Short Breaks Co-ordinator in Reading, Wokingham

We are looking for an experienced youth worker to join our team and lead our Short Breaks project, which provides activities and support specifically for children and young people who have autism and have low to moderate support needs. Camp Mohawk is a woodland activity centre that provides support to children, young people and families from across the South of England.

The children and young people (approximately 100 individuals) supported by the project are aged 8 to approximately 25 years and are largely independent in terms of their self-care but have a variety of social, sensory and sometimes medical needs that mean it is very difficult for them to participate in mainstream activities.

Our Short Breaks service offers after school activities (in 3 age groups) on Tuesdays and Thursdays in term time, as well as full days of activities once per week in school holidays. These activities give the young people essential social opportunities during which they are supported with things they find challenging, encouraged to express their natural personalities and explore and develop their interests. During these sessions they can receive support to develop their social skills if that is what they need, and can take part in fun activities with their peers. The groups generally cater for between 10 and 20 young people per session.

To be a good fit for this role, you will need to be an exceptional and dedicated childcare/youth worker who has proven experience of supporting and safeguarding children and young people, particularly those who have autism. You should have experience of planning inclusive activities, managing budgets and supervising teams of staff.

The role is very much a ‘hands-on’ role working directly with the project beneficiaries for the majority of the post hours - you must be able to commit to working the majority of Tuesday (16.00 - 19.30) and Thursday (18.30 - 22.00) evenings in term time, and at least one full day (09.00 - 17.30) per week during school holidays, with the exception of the Christmas holidays when the centre is closed. You will work 10 hours per month on project associated admin which can be undertaken remotely and largely at times that suit you.

You must have a full UK driving license and access to a reliable vehicle that is insured for business use. Camp Mohawk is not easily accessible by public transport, whilst some Short Breaks activities take place at off-site locations in Reading, Wokingham, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Slough and surrounding areas.

The current post holder also works in the role of Duty Manager for other school holiday days/term time weekend days. This aspect of the role, which will be an optional add-on to the Short Breaks Coordinator role with negotiable hours, would be undertaken on a rotational basis with our 4 other Duty Managers. The role involves overseeing the daily delivery of general Family Sessions which support families who have children of all ages and who have a wide range of special needs and disabilities.

In this role you will guide and supervise a team of support staff and volunteers through set up of the facilities at the start of the day, oversee the smooth and effective delivery of the service and support families during their visits, work effectively within our Safeguarding Lead Team, and supervise the cleaning and close down of facilities once the session has completed.

For full job description and person specification please see the attached application pack. Informal enquiries prior to application to discuss the role requirements, and applicant requirements in terms of hours and salary, are welcomed. The successful applicant will be required to undergo all checks and training in accordance with our Safe Recruitment policy including enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and Right to Work check.