Senior Targeted Youth Adviser job with Essex County Council

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options.

Job Purpose

Essex is a diverse county with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country through to highly affluent communities, which gives us a wide variance in life expectancy and quality.

The Senior Targeted Youth Adviser leads a team of Targeted Youth Advisers to manage, develop and deliver the business plan for Youth Service Business and Operations. Providing in-depth, planned, one to one and group support, to help them address specific issues and barriers to education, training and employment including impartial advice and guidance to re-engage in education as well as progression into post 16 opportunities.

The role is key to positioning the Targeted Youth Service in Essex as a relevant offer to key partners and will be responsible for supporting the development of targeted aspects of youth work within a cost recoverable model.

Possessing an IAG Qualification, Dip CG, QCG or NVQ 6 LDDS, or equivalent professional qualification, and a proven track record of managing staff and implementing external funded contracts, the successful candidate will also have a broad understanding of the issues affecting young people, barriers to education, opportunities for learning and the services provided by partner agencies. Strong leadership and management skills are also required, which drive a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds, to achieve strategic objectives.

Accountabilities

Accountable for the operational delivery of high quality impartial, independent support for young people to overcome barriers to access universal services, education or employment
Responsible for developing business plans for providing information, advice and guidance, supportive of the young people’s needs, views and aspirations.
Responsible for the achievement of defined contractual targets in relation to enabling the development of skills in young people, ensuring outcomes are recorded and statutory reporting activities are met
Deliver clinical caseload supervision to staff and offer targeted interventions and undertake the implementation of external contracts. Create, maintain and review accuracy of records in conjunction with DfE guidance and that of external funders, ensuring compliance with Information Sharing Protocols
Responsible for the effective management of staff to facilitate the process of meeting the needs of young people, reflecting on professional practice to achieve continuous improvement in performance through specific individual and shared targets and objectives defined annually within performance management reviews
Leading the team to deliver against strategic and statutory objectives, continually developing potential new cost recoverable support projects of targeted work.
Work collaboratively with senior school-based staff, social care, SEND, Youth Offending Service, Housing commercial bodies and stakeholders, at senior management level to influence the type of interventions delivered to provide wider support to young people to remove barriers to learning, training and employment including promotion of the eight Gatsby benchmarks as set out in the government’s careers strategy
Influencing and negotiating with stakeholders, the level and type of provision, to meet economic and young people’s needs and identify and inform gaps in education and training provision
Responsible for developing and delivering large scale employability, education and recruitment programmes, advocating with parents/carers and other professionals, to achieve the best outcomes for young people
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to degree level and/or possess IAG Qualification, Dip CG, QCG or NVQ 6 LDDS, or equivalent by experience
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area including management and leadership
Builds strong partnerships at senior level, which are influential and collaborative in their nature and engender delivery of joint innovative strategies
Strong leadership skills with excellent caseload management skills, which drive a highly performing and motivated multi-disciplinary team from diverse backgrounds, to achieve strategic objectives
A broad understanding of the issues affecting young people, opportunities for learning and the services provided by partner organisations. Deep knowledge and understanding of the current local offers of support to young people that may facilitate their reintegration. Proven experience of supporting, motivating and aspiring young people on a one to one or group basis into EET opportunities or positive activities
Experience of the implementation and management of external funded contracts
Excellent communication skills with the ability to relate to staff, partner agencies and young people in a purposeful but responsive manner and demonstrable knowledge and understanding of their needs. Experience of advocating on behalf of young people with services and partner organisations with an ability to negotiate with schools, colleges, employers and other agencies
Flexible approach with excellent time management skills and ability to work creatively in order to respond to staff and young people’s needs

To read more about us please visit: Education

Please note that the 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.

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’re 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 require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

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

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

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

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.

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 anything further, please email [email protected]

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