Youth Worker NEW

Shoreham-by-sea, Sussex
ESTEEM
We are looking for someone with experience in the youth or community sector, who has worked directly with young adults in a strengths-based and participatory way to join us as a Youth Worker.

Job title: Youth Worker

Accountable to: Youth Work Manager

Based at: Esteem’s base, The Old School House, Shoreham-by-sea, with some limited options for flexible/ hybrid working. It is expected that the majority of your time will be in person as this is a role working directly with young adults

Contract: Permanent position – Part time

Hours: 30 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday 12:30pm to 08:30pm, Wednesday 12:30pm to 08:30pm, Thursday 10:00am to 06:00pm and Friday 10:00 am to 6:00pm – Tuesday is a non-working day.

Pay: £28,000 FTE (Pro-rata £22,400 actual gross) with scope for negotiation depending on experience and qualifications

Application Deadline: Monday 2nd November 2026 at 10am

Interviews: Week commencing 9th November 2026

Start Date: To be confirmed

How To Apply: If you would like to apply for this position, please complete an application form and send it along with your CV to our HR team.

Please let us know if you would prefer to submit your application in another way, such as a video presentation.

For an informal conversation about the role please contact our HR team

About Esteem

Esteem is a youth charity built by and for young adults aged 14 to 26, offering group activities and one-to-one support in Shoreham-by-Sea. In our space, any young adult can find their people, take on real responsibility, and discover what they are capable of.

Esteem creates spaces where everyone matters.

Each year, 250 young adults from across Sussex spend time with us. They come from many different communities and bring a wide range of experiences, with many navigating three or four social barriers at once that may impact their health, ability to cope and thrive into their adult lives. Participation runs through everything we do, with young adults shaping sessions, projects and the organisation itself at every level.

About the role

Your main focus will be leading and organising group activities and social sessions.

That means our flagship weekly sessions, The Drop-In, WYD Wednesday and Crunch Time, developing our sessions and partnership at Shoreham Academy and the shorter projects that rotate through the year based on young adults’ needs and interests. At the moment these include a young men’s group, HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) sessions, and ‘Learn To’ inclusive physical activity sessions.

You will lead on organising, delivering and reporting on these sessions, with young adults directly shaping what happens in them. From time to time you will also meet young adults one to one, working alongside them on things like conflict, boundaries and building confidence.

Young adults tell us what they want from a youth worker. They want time and space, and someone who understands them as an individual. They want somewhere that feels safe and supportive, where they can meet people and build connections. They want a programme of activities that is genuinely good fun and gives them somewhere to be. That is what you will help build.

What you will do

Leading group activities

• Plan and deliver regular social sessions alongside young adults, for under 18s (14 to 17) and over 18s (18 to 26), including Esteem’s drop-ins. These currently run Monday 6pm to 8pm, Wednesday 4.30pm to 8pm and Friday 4pm to 5.30pm, with Shoreham Academy sessions on Friday 12pm to 2pm.
• Organise, coordinate, deliver and report on short projects that run across the year:
  • Esteem’s HAF holiday club, which runs up to three times a year
  • A new young men’s group, where young men build a positive understanding of their gender, healthy relationships and mental health.
  • ‘Learn To’ inclusive physical activity sessions, where young adults who don’t currently exercise get active on their own terms
• Working is required on the occasional bank holiday, and weekend on a rota basis, as agreed with the line manager.
• Support the Wellbeing Project Worker to deliver wellbeing activities such as surfing, hikes and trips.
• Keep our sessions genuinely open, so that young adults from every background find a way in and a reason to stay.
• Work with colleagues and young adults to develop a range of activities that build connection, confidence and community.

One-to-one support

• Introducing new young adults to Esteem, our ethos and connecting them to opportunities at the organisation.
• Work alongside young adults to support their engagement in group sessions, whether that’s supporting them to join a group for the first time, or to repair conflict, or work through whatever is getting in the way.
• Help young adults find and stay involved in opportunities, both at Esteem and elsewhere.

Working with volunteers

• Support the recruitment, induction, training and supervision of volunteers and bank staff involved in your sessions.
• Build a collaborative atmosphere in which volunteers feel valued and well supported.

Records, monitoring and budgets

• Record attendance and complete the relevant documentation, including impact measurement and risk assessments.
• Manage and maintain a budget for your activities.
• Record progress and outcomes on Upshot, Esteem’s CRM system (Our secure database of young adults).
• Gather feedback from young adults, act on it, and tell them what changed as a result.
• Keep accurate and up-to-date records of your work with young adults.
• Prepare the information needed for impact measurement and funding reports, meeting confidentiality and data protection standards.
• Take part in team meetings, training and professional development.

Safeguarding and risk

• Safeguard young adults, reporting and recording any concerns to the safeguarding team.
• Follow Esteem’s safeguarding policies and procedures in all your work.
• Write risk assessments for your sessions and manage risk so that activities stay safe and still feel worth turning up for.

Community

• Raise awareness of Esteem locally, so more young adults know we are here, with an emphasis on young adults from marginalised communities (Including those from the LGBT+, Neurodiverse, Refugee and Asylum Seeker communities)
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local organisations, schools and community groups, working alongside the youth team and Esteem’s Marketing and Communications Officer.

Championing young adults’ voices

• Advocate for what young adults tell us they need, inside Esteem and in the wider community.
• Support young adults to take part in decisions, so their voices matter and their decisions stick.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone with experience in the youth or community sector, who has worked directly with young adults in a strengths-based and participatory way. You will need to show us that you can collaborate, plan, solve problems, use your initiative and connect with people.

Esteem strives for excellence in safeguarding young adults and adults at risk, and in promoting the safety and welfare of everyone who comes through our doors.

If you meet most of what follows and are not sure about the rest, we would still like to hear from you.

Essential experience and knowledge

• Experience working directly with young adults, with demonstrable youth work skills or experience in a youth development or community setting. We would usually expect around two years, though we welcome applications from people whose experience has taken a different shape.
• Experience supporting young adults in a social environment.
• Experience of participatory, strengths-based practice, where young adults lead.
• A strong understanding of accessibility, and of what young adults from different backgrounds bring and need.
• A Level 3 qualification in youth work or equivalent, or a willingness to work towards one.
• Experience of supporting young men’s wellbeing and mental health, and an understanding of what helps young men talk, connect and look after themselves.

Essential skills and abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including text and digital communication, particularly with young adults who have found other services hard to access.
• Empathy, and the ability to work in a trauma-informed way both one to one and in groups.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• The ability to facilitate interactive, age-appropriate activities with a youth-led approach.
• An awareness of safeguarding practice for young people and adults at risk, including relevant training.
• The ability to keep good records and to use IT and online systems to record outcomes and monitor performance. Currently we use google workspace and Upshot as our CRM.

Desirable

• A Level 3 youth work qualification already held.
• Experience of Upshot or a similar CRM system.
• Experience of delivering holiday provision.
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• A Middas qualification

What you are like

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