Senior Youth Support Workers in Plymouth

Senior Youth Support Workers x 3

2 x 18.5 hours per week

1 x 14.8 hours per week

Fixed Term Contract from 01/07/2026 to 31/03/2027 (with indicative funding for the 2027–2028 financial period subject to performance)

Efford Youth Centre - Plymouth Hotspots (Agile touchdown / Hot-desking setup across location environments)

Plymouth City Council’s Cosmo Community Youth Team (CCYT) is looking for a dynamic and experienced Senior Youth Support Worker to join us as a System Youth Support Worker (SYSW) specializing in Active Places.

This role is a vital part of our newly secured Sport England-funded programme, delivered through Active Devon as part of the Plymouth Place Partnership programme for 2026/27. The initiative focuses on scaling proven pilot approaches across the city to embed long-term system change, moving beyond individual interventions to remove systemic barriers to participation.

This is a frontline, face-to-face role delivering high-quality, relationship-based youth work grounded in Trauma-Informed and Physical Literacy approaches. You will engage with young people aged 13 to 19 (and up to 25 for individuals with SEND), particularly those experiencing trauma, disengagement, physical inactivity, or poverty.

As a highly flexible, community and outdoor/indoor delivery worker, you won't be stuck in one centre. Instead, you will hot-desk, touchdown, and use local insights across targeted neighbourhoods. You will move fluidly from school-embedded sessions out into parks, waterfronts, and urban community facilities where targeted delivery is needed most.

This senior post plays a critical dual role: you will bring the partnership's vision to life through visible delivery on the ground, and you will act as a practice lead. This means you will coordinate joint work with key partners like Active Devon, local schools, and activity providers, while also providing essential sessional oversight, practice supervision, and coaching to upskill local youth support workers and volunteers.

This vacancy is open to both internal and external applicants. We are looking for an exceptional practitioner who can lead innovative frontline work and help us build a lasting sense of belonging for young people in our communities.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Manage delivery in single projects, specifically leading educational, place-based, and school-embedded youth work initiatives integrating Physical Literacy principles (allocated at 30% of project time).
• Identify the shifting needs of service users through direct field engagement, co-design sessions, and local outreach across targeted Plymouth neighbourhood environments (allocated at 60% of project time).
• Provide first-line coaching, practice supervision, and sessional oversight to youth support workers and volunteers to maintain service quality and curriculum standards (allocated at 10% of project time).
• Work flexibly within emerging multi-agency frameworks alongside partners like Active Devon, local secondary schools, and activity providers to develop joint transition pathways (allocated at 5% of project time).
• Perform administrative tracking, ensuring the robust discharge of sessional duties, budget monitoring of the allocated resource funds, and strict health and safety compliance (allocated at 5% of project time).
• Utilize Management Information Systems (MIS) to enter and track performance and wellbeing indicators through toolsets like Outcomes Star, YP CORE, and Goal-Based Outcomes (GBOs).
• Formulate curriculum areas following national or professional standards across core thematic areas, establishing blue (water), green (nature), and built (facilities) activities as behavioural engagement hooks.
  

CANDIDATE PROFILE (SELECTION CRITERIA)

Essential Criteria

• Qualifications:
  

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

• Experience:
  

Successful service delivery experience producing measurable achievements in the context of professional/national youth work standards, alongside a proven track record of leading small project groups and developing meaningful participation.

• Core Skills:
  

Written, IT, and oral communication skills sufficient to contribute effectively to Management Information Systems (MIS) and evaluate/develop reflective youth work practice.

• Leadership & Management:
  

Ability to coach and supervise staff members using one-to-one supervision, handle basic cash handling/financial recording systems, and take the initiative to organize short-term projects efficiently.

• Practice Standards:
  

Comprehensive understanding of delivering active anti-discriminatory practice, maintaining high ethical standards, and operating within corporate information governance guidelines.

Desirable Criteria

• Direct experience working in street-based, outreach, detached, or water/land-based outdoor youth delivery settings.
• Knowledge of multi-agency frameworks and partner operational environments, specifically Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 school transition frameworks and school-embedded mentoring systems.
• Experience integrating specialized elements like blue (water), green (environment), and built environment outdoor activities into youth delivery as behavioural engagement hooks.
• Prior training or experience in specialized care or modern delivery frameworks, specifically trauma-informed or trauma-responsive youth work practices.
• Competent swimmer (essential for delivering safe aquatic activities within the blue environment workstream).
• Possession of a valid UK Driving Licence (and/or minibus licence) and the ability to travel to different delivery sites flexibly in response to program schedules.
  

Additional Post Information

• Strategic Alignment:
  

The post holder will report directly to the Senior Professional Youth Worker (SPYW) to ensure delivery remains aligned to corporate quality standards, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and Minimum Operating Standards (MOS).

• Work Style & Infrastructure:
  

Agile touchdown/hot-desk setup. Post holders will utilize existing Cosmo Community Youth Team infrastructure and mobile setups to log case notes and manage sessional risk assessments in the field.

• Safeguarding:
  

This role requires an active, valid Enhanced child & adult DBS check.

APPLICATION & CONTACT INFORMATION

Closing Date: Sunday 16 August

For Further Information

For an informal discussion about project delivery, curriculum mechanics, or multi-agency integration variables, please contact:

• Contact Name: Caroline Storer
• Job Title: Senior Professional Youth Worker
• Contact: 01752 306 380 or email Caroline.storer@plymouth.gov.uk
  

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

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