Re:Wise Education & Communities Worker

30August 2016

Dear Applicant,

Re:WiSE Education & Communities Worker

Thank you for your interest in the above post.

Enclosed is a job pack containing the following:

Welcome to Applicants
Job Profile
Policy on the Recruitment of Ex Offenders
Guidelines for working with Young People and Vulnerable Adults
Aims & Purposes of the YMCA

I have also enclosed an application form for your completion. Please be aware that the closing date for this vacancy is Monday 19th September 2016at 9am and the interview dates are Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th September 2016.

Please return email applications to or hard copies by hand or post to Human Resources, Reed House, 47 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2BE.

When completing the application form, make sure you refer to the requirements of the role as set out in the job profile, as short listing for interview rests on how well you meet these criteria.

We look forward to receiving your completed application. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application was not successful on this occasion.

YMCA DownsLink Group requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Yours faithfully,

Lucia Vaclavikova

Sessional Recruitment & HR Administrator

About Us

Thank you for your interest in this role and I hope you find this pack and our website answer your questions. You probably will have heard of YMCA, the largest and oldest youth charity in the world but you may not have heard about us. YMCA DownsLink Group (YMCA DLG) was formed in April 2014, bringing together Guildford and Sussex Central YMCAs into one organisation. So while we have a long heritage we are a young organisation and a new team of Chair and Chief Executive.

We believe that we do really interesting and valuable work. Children, young people and families are at the heart of our work with a particular focus on the needs of young people who find themselves on the fringes of society and need support. We provide a wide range of services including the provision of housing for some 513 people and providing them with support. Last year we made a difference to the lives of over 10,000 children & young people in a variety of ways.

We operate from locations across the South East with our Head Office in Hove. We are one of 125 YMCAs in the UK linked through YMCA England. As part of this federation of YMCAs, we are each an independent, self-governing charity and YMCA England supports us by giving us a national voice.

YMCA DLG has around 400 staff and 150 volunteers and our current turnover is £11.1m. On an annual basis, we collect £4.5m in rent; make over 350 lettings each year and deliver housing support contracts in excess of £2.5m. We also have a development programme with the HCA to bring into management a further 100 units of accommodation over the next 3 years.

Vision

Our vision is of an inclusive Christian movement transforming communities so that all young people can belong, contribute and thrive. You will need to demonstrate a commitment to our Christian aims, but do not have to be a practicing Christian. We value diversity in our staff team to reflect the people that we work with.

Values

We seek out – we actively look for opportunities to make a transformative impact on young lives in the communities where we work, and believe that every person is of equal value

We welcome – we offer people the space they need to feel secure, respected, heard and valued; and we always protect, trust, hope and persevere

We inspire – we strive to inspire each person we meet to realise their full potential in all they do

We speak out – we stand up for young people, speak out on issues that affect their lives, and help them to find confidence in their own voices

We support others – we are committed to the wellbeing of the communities we serve and believe in the positive benefit of participation, locally and in the wider world

Job Pack:

Job Title / WiSE Education and Communities Worker
Reporting to / WiSE Project Manager
Service Area / Children & Young People’s Services
Location / East Sussex
Contract Type and Employment Period / Fixed term maternity cover6 months, with a possible extension
Part time – 22 hours per week
Salary Band / C2

WiSE is a specialist sexual exploitation service, delivered by YMCA DownsLink Group, operating across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and Surrey.

Job Purpose:

To develop and deliver a universal and targeted programme of group workshops to be delivered in secondary schools and colleges that raise awareness of and prevent sexual exploitation, through exploring risk, healthy/unhealthy relationships, sex and consent, negotiation and assertiveness, protective behaviours, personal boundaries, harmful sexual behaviours, gender identities and concepts of masculinity, etc.

To develop a network of Sexual Exploitation champions in secondary schools and colleges, and provide them with regular training and consultation/professional support, to improve earlier identification of those vulnerable children and young people at risk and improve responses by schools and colleges.

To develop and deliver community engagement activity and community awareness raising and community empowerment initiatives, through a youth participation approach, to enable communities to protect children and young people from sexual and other forms of exploitation and report any concerns and intelligence to Sussex Police and into the MASH.

To deliver CSE training to the wider professional workforce across East Sussex.

Responsibilities:

To develop a programme of universal and targeted group work that seeks to prevent sexual (and other forms of) exploitation of boys and girls, and intervene early around sexually harmful behaviours. (This programme will be a complimentary provision to the universal and enhanced RSE offer to schools, being delivered by the Sex Ed Forum).
To work with school/college staff to develop and mentor CSE Champions to up skill them and create a sustainable model of work.
To deliver the group work programme, wherever possible with PSHE teachers/pastoral staff/CSE champions within schools and colleges, and with young people as peer facilitators.

To liaise with and involve key stakeholders e.g. Children’s Services,Public Health, LSCB, Sex Ed Forum, Sussex Police, Community Safety, etc.

To deliver the WiSE Night Time Economy campaign, through community engagement, training and outreach, particularly focussing on hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and taxi drivers.

Working with young people, to consult and explore neighbourhood and community awareness, knowledge and attitude towardthe sexual exploitation of children and young people.

To undertake detached outreach sessions into the night time economy, cruising areas/public sex environments, and other venues/ sites where young people gather to consult and gain intelligence.

Working with young people and colleagues within the WiSE project, to deliver a community awareness raising campaign,aimed at multiple audiences, on the sexual exploitation of boys and young men, that enables more victims to be identified and community intelligence shared with the police.

Working with young people to devise and deliver a programme of community engagement / awareness raising / community empowerment work.

To deliver training and awareness-raising workshops to professionals, foster carers and others.

To be responsive to local needs by creating and delivering work that supports individuals and groups through tackling issues as they emerge in East Sussex, e.g. new group work programmes in schools, new community engagement work, etc.

To work with the WiSE Project Managers and Wellbeing & Targeted Support Services Manager to use all learning to influence strategic planning and operational delivery locally.

To keep informed of relevant policy changes, serious case reviews and research relating to sexual exploitation.
To maintain confidentiality of YMCA DownsLink Group (DLG) and other partner agencies.
To attend and participate fully in YMCA DLG staff team meetings, staff training programme and supervisions.
To work in accordance with YMCA DLG policies, aims and purposes.

To carry out from time to time any other appropriate duties as directed by line manager to support and promote the work of the charity.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Job Related Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

Experience / Essential / Desirable
Working directly with young people aged 11 to 19 years old / *
Developing and delivering group work with young people / *
Safeguarding children and young people at risk of serious harm / *
Delivery of training or presenting information to a large audience / *
Involving young people in the planning, design and delivery of programmes of work (youth participation) / *
Working within education settings i.e. schools or colleges / *
Undertaking outreach e.g. into communities or the Night Time Economy / *
Community engagement / *
Community awareness raising / *
Providing practice support or mentoring other professionals / *
Skills & Abilities
Excellent communication skills with the ability to successfully communicate information that may be complex and contentious / *
Ability to provide support and guidance to other professionals working with children and young people who are sexually exploited / *
Public speaking - Ability to present information to different audiences, e.g. professionals, young people and the wider community / *
Ability to engage a diverse range of people through outreach to different settings, e.g. public sex environments/cruising areas, venues within the Night Time Economy, community centres / *
Ability to plan and devise a programme of community engagement and awareness raising activities / *
Ability to devise and plan group work programmes for a variety of ages (11-19 years) and learning needs / *
Ability to organise and prioritise work and co-ordinate a variety of tasks in a clear and logical way and meet agreed deadlines / *
Able to work as a member of a team as well as independently / *
Able to work flexibly and be adaptable to emergent needs and change / *
Good risk assessment skills, including on-going, dynamic assessment of risks / *
Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends / *
Good level of IT competency including data monitoring and designing campaign resources / *
Education and Training
Qualification in Youth Work / Social Work or equivalent qualification; or equivalent comparable experience working directly with children & young people / *
Group work training / *
Community engagement training / *
Knowledge
Knowledge of the risks posed to vulnerable young people through sexual and other forms of exploitation, e.g. drug running / *
Knowledge and understanding of the impact of sexual exploitation on parents / carers / families / *
Understanding of the needs of specific at risk groups such as homeless, LGBTU young people, Children in Care, trafficked young people and young people with learning disabilities / *
Knowledge of safeguarding legislation / *
General
A commitment to the Aims and Purposes of YMCA DLG / *
Have a full driving license and access to a car to undertake duties / *

Policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders:

YMCA DownsLink Group actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and applications are welcome from a wide range of candidates.

We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any applicant on the basis of a criminal record or other information revealed. Criminal records and other information will be taken into account for recruitment purposes only when they are relevant.

We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience. We ask all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record. Depending on the nature of the position applied for, YMCA DownsLink Group may request details of your entire criminal record or only of ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to a designated person within YMCA DownsLink Group and we guarantee that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. We would point out that for the successful candidate, this information will be verified by requesting a Disclosure[1] statement from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.

Failure to reveal information that is relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or subsequent dismissal.

We ensure that all those in YMCA DownsLink Group who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex offenders e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

At interview, or in separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matters that might be relevant to the position.

For those positions where a Disclosure is required, application forms and guidance notes will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the candidate being made a conditional offer of employment.

We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with YMCA DownsLink Group. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of any offences. However, as the nature of the YMCA DownsLink Group’s work brings its employees & volunteers into contact with young people (those under 18 years old) and/or vulnerable adults, a criminal record or other information which makes an application unacceptable for a position of trust will render the applicant unsuitable.

As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, this policy complies with the DBS Code of Practice.

Declaration of Criminal Background & Guidelines for Working with Young People and/or Vulnerable Adults

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to help people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been convicted again in a specified period. This period is known as a rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. Once a conviction is spent, the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) gives some exemptions from the Act, whereby details of ‘spent’ convictions have to be declared. One of these exemptions is working with young people and/or vulnerable adults. When recruiting people to work in such positions of trust an employer is entitled to ask for details of all convictions, spent and unspent.

If you are invited to an interview please bring with you a completed Declaration of Criminal Background Form which is enclosed in this application pack. It asks for details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. You should complete the form and place it in an envelope marked ‘Private and Confidential’, addressed to the Interview Panel. Your name should be clearly stated on the front.

The information relating to criminal convictions will only be seen by the interview panel if we are considering offering you employment. If you wish to discuss the information that you have given, please mention this to an interviewer. Having made its selection, the panel may wish to discuss any information given with you. Having a conviction will not necessarily bar you from consideration for the post. Criminal records will be taken into account only when they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. The information you provide will remain confidential.

If you are made a conditional offer YMCA DownsLink Group will apply for an Enhanced DBS Disclosure depending on the nature of the job.

The DBS offers organisations a means to check the background of job applicants to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for the post. DBS Disclosures are provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, an executive agency of the Home Office. Enhanced disclosures provide details of a person’s criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings; they also contain details from lists held by Government departments of those considered unsuitable for this type of work. Organisations using the DBS process must comply with the Code of Practice, a copy of which is available on request.

If you have any queries, please speak to a member of the HR team.

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[1]Applicants for certain positions who are made a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a criminal record check – known as Disclosure – from the Disclosure and Barring Service