

Free will writing

Job summary

Waythrough's Aquarius service in Birmingham is seeking a Youth Participation Worker to coordinate a youth steering group, support aftercare for young people leaving treatment and develop volunteer programmes including peer mentoring.

The role requires a certificate in youth and community work or equivalent experience, plus knowledge of project planning and working with young people in substance misuse settings. 37 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Certificate in youth and community work (e.g. NVQ Level 3 or above, DipSW, Mental Health Nursing, Counselling, Addiction Studies) or significant experience in a similar role.

Responsibilities

• Actively recruit volunteers and peer mentors.
• Facilitate Youth Steering group meetings.
• Work with management to develop and implement a service user involvement strategy, including establishing and supporting a service user board.
• Develop and deliver volunteer, peer mentoring and service user involvement programmes in line with the Aquarius framework.
• Support the delivery of aftercare provision.
• Assist colleagues with co-ordination and delivery of diversionary activities.
• Keep accurate records and data for reporting and evaluation purposes.
• Provide written records and reports as required by the organisation.
• Be available to work days, evenings, and weekends; travel to various locations as necessary.

Skills

Youth work experience

Volunteer recruitment

Record keeping

MS Office proficiency

Education

NVQ Level 3 or above

Job description

Birmingham

Location: Birmingham

Salary: £25,842 - £27,882

About The Role

An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen to join our Aquarius service in Birmingham. The Youth Participation Worker will facilitate and develop a youth steering group for the Aquarius service in Birmingham, support aftercare for young people leaving treatment, and coordinate and facilitate diversionary activities to support young people and their families. The post holder will develop and support delivery of volunteer programmes inclusive of peer support and peer mentoring programmes. They will ensure that service user participation and empowerment is implemented across the service. In addition, the post holder will:

• Actively recruit volunteers and peer mentors.
• Facilitate Youth Steering group meetings.
• Work with management to develop and implement a service user involvement strategy, including establishing and supporting a service user board.
• Develop and deliver volunteer, peer mentoring and service user involvement programmes in accordance with the Aquarius organisational framework.
• Support the delivery of aftercare provision.
• Assist colleagues with the coordination and delivery of diversionary activities.
• Keep accurate records and the necessary data for reporting and evaluation purposes.
• To provide written records and reports as required by the organisation.
• Be available to work days, evenings, and weekends when required, to meet the demands of the service and be willing to travel to various locations, as necessary.

An energetic and confident self-starter, you have a certificate in youth and community work e.g. NVQ Level 3 or above, DipSW, Mental Health Nursing, Counselling, Addiction Studies) or significant experience of working in a similar role with a commitment to complete NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care. As well as significant knowledge and experience of working with young people, you have knowledge of project planning and experience of working in the substance misuse sector. What's more, you have a flexible approach, a commitment to the principles of confidentiality and excellent record keeping and Microsoft Office.

This is a permanent full-time role requiring the post holder to work 37 hours per week.

Aquarius is a subsidiary of Waythrough.

Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.

This is a rolling recruitment process. Candidates will be interviewed as and when they are shortlisted.

About Waythrough

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we've created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services - and it's all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community

Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job - it's a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

What We Offer

• 27 days' annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)
• Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%
• Life assurance (3× annual salary)
• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay
• Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days' annual leave
• Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications
• 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme
• Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals
• £500 Recommend a Friend bonus
• Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership
• Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good
• Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Inclusion and accessibility

Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: [e-mail]

Closing Date:

2026-10-01