Youth Participation Worker

An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen to join our Aquarius service in Birmingham. The Youth Participation Worker will facilitate and develop a Youth steering group for The Aquarius service in Birmingham, support aftercare for young people leaving treatment, coordinate and facilitate diversionary activities to support young people and their families.

The post holder will develop and support delivery of all Volunteer programmes inclusive of Peer Support and Peer Mentoring Programmes, to include the recruitment, placement and retention of volunteers/peer mentors.  They will ensure that general Service User participation and empowerment is implemented across the Service.

In addition, the post holder will:

• Actively recruit volunteers, peer mentors and facilitate Youth Steering group meetings.
• Work with the Senior practitioner & Team leader, to develop and implement a service user involvement strategy, including establishing and supporting a service user board.
• Develop and deliver volunteer, peer mentoring and service user involvement programmes in accordance with the Aquarius organisational framework.
• Support the delivery of aftercare provision.
• Assist colleagues with the coordination and delivery of diversionary activities.
• Keep accurate records and the necessary data for reporting and evaluation purposes.
• To provide written records and reports as required by the organisation.
• Be available to work days, evenings, and weekends when required, to meet the demands of the service and be willing to travel to various locations, as necessary.

An energetic and confident self-starter, you have a certificate in youth and community work e.g. NVQ Level 3 or above, DipSW, Mental Health Nursing, Counselling, Addiction Studies) or significant experience of working in a similar role with a commitment to complete NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care. As well as significant knowledge and experience of working with young people, you have knowledge of project planning and experience of working in the substance misuse sector. What’s more, you have a flexible approach, a commitment to the principles of confidentiality and excellent record keeping and Microsoft Office.

This is a permanent full-time role requiring the post holder to work 37 hours per week.

We are committed to increasing our diversity and we would welcome applications from those with lived experience and/or who are from a BAME background.

This is a rolling recruitment process. Candidates will be interviewed as and when they are shortlisted.

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter explaining why you feel you are right for the role.

Aquarius was a subsidiary of Richmond Fellowship, with both organisations being part of Recovery Focus, a national group of charities highly experienced in providing specialist support services to individuals and families living with the effects of mental ill health, drug and alcohol use, gambling and domestic violence. On 1st June 2024 Richmond Fellowship merged with Humankind to form a single organisation that provides the joined-up mental health, housing and drug and alcohol support we’ve all known has been needed for decades. At the same time, Aquarius became a subsidiary of Humankind, with no impact to terms and conditions of employment. In October 2024, Humankind will be renamed to reflect the new organisation, of which Aquarius will remain a subsidiary.