At Volunteering Matters we use volunteering’s unique power to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

We bring people together to resolve some of society’s most complex issues. From social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence, and opportunity; to ensuring young people can become change makers in their community, the impact that we make is great. And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

People-led and impact driven, we are a national charity that is deeply embedded in local areas across the UK. We operate in five regions: London and the South East; Wales and the West of England; East of England; the Midlands and North West England; and Scotland and North East England. We also have an Employee Volunteering Team with over 25 years’ experience, acting as a broker to provide tailor-made solutions to employers. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all.

This is an exciting time to be joining the team. We’re changing the way we work to meet new ambitions and make sure our impact continues to grow alongside out business.

Role Purpose

Connect+Go is a 12-month pilot project funded by Department for Transport. It aims to connect communities in Nuneaton and the surrounding county of Warwickshire by offering free transport to people who may be experiencing isolation and loneliness. Connect+Go will work in particular with young care experienced people and refugees within Warwickshire.

Volunteer drivers will be recruited and trained to drive an electric minibus or tuk-tuk which will offer transport links to community groups, events and social activities. Volunteers may also offer companionship support to people, developing confidence and social inclusion. There will additionally be two Full-Time Volunteers and a part-time Project Co-Ordinator supporting the project.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the management of Connect+Go and will lead on developing existing and new relationships across Warwickshire. The post holder will line manage a Project Co-Ordinator and supervise two Full-Time Volunteers.

Through our diversity and inclusion strategy, we have made a commitment to increase the diversity of our charity and we welcome candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We want our employees, volunteers and trustees to represent the broad diversity of the communities of which we are a part.

Summary

We are recruiting for our award-winning Young People and Families Service. This role will lead the delivery of our participatory, self-management UK arts programme, alongside our team of amazing young volunteers. You’ll organise and curate an annual exhibition to raise awareness of the impact of rheumatic conditions on young people and their families. And you’ll help to deliver our one-to-one youth work embedded in the multidisciplinary team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

About the role

We are looking for dynamic, creative, innovative team players to join our Young People and Families Service in Scotland. The role will be based in North East Scotland but will support service delivery across Scotland and the UK.

As a Young People & Families Worker you will work with colleagues, partners, healthcare professionals, schools, volunteers, families and most importantly young people to co-plan, deliver and evaluate a high-quality, holistic support offer locally and nationally. Using a community development/youth work approach, you’ll put children and young people at the centre of decisions about their journey and our service offer.

Using youth accessible approaches, you will help young people to build their confidence, make friends and achieve their personal goals. This will be achieved by providing one-to-one support, creating peer networks and working with volunteers to co-deliver self-management activities on a variety of topics from sleep management to self-advocacy. You’ll also co-design an exciting programme of social events, youth voice opportunities, digital content and residential events.

You will act as the bridge between young people, their families and professionals – especially in healthcare settings. Here you will play a unique role working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to meet a range of needs in a relatable and youth-friendly style as young people learn to live well with their condition. You will support young people during the pivotal transition from paediatric to adult services and life, ensuring it is a time of empowerment and growth.

Key requirements

Essential:

· Experience of working within the fields of youth/community development work, especially within the arts as a subject expert.

· Understanding the importance of self-management and experience of delivering interventions to people living with long term conditions - especially arts-based interventions. Experience of taking a person-centred approach when providing support, with a passion for improving the lives of young people.

· Experience of using a community development/youth work approach to co-design and deliver a quality service/project that is inclusive, inspiring and makes a difference. Engaging colleagues, funders, supporters and partners to make it happen.

· Knowledge and experience of embedding safeguarding and safe working policies and procedures.

· Experience of leading a project with project management skills including; supporting evaluation work, writing reports, developing project proposals, managing activity budgets and cascading learning and development to a team of staff/volunteers.

· Experience of working directly with artists and curators. Translating artistic plans into reality, as well as knowledge of contemporary visual art practice, culture, networks, curation and social engagement approaches.

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and evidence of excellent relationship management with a wide range of stakeholders.

· Good IT skills; thorough working knowledge of MS Office Suite especially Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and digital working skills, including experience of using databases.

· Experience of workload planning including event management, especially within the arts, including experience of exhibition delivery. Sound organisational and time-management skills and the ability to prioritise workload effectively.

· Understanding of the importance of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

· Willingness to travel across the UK as required to attend meetings and events, which may occasionally be on a weekend.

Desirable:

· Knowledge and understanding of arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

· Understanding of the ‘Social model of disability.’

· Experience of using /delivering over virtual communication platforms; Microsoft Teams, Zoom.

· Degree or related qualification in the arts.

· Good understanding of the social, health, emotional, economic impacts of the arts and arts based self-management.

Youth Scotland, Scotland’s national charity for the support and delivery of community-based youth work, would love you to come and join

our dynamic team

We have developed an exciting new partnership with Scottish Government to support the roll out of a Carbon Neutral Schools Project with primary and secondary school age children and young people on the Scottish Islands, using a youth work & schools’ approach.

We have identified the need for a development worker role which will suit an experienced youth worker/educator who is passionate about empowering and upskilling young people on the Scottish Islands on sustainability, climate change and carbon neutral initiatives. If this is you, then we want to hear from you!

This role will be part of our Young Islanders Network/Youth Work and Training Team

Are you ready ……?

Career Ready students leave school clearer about their future, more work ready, more confident, more skilled and with a network they would not otherwise have.

Are you a passionate relationship and account manager with an eye for detail and experience in programme management?

Do you have what it takes to grow, manage, and develop Career Ready’s employer and educational partnerships in Moray to deliver our proven and impactful programme?

If so, then this is the opportunity for you.

Career Ready is about many things and at our heart is socio-economic inclusion, equality of opportunity and helping unlock potential, given our social mobility focus, through providing transformative experiences for targeted young people that also benefit employers and their staff. We are delighted to share this opportunity to join our truly wonderful team.

Please visit our website for more information on our work careerready.org.uk/scotland

Our Purpose

Career Ready’s purpose is to boost social mobility and transform young people’s life chances and aspirations through learning about career pathways and experiencing the real world of work. Young people leave the Career Ready programme more work ready having made an informed choice about their future career destiny with a plan in place to achieve it, whether via further/higher education, employment, including an apprenticeship or self-employment.

Career Ready is all about great partnerships between employers, DYW Regional Groups, Local Authorities, Head Teachers, and schools, transforming young lives along the way. We recognise the potential in students from all backgrounds but are focused on giving students with little family background of higher education or professional careers, the confidence, skills and networks to achieve their potential – our social mobility focus.

As a passionate and experienced professional in the management of great partnerships you will lead, grow and develop our Career Ready partnership in Moray, optimising the programme experience for all stakeholders and securing the engagement of employer support for the programme of approximately 50+ students each year who will participate in the 18-month long Career Ready programme annually.

Full information can be found in the candidate brief