Specialist Youth Work Practitioner

Salary: £31,000-£32,000 per year

Hours: 37.5 per week

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 29th March 2026

Interview date: TBC

We are seeking an experienced youth work practitioner to provide early, relational and trauma‑informed support to young people aged 15–25. The role combines direct work with a caseload of young people with collaborative partnership working across statutory and voluntary services. You will play a key role in ensuring young people receive the right support at the right time, helping them access appropriate services and pathways and making a meaningful difference in their lives. This role is part of the Croydon Mental Health Partnership (MHP) pilot programme led by Croydon Voluntary Action. The MHP is part of the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) initiative funded by the Maudsley Charity. Palace for Life Foundation is a member of the BBF consortium.

What We Offer

• Flexible & remote working
• Competitive salary and benefits package (including healthcare plan, discounts and match tickets)
• 26 days annual leave (in addition to public holidays)
• A personal development plan and training opportunities
• The opportunity to use the power of sport to make a difference in the lives of young people in South London

Job Description

As Specialist Youth Work Practitioner you will:

• Deliver interventions to a caseload of young people, using trauma‑informed, youth‑centred approaches
• Complete initial holistic assessments with new referrals (covering presenting needs, risk/safety, strengths/supports, early goals) and co‑create stabilisation & safety plans
• Identify, assess, and respond to safeguarding and risk in line with organisational and partnership procedures, escalating where indicated
• Participate in team meetings including weekly triage/huddles (discussing new referrals, capacity, allocations, safeguarding) and monthly case‑monitoring panels (covering progress, barriers, step‑ups/downs)
• Facilitate supported access to partner programmes/activities, and liaise with schools, CAMHS/SPOC (as appropriate), and partner teams to avoid duplication and reduce repeated storytelling
• Maintain accurate and timely records in the CRM system, contribute to monitoring and evaluation, and support learning from outcomes and feedback
• Engage young people in co‑design and feedback activities, supporting youth participation and empowerment
• Work on other projects within the Education, Training & Employment team as required

Person Specification

• A passion for transforming the lives of young people, particularly those facing multiple barriers
• Experience managing a caseload and supporting young people with ACEs, joblessness, trauma, or social vulnerability
• Knowledge of trauma‑informed and contextual safeguarding practice
• Ideally a relevant qualification at Level 2 or above e.g. Youth Work, Teaching, Facilitation or another related field
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build meaningful relationships with young people, colleagues, and external stakeholders
• Empathy and understanding of the risks faced by socially excluded young people, and the confidence to contribute to trauma‑informed and safeguarding‑aware environments
• Cultural awareness and local knowledge, particularly of the Croydon area and the social, emotional and creative needs of young people in the community
• Willingness and ability to travel across Croydon and South London for community‑based work

Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring the welfare and protection of all children, young people and adults at risk who take part in our activities, and all staff are expected to share this commitment. All successful candidates will go through safer recruitment checks before commencing employment.

Equalities

We endorse the principle of equality and strive to ensure that all our staff and participants have a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, and can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and worth are respected. We want our staff to reflect the diversity of our local community, and we welcome applications from individuals of all age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion of belief and marriage and civil partnership. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to support your application, please just let us know.