Youth Re-Engagement Practitioner in Liverpool

We are building an alternative provision offer around the young person, not asking the young person to fit a standard model. OpenGate Education provides high-quality, responsive alternative provision for children and young people who need a different route to engage, progress and succeed. We work closely with schools, local authorities, families and other professionals to deliver flexible support built around individual need, strong safeguarding and measurable outcomes.

OpenGate Education North works with schools and local authorities across Liverpool and Tees Valley. We are a growing organisation, and the people we take on shape what a placement here actually feels like. If you want to work with young people who have barriers to learning and require an individualised approach, we would like to hear from you.

Role Information

Job Title: Youth Re-Engagement Practitioner

Job Type: Pastoral

Job Phase: Secondary

Location: Liverpool

Grade: -

Actual Salary: £28,000–£33,000 (full time, term time salary. Pro rata for part-time role)

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Term: Part time, Term time only

Closing Date: Friday, October 23rd, 2026

About the Role

Our Youth Re-engagement Practitioner will be central to our community-based EBSA and re-engagement offer. Some young people are not yet ready to enter an education setting. This role starts where they are, builds a dependable relationship and helps them reconnect with routines, learning and a sustainable education pathway.

Some young people are not yet ready to walk through the doors of an education setting. The Youth Reengagement Practitioner will meet them where they are, working in homes, communities and other agreed locations to build trust, confidence and routines before gradually reconnecting them with learning.

This is not a traditional classroom-based role. Through consistent, relationship-led support, the postholder will help each young person move from connection and engagement towards participation, learning and a sustainable education pathway. This may include transition into OpenGate provision, reintegration into school, college or another suitable placement.

Key responsibilities

• Engagement and direct work with young people
• Build trusted, consistent relationships with young people experiencing emotionally based school avoidance, persistent absence or disengagement from education.
• Meet young people in environments where they initially feel comfortable, including their home, community and other agreed locations.
• Use individual interests, practical activities, sport, outdoor learning and community opportunities to create meaningful routes into engagement.
• Support young people to develop confidence, independence, communication, routines and emotional regulation.
• Introduce learning and educational expectations gradually, at a pace that is ambitious, realistic and responsive to the young person's needs.
• Understand the individual barriers affecting each young person's access to education and contribute to referral assessment and planning.
• Develop an individual re-engagement plan with the young person, family and relevant professionals, setting clear and measurable goals.
• Plan and deliver personalised sessions that move the learner through connection, engagement, participation, learning and transition.
• Support gradual transitions into OpenGate provision, mainstream education, college or another agreed pathway.
• Continue transition support where required to help the learner sustain attendance, relationships and engagement.
• Recognise that progress may not be linear and adapt support while maintaining focus on agreed outcomes.
• Work closely with parents and carers, schools, SEND teams, local authorities and other professionals supporting the young person.
• Contribute to referral discussions, reviews, planning meetings and multi-agency communication.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of sessions, attendance, engagement, safeguarding information and progress.
• Provide clear evidence of progress against agreed outcomes and contribute to reports for commissioners and other stakeholders.
• Contribute ideas and practical learning to the continued development of OpenGate's EBSA and reengagement offer.
• Maintain professional boundaries and follow OpenGate Education's safeguarding, lone-working, data protection and health and safety procedures.
• Identify, record and report safeguarding concerns immediately in line with organisational procedures.
• Complete and regularly review individual, location and activity risk assessments.
• Work safely and confidently when delivering sessions independently in community settings.
• Take part in supervision, training, quality assurance and reflective practice.
• Young people, parents and carers.
• OpenGate Education leaders, teachers, tutors and support colleagues.
• Schools, local authorities, commissioners, SEND teams and virtual schools.
• Social care, early help, health and other professionals.
• Community, sport, outdoor learning and activity partners.

Personal Qualities

We welcome applicants with different professional backgrounds. What matters most is your ability to build trust, work safely and help young people make purposeful progress.

Your experience could come from

• Youth work or detached and community-based youth support
• Pastoral mentoring, learning mentoring or attendance support
• Sports, outdoor learning, creative or vocational coaching
• Teaching assistant, learning support assistant or SEND support roles
• Alternative provision, inclusion, behaviour support or education reintegration
• Family support, early help, social care or other community services
• Ex-services or uniformed-service experience combined with youth work, mentoring, coaching or community experience
• Therapeutic, wellbeing or trauma-informed support roles

You may be a strong fit if

• Can connect with a young person who is reluctant to engage or has stopped trusting education.
• Stay calm, dependable with professionally boundaries when progress is slow or plans change.
• Can turn a young person's interests into purposeful activities and achievable next steps.
• Are confident working independently, while knowing when to seek guidance or elevate a concern.
• Communicate well with families and professionals and keep clear, accurate records.
• Believe inclusion should be ambitious, practical and centred on better long-term outcomes.

Qualifications and transferable experience

A relevant qualification in youth work, education, therapeutic support, coaching, mentoring, social care or a related field is desirable. We also recognise strong transferable experience. If your background is not a traditional education route but you can demonstrate safe practice, effective work with young people and the qualities described in this pack, we encourage you to apply.

Application Information

Closing Date: Friday, October 23rd, 2026

Ready to help a young person reconnect with education?

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