Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance

Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance

Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance

Job Description

Job Title:Colchester Area Youth Work Adviser

Reports to:Bishop of Colchester

Salary:£26,500 to £30,500, subject to experience and qualifications

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Purpose Statement

The Colchester Area Youth Work Adviser will be responsible for spearheading the delivery of the Diocesan Youth Strategy in the Colchester area. A person of vibrant Christian faith, embedded in the local church and passionate about discipleship, with a desire to see young people and young adults explore faith and spirituality, developing holistically within the life of their communities, including the church.

Nature and Scope

The Diocese

The Diocese of Chelmsford works throughout Essex and East London serving a population of over 3 million people. There are currently 24 Deaneries subdivided into 463parishes, with nearly 600 churches and over 500 clergy working across a catchment area of 1,531 square miles. The Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance (CDBF) is the company, and registered charity, that manages the financial affairs of the Diocese.

The Colchester Episcopal Area

The Colchester Episcopal area is very diverse in landscape and in its surrounding communities. It is a large area that stretches from Saffron Walden in the West, reaches up to Harwich and down to Witham in the south.

There are almost 200 Anglican Churches in the area and if you drive from one edge of the area to the other then it would take you about two hours!

The Parishes range from extremely wealthy parishes to an area labelled as one of the most deprived places in the UK. There are bustling towns, sleepy rural villages and some amazing coastlines with both large and small Church congregations. However they all have the same amazing heart to reach out to their communities and local young people with the gospel. The Colchester Area Churches are grouped into 8 Deaneries and all but one of these have active deanery youth champions that work voluntarily (with a small budget) to facilitate and resource grassroots youth work. This is a model that is also replicated across the Diocese in the other two Episcopal areas with their youth advisers.

At the time of writing there are 15 Parish employed full time youth/ children’s workers (with only 3 of these solely focused on children.) Colchester also has many thriving ecumenical youth ministry teams that also employ workers; such as CYO in Colchester, Braintree and Witham. Coggeshall youth project, Harwich peninsular youth ministries, Tiptree youth project and Fellowship Afloat. There are many more volunteers that work in each Church and there are great opportunities to develop this work further. This active network of youth workers meet for prayer, Diocesan training, residentials, socials and to provide a termly ecumenical youth event called JOY.

The role of the Colchester Area Youth Work adviser

  1. To spearhead delivery of Anglican youth work in the Colchester Area with 11-25s and to advise the Area Bishop, Archdeacons, Area Deans and Incumbents on all aspects of Youth Work.
  1. To co-ordinate networking, support and training for Deanery Youth Champions, full and part-time Parish and Schools Youth Workers.
  1. To encourage, advise and support with the development of a large volunteer Youth work force across the churches of the Area.
  1. To encourage the development of work with un-churched young people by the Christian community. Church plants, youth congregations, etc.
  1. To work with the Ecumenical delivery team to continue and develop JOY, the termly area youth event.
  1. To work in close association with ecumenical partners, area youth advisers, The Diocesan children’s adviser and other relevant bodies such as the DYO network and the national children’s and youth officer.
  1. To share in writing, coordinating and delivering a new diocesan youth strategy alongside the Area Advisers for Barking and Bradwell and report to the Youth and Children’s advisory group led by the Bishop of Bradwell.
  1. To demonstrate and facilitate good practice in all areas of youth work and promote these high standards in Churches.

The Adviser will be a member of the ColchesterArea Team, consistingof the Bishop of Colchester, the Archdeacons of Colchester and Stansted, Advisers for CMD, Mission and Ministry and Rural Evangelism.

Specific Tasks

  1. Sharing vision, encouragement and good practice with Deanery Synods, Chapters and PCCs in areas of youth work good practice.
  1. Offering support to Parish Clergy with their youth strategy.
  1. One to one and group work with youth workers including informal support structures for youth workers in the Episcopal area.
  1. Provide encouragement, training, retreats and support for youth workers, both paid and voluntary.
  1. Work alongside our very own Diocesan youth residential centre ‘St Marks College’ as a trustee and/or a member of the management team.
  1. Currently we work with CYM to deliver their ‘Equip’ course that is the equivalent of an A-level in youth ministry. You would be expected to help deliver or co-ordinate the running of this course in partnership with the other youth advisers.
  1. Develop the termly ‘informal network gathering’ of youth workers that gathers and unites all involved in frontline youth work.
  1. Be a part of the Colchester Area Team and attend all team Meetings
  1. Keeping abreast of developments, trends, resources and training opportunities in Youth work, including Safeguarding
  1. Undertaking personal development and training regularly

Key Relationships

  • The Area Bishop of Colchester and Archdeacons of Colchester and Stansted
  • The Colchester Area Team
  • Deanery Youth Champions and Youth Workers in the Colchester Episcopal Area
  • The Deaneries and Mission and Ministry Units (which are currently being formed) of the Episcopal Area
  • The parishes and churches of the Episcopal Area; their clergy, authorised and licensed ministers, PCC officers and volunteers
  • Other Area Youth Work Advisors in the Diocesan Youth Advisory Team

Safeguarding Team Person Specification

Essential

  • Demonstrable expertise and experience in working with young people aged 11-25
  • Level 3 (A-Level) in youth work or other relevant qualification at this level
  • Excellent and proven communication and presentation skills both written and verbal and proven ability to tailor materials to the needs of the group
  • Practising Christian and part of a worshipping community
  • Demonstrable ability to take initiative in balancing the role amongst parish, Area and Diocesan responsibilities
  • Conversant with the different styles of ministry in the Church of England and able to work alongside clergy and congregations who reflect this diversity
  • A team player, able to draw on the gifts and skills of others with the confidence to work alone as appropriate
  • Excellent time keeping, diary management and self-motivation skills
  • Prepared to work from home as well as travelling extensively and working evening and weekends on a regular basis
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional literacy to build strong working relationships to deliver on the key aims
  • Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues
  • Track record of working with and managing volunteers
  • Possession of a full, valid driving license

Desirable

  • Qualification at Degree level or higher in youth work or other relevant qualification at this level
  • Evidence of specific relevant training or qualifications
  • Good IT skills, including MS Word, PowerPoint, email and online systems; willing to have further training in this area
  • Comfortable with and conversant in the use of social media and willing to have further training in this area
  • Problem solving skills with attention to detail and accuracy

Outline of Terms and Conditions

Responsible to:Bishop of Colchester

Salary: £26,500 to £30,500 per annum subject to experience and qualifications

Hours:35 hours per week. Working hours will be across a 5 day working week, including some evening and weekend working.

Pension:Enrolment in the Church Workers’ defined contribution scheme (a non-contributory scheme with an 11% contribution by the Board)

Annual leave:Twenty-five days plus eight public holidays

Probationary 6 months

period:

Notice period:After service of one month but during probationary period - 1week.

After the successful completion of probationary period but under 5 years’ service - 1month.

Over 5 years' continuous service - 1 week for each complete year of service to a maximum of 12weeks after 12years.

Contract Term:The contract will be for a five year period

Expenses:Working expenses are paid at the Diocesan rates.

Office base:Office base at home, with the requirement to work at venues across the Colchester Episcopal Area

Contract:The contract of employment will be with the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance.

GOR:There is a genuine occupational requirement for the jobholder to be a practising Christian.

Right to work:The post-holder must have the right to reside and work in the UK.

Checks:This appointment is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check and references

November 2016Page 1 of 5

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