Youth Support Worker

“Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.”

• Restricted to Adults, Health & Communities - Community Safety, Cosmo Community Youth Team, Employees in the Council’s formal redeployment pool and Agency Workers within this service area who are in an active placement and have 12 weeks continuous service.
  
  

Applications submitted that don't meet this criteria will not be considered and will be rejected.

Hours - 6 hours per week

Contract - fixed term until 30/09/2026

Plymouth City Council's Community Youth Team is seeking 3 internal Youth Support Workers to join our sessional delivery framework for the upcoming Summer Detached Youth Work project.

This project represents a critical, time-sensitive element of the Serious Violence Funding – 26/27 Delivery Plan aimed at reducing youth-related antisocial behaviour and harm across Plymouth, with frontline sessions focusing specifically on the waterfront and city centre areas.

This is a customer-facing role delivering relationship-based, informal social education to young people aged 13 to 19 within their own environments during peak evening, weekend, and summer holiday risk windows. By establishing consistent, trusted adult relationships on the streets, you will provide early intervention, targeted guidance, and safe diversionary alternatives to young people most at risk of involvement in violence, weapon carrying, or exploitation.

This opportunity is offered as an internal Expression of Interest (EOI) process, we aim to ensure equity of opportunity while providing necessary additional capacity to alleviate extended operational pressures across the service over the summer weeks.

• In this role, you will:
• Work directly with young people (core age 13 to 19) in their own time and environments to develop their social education and build trusted professional relationships (allocated at 75% of project time).
• Establish contact with, guide, and support young people on the streets in accordance with changing police intelligence and localized community safety data.
• Deliver street-based youth work sessions using a highly flexible weekly delivery model designed to react to real-time spikes in demand (options include 3 x 2-hour, 2 x 3-hour, or 1 x 6-hour weekly sessions).
• Create a culture of active youth participation to develop young people's experience, confidence, and capacity for positive decision-making and conflict resolution.
• Contribute proactively to service development by dedicating up to 15% of your sessional time to essential pre- and de-briefs, planning, dynamic risk evaluations, service monitoring, and identified casework tracking.
• Deliver best value by working flexibly within an emerging, multi-agency framework alongside partners like Devon and Cornwall Police and Community Connections Teams.
• Operate within all corporate protocols regarding client confidentiality, information governance, data protection, equal opportunities, and health and safety systems.
• Essential Criteria:
• Qualifications:
  
  

Qualified in youth work or a related professional area to NVQ Level 2 or 3, alongside GCSE English or Maths (grades A–C or equivalent).

• Experience:
  
  

Proven experience of successful youth work producing achievements for young people in the context of National Standards, alongside experience in creating a common purpose around youth participation.

• Core Skills:
  
  

Strong written, IT, and oral communication skills, as well as proven organizational and time-management competencies.

• Operational Demands:
  
  

Ability and availability to routinely work unsocial hours (evenings and weekends) in alignment with targeted project deployments.

• Practice Standards:
  
  

Ability to utilize recording systems, deliver active anti-discriminatory practice, and show a clear capacity for insight, reflection, and ethical standards in youth work practice.

• Desirable Criteria:
• Knowledge of youth policy frameworks and multi-agency systems in external settings.
• Direct experience working in street-based, outreach, or detached youth delivery settings.
• Possession of a full UK Driving Licence and/or a valid Minibus Driver's Licence.
• Water confidence or the ability to swim (given the localized focus on waterfront hotspot environments).
• Experience Support:
  
  

To bridge any localized gaps in detached delivery experience, successful internal candidates will receive a comprehensive operational briefing and continuous field support led by the Senior Professional Youth Worker (SPYW).

• Work Style:
  
  

Office-based hot-desk/touchdown worker. No separate hardware or laptop purchases are required; staff will utilize existing infrastructure.

• Safeguarding:
  
  

This role requires an active, valid Enhanced Children & Adults Barred list DBS check.

• For Further Information:
• For an informal discussion about project delivery, flexible shift configurations, or timeline variables, please contact:
• Contact Name: Caroline Storer
• Job Title: Senior Professional Youth Worker / Summer Detached Project Lead
  
  

Closing date:- Monday 03 August 2026

Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation

As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.

“Plymouth City Council is proud to be an Age Friendly Employer. We encourage applications from talented people at every stage of their career.”