About The Role
Our priority to reach out in support to young people and their families in our local communities across Mildmay, Dalston, and Canonbury, and help them to grow in faith, is one of the missional priorities for our church.
The role is to support and complement the work of our Children and Families Apprentice, to work partly with children, but more specifically with youth. The role would be to lead our weekly youth drop-in on a Thursday evening, currently attracting around fifteen young people in Years 7-9. This drop-in is providing a safe space to socialise, play games and share food together. We would also like to provide a twice monthly Sunday programme for our youth, where they can explore questions of faith, experience God’s love and grow in relationship with Him. In addition to these two main responsibilities, we would also like the youth worker to support the work of the after-school drop-in, also on a Thursday, which currently attracts around twenty to thirty children each week, along with their parents and carers. There is a particular need to provide games and perhaps a drama workshop, to work alongside the craft activities and play activities.
There is a Genuine Occupational Requirement under the Equality Act 2010 for the post to be filled by a practising Christian.
The successful applicant must also have an Enhanced DBS Check and complete the required safeguarding training.
The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults through the use of the Safer Recruitment practice guidance. This role is subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check.
1. To co-ordinate the planning, delivery of youth activities, including ordering equipment as needed, creating rotas, reviewing and producing risk assessments, ensuring safeguarding policies are in place and followed.
2. To sustain and further develop the weekly youth club for secondary school aged children. Providing a safe space for them to grow holistically and spiritually.
3. To participate in planning and leading fortnightly activities for the youth on a Sunday, to enable them to explore questions of faith, experience God’s love and grow in relationship with Him.
4. Working with our Children and Families Apprentice, develop further the programme of weekly after-school events for primary school aged children and their parents/carers, ensuring that there is a warm welcome for all, and
5. Working alongside our Children and Families Apprentice, extend the inclusion of 4-16 year olds in public worship by leading activities with them on Sunday mornings through Breakfast Church and seasonal plays such as the Nativity.
6. To develop and sustain a monthly Messy Church. Working with our Children and Families Apprentice, plan the activities and craft and participate in the services.
7. Working alongside our Children and Families Apprentice and our Operations Manager, manage the database for youth and parents/carers, ensuring that records are maintained.
8. Manage, support, train and develop the team of volunteers working with the youth, recruiting additional volunteers as needed, to enable all planned activities to take place safely, and conducting regular reviews of the youth programme with other staff and volunteers.
9. Promote the health & safety and safeguarding of children by ensuring that church health & safety and safeguarding policies are known, understood, and put into practice in liaison with the Operations Manager and Parish Safeguarding Officer.
10. Coordinate all publicity and marketing for youth activities, i.e. print, social media, web, and email, and working with our Operations Manager, ensuring that the youth section of the website is developed, maintained and up to date.
11. Manage and grow relationships with others working with children and families in the community and across the Islington Deanery, to collaborate and share expertise and resources as appropriate.
12. Ensure their own spiritual and personal development continues, along with training as may be advisable for the role.
Experience
• Working with children and youth
• Awareness of safeguarding and data protection
• Leadership
Skills/Competence
• Creative, to develop programme for youth
• Create attractive publicity
• Team player
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Excellent communication skills – verbally and in writing
• Organised & able to manage & prioritise workload
Personal Qualities
• Have a spiritual and pastoral concern for children and youth & their parents/carers
• Professional & friendly
• Able to make decisions independently & work under own initiative
• Happy to work within an Anglican Church
Equal Opportunities
The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME) and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.