Role summary: This role will support the Youth Engagement manager on engagement activities that support the whole organisation’s youth engagement and participation including face-to-face activities and virtual events. You will be expected to be an ambassador for collaborative working and co-production with young people.

Youth voice is an essential component of our work and this role will ensure young people’s views are woven into the very fabric of the organisation, informing all that we do. You will actively engage with young people supporting the work of the Youth Engagement Team. Areas of focus will include:

1) leading on the coordination of the YPSA (Young Person Supported Accomodation) Youth Forums; developing and facilitating YPSA Youth Forums countywide

2) facilitating the engagement and delivery of the VRU Youth Advisory Board, in tandem with Thames Valley Police.

You may also be called upon to support the engagement of:

• the Youth Awards Youth Committee – co-design and coordinate of OY’s bi-annual awards
• the Podcast Crew who are supported to produce content for OY’s youth-led podcast ‘Are You Listening?’
• improving Life Chances Programme, a three-year programme supporting young people to get active

Job location (usual place of work): Headington, Oxford

Pay rate: £22,462- £24,649

Job title: Youth Engagement Coordinator

Applications close on date: 31/05/2022

Hours are: Full time

Contract is: Permanent

Job description: Duties and responsibilities

Key responsibilities

Engagement
• To work with children and young people, the YPSA team and key stakeholders to implement the engagement strategy, which will deliver a range of different opportunities for young people to get involved, drive campaigns and change programmes, and to shape the delivery of our services.
• To lead on the co-design and facilitation of the YPSA Youth Forum
• To be instrumental in developing a culture at OY that actively listens and responds to the voices of young people
• To ensure all youth engagement is inclusive and of high quality, offering creative ways to ensure young people from all walks of life engage with OY, including those who are hard to reach such as: asylum seekers, young people with additional needs, and young people with mental health challenges.
• To work with young people to explore a creative and imaginative approach to participation that will keep the young people engaged and excited
• To engage with the wider youth engagement activities in Oxfordshire to ensure a joined up approach for youth engagement.
• To ensure all pathways and programmes are co-designed with young people and are learner centred and experiential.

Evaluation, Impact and Marketing

• To work with the Youth Engagement Manager to evaluate all interventions ensuring case studies and young people’s views feature in impact and marketing materials
• To ensure all data is effectively and ethically gathered and stored in line with GDPR
• To ensure young people’s stories are shared with the Youth-Led Content Creator to support to raise the quality of youth engagement online
• To contribute to reports as required

Compliance

• To ensure all engagement with young people is ethical and effective; permissions are sought where information is to be publicly shared
• To ensure data is managed in line with GDPR, seeking advice from the Research and Impact Manager as necessary
• To carry out risk assessments on all activities to ensure safety, confidentiality and safeguarding are protected.
• To ensure safeguarding informs the design and delivery of all engagement and learning activities with the creation of safe environments to share learning and experiences
• To design and implement behaviour management strategies to be implemented by all facilitators
• To put in place effective quality assurance, record keeping and reporting
• Implement Oxfordshire youth outreach plans to enable more young people to benefit from the organisation’s programmes and services

Ambassador for OY

• To liaise with other youth organisations to share learning
• To work with Young People to attend and speak at Conferences highlighting OY’s innovative learner pathways/programmes
• To support young people to become ambassadors.
• To promote the importance of youth voice

Collaboration and Communication

• To use inquiry, effective dialogue, and superb facilitation to engage collaboratively with young people, staff, and partners
• Use appropriate technologies to engage young people in the sector.
• Network with other community organisations to maximise opportunities for youths to access programmes

This job description is subject to amendment following discussion with the post holder.
Youth Engagement Coordinator 04.2022

Person specification
Expertise and qualifications

Essential
o A minimum of 3 years experience working directly with Children & Young People
o An understanding of issues affecting Young People
o Experience in working with children and young people of a range of ages, backgrounds and abilities.
o Experience in working with young people who have experienced multiple trauma.
o Experience in working in partnership in a multi-agency environment
o Full UK driving license and constant access to a vehicle

Desirable
o A relevant professional qualification e.g. in community work, play work, youth work, social work or learning/education
o Training in Trauma-Informed Approaches (TIC) and Psychologically Informed Environments
o (PIE)
o Experience in designing programmes in leadership, mental health

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential
o Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
o Superb facilitation understanding of the youth work approach
o Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure
o Excellent collaborative working skills
o Strong planning and organisational skills
o Right to work in the U.K.
o IT skills including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and CRM systems
o A flexible approach to work, including a willingness to take on tasks outside the usual remit and to work irregular hours
o The ability to solve problems and think creatively

Desirable
o Proficiency in a range of online digital tools for project management such as monday.com, Slack and others
o Previous experience working in the not-for-profit sector

Personal qualities

Essential
o An unwavering commitment to Oxfordshire Youth’s vision, mission and values
o The ability to relate to and empathise with young people
o Integrity and discretion when dealing with sensitive information
o A commitment to treating people equally, being aware of unconscious bias and working proactively and openly to challenge it within your own and within others practice
o Respecting differences and challenging prejudice and discrimination
o A positive, enthusiastic and can-do approach that demonstrates the attributes of a growth mindset
o Commitment to your own learning and development
o Accountability for the quality of your work and responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills

To apply, please contact: Closing date for applications: 31/05/2022
Interviews to be held: week commencing 06/06/2022
To apply, please send a copy of your CV accompanied by a covering letter to: recruitment@oxfordshireyouth.org
alternatively, visit https://oxfordshireyouth.org/engage/work-with-us/ for more information.