Youth Worker - In training

Youth Worker - In training

Permanent, Full Time

£24,786- £25,115 pa + £924 per annum Fringe Allowance

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 30th December 2025

About Us:

Are you looking for a new opportunity to combine paid work with study and achieve a recognised JNC Youth Support Worker qualification?  Do you have a passion to help and support young people? This could be the opportunity you are looking for!

We are currently seeking a Youth Worker in Training to support the development of youth work in the community, whilst working towards a JNC recognised Level 3 qualification in Youth Work. Your base will be Basildon Youth Centre and you will work with local youth work teams including volunteers in community youth clubs, areas covered to include Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point and Rochford.

Mobile and flexible working requirements: You must be available for evening and weekend work.

Benefits:

• Healthy work life balance.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
• IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied.
• 30 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
• Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme.
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
• Up to 4 days per year Volunteering leave.
• Disability Confident Leader: we are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job.
• Study towards a Youth Support Worker Level 3 Apprenticeship.

What our apprentices say:

"It feels amazing when you meet young people who you have previously worked with.  You get to see how they’ve progressed and see how their confidence has grown and know that you were part of helping them do that." 

"The team I work with are very supportive and everybody is happy to help and answer questions.  They will rally together to give you the correct information, whether it be for an assignment for my apprenticeship or something on the job"

The Role:

You will be working face to face with young people as part of a team, you will ensure young people have positive experiences, by working with them to identify what’s important to them and then being part of developing good youth work activities.  You will work with local youth work teams including volunteers in community youth clubs across the south Essex area.

You will need to be someone who can focus on putting young people at the heart of your work.  Working flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and residentials, you will be supported by an experienced team of youth workers in a variety of youth work settings.

As part of your Apprenticeship, you will have 6 hours per week allocated for learning and development.

About You:

You will:

• Be passionate about supporting young people.
• Experience of working with young people and communities is an advantage.
• Have the ability to work across Essex as per service needs.
• Have the ability to undertake evening, weekend and residential work as required to meet service needs.
• Be able to build relationships and relate well to people.
• Motivate young people and facilitate young people’s learning.
• Be able to work in a changing environment.
• Be committed to challenging prejudice and ignorance.
• Have the ability to develop work with young people to achieve planned outcomes.
• Work together as part of a team.

Essential Requirements for the role:

• Functional Skills Level 1 in Maths and English (or equivalent), which is a Grade D/E or 2/3 to begin the apprenticeship.
• Ability to reach a Level 2 Functional Skills in both Maths & English by the End Point Assessment (EPA), if you do not already have this.
• This job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

What will you be doing?

• Identify areas of need and opportunity within the community where a youth work programme can be identified to support the development of youth provision delivered by the community.
• Negotiate with young people and their communities on their involvement in the programme planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Contribute to and promote the programme to ensure that opportunities are accessible to all who wish to become involved.
• As part of the team involve young people in the decision-making processes whereby individuals and groups take on responsibilities for themselves and others in their project and the wider community.
• As part of the team respond to individual and group needs, this includes issues affecting young people, promoting self-awareness and self-esteem.
• To deliver or support the direct delivery of youth work programmes as may be required, to include residential experiences for young people.
• Take part in management supervision and the staff performance management scheme, to identify priorities and learning needs and to be responsible for the learning and development of self and to complete all required training and accreditation within 18 months of starting employment.
• Follow Child Protection Guidelines and report any concerns using the correct procedure and comply with individual responsibilities for staff and young people, in accordance with work role, for health and safety in the workplace.
• Ensure all duties and services provided are in accordance with the County Council Equal Opportunities Policy and Practice.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level and accountabilities of the post as directed by the Youth Work Commissioner.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you need any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

To read more about us please visit:

Education: https://www.workingforessex.com/role/education

Entry to Work: https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/entry-to-work

How to apply

Seize the day! Discover your future in Youth Work by clicking the APPLY button now!

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Additional Information:

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.  

If you have queries on this role or require further information, please email: Jamielea.wallis@Essex.gov.uk

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working  | About Us  | Organisation Behaviours