Youth Project Leader

Working Hours: 5, 9, 13 or 17 hours a week (depending on number of assignments allocated to the post-holder). 

 Location: 2 fixed hours at one of our partner schools in London or Manchester and 2-3 hours flexible and remote (per assignment). 

London Salary: £15 per hour  

North-West Salary: £13.30 per hour  

Start Date: Projects start dates are staggered and commence any time between October and January. Where possible, personal preference on start date will be considered when allocating assignments. 

About you  

We are seeking individuals who are passionate about working with young people, supporting them to reach and be confident in their potential.   

You may be an experienced youth worker, or have experience facilitating sessions or working with young people and leading volunteers.  

Job description  

• Deliver ReachOut sessions at the same partner school on the same day and time weekly during term time.
• Prepare your ReachOut sessions, following ReachOut’s curriculum and adapting the activities to the needs and interests of your assigned group.
• Facilitate engaging ReachOut sessions for the young people attending by ensuring that the voice of young people is listened to and impacts the way the sessions are planned and facilitated.
• Manage and support a group of volunteer mentors; supporting them to build strong rapport with their mentees and helping them to understand how to best adapt their mentoring approach to the young people they are working with.
• Support the young people in your session to reach and be confident in their potential by facilitating the creation of good mentee/mentor relationships and by running activities to build the ReachOut Character Strengths.
• Complete monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the sessions are as impactful as possible and set up strategies with the help of your line manager to help each young person in your group reach their mentoring goal.
• Keep in touch with the parents/carers of the young people in your group about attendance, successes and challenges.
• Manage your project’s weekly admin by planning your sessions, maintaining your attendance and providing detailed project updates to your line manager.
• Attend ReachOut events and socials with their mentors.
• Follow ReachOut’s policies/procedures to safeguard young people.
• Act and communicate in a professional manner, in line with ReachOut character strengths and culture.
• Attend all compulsory training.

We are looking for some of the following attributes in the successful applicant, you may be more experienced in some areas than others. We are interested in experience that’s both job-related or gained through other areas of your life. 

Person specification  

• Demonstrable belief in ReachOut’s mission and passion for our work and our character-building agenda
• A minimum of one year of experience in leading a group of young people
• A minimum one year of experience working with and leading a group of volunteers, or a desire to develop your leadership skills.
• Ability to design fun, engaging and creative activities for young people.
• Ability to follow safeguarding procedures.
• Receptive to and driven by feedback.
• Good verbal and written communication and ability to engage an audience.
• Able to use creativity and initiative to find solutions to problems and work autonomously when needed.
• Determination, resilience and a positive, proactive, can-do attitude with an ability to adapt and learn and make quick decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and complete tasks in a timely fashion.
• Ability to undertake and manage administrative tasks using Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams/Zooms and MS Forms to a high standard.
• Understanding of the challenges facing young people today and/or understanding of the KS2/3 national curriculum.

Why work at ReachOut?  

• Our team is driven by impact, and we measure and report on this transparently. You can see our impact report here.
• We have opportunities  for Project Leaders to pick up extra hours supporting other areas of work. These include recruiting and training volunteers, and providing cover for different groups.
• We have free, tailored training opportunities where you can learn from other Project Leaders and refine your skills.
• We value the voice of everyone: young people, volunteers, Project Leaders, schools and staff. For example, throughout the years’ our Project Leaders have been able to impact changes to our curriculum, the Project Leader role, and more.
• Project Leaders are line managed by Project Officers who are committed to support their team to develop. Project Leaders are given feedback regularly and have 2-3 supervisions a year to discuss the progress of their project, and their development goals.
• Project Leaders have the opportunity to apply for a Career Mentor.
• Join the ReachOut community, through celebration events, socials, networking and training sessions you will meet other people who are passionate and believe in supporting young people.

About ReachOut   

ReachOut is a national mentoring and education charity, rooted in local communities. Working in under-resourced areas, we support young people to grow in character and confidence, sparking change in themselves and society.    

 We work with amazing young people who need some additional support to reach and be confident in their potential. Working closely with schools, we identify students who often don’t have the advantages that others do and who are most likely to benefit from our interventions.   

 Through long-term mentoring and engaging group activities, we help our mentees to develop key Character Strengths, build their academic and social confidence, and prepare them for a world of opportunities.   

 Developing Character Strengths is fundamental to our approach; our Character Strengths are Staying Power, Self-Control, Fairness and Good Judgement. 

 We believe a focus on developing these strengths helps a young person to make better decisions and take on whatever life throws at them, at school, at home and in later life.  

 During the year 2024-25, ReachOut will be entering an exciting testing phase for our new strategy. This means that there will be variations implemented in individual projects.Through these test projects, we aim to iterate and refine our approach, ensuring that our ReachOut Programmes effectively meet the needs of the young people we work with. 

 Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion  

ReachOut is committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation, and we live by our core Character Strengths of Fairness, Good Judgement, Self-Control and Staying Power. We therefore welcome applications from people of all ethnicities, ages, religious beliefs, gender identities, sexual orientations and any other protected characteristics, to provide a diverse range of experiences, ideas and insights into our work.   

 We recognise that having support from staff and volunteers with similar background and experiences can further help our young people develop and learn. Over half of the young people we work with are from Asian/Asian British or Black/Black British backgrounds. 

 ReachOut wants to increase the representation of Project leaders from these communities   and actively welcome applications from these ethnic groups.  

Application Process

How to apply/Your recruitment journey 

Our application process has 3 stages – the application form, an interview and your participation in the training. These stages of continuous assessment are designed to review applicants’ skills in working in a team and on an individual basis. Applicants' performance in these stages and ability to complete all administration tasks (DBS process, e-learnings, etc.) in a timely manner will inform suitability and project allocation. 

Stage 1 –Submit your application form and CV 

Please read our  Youth Project Leader Information Pack 2024  for detailed information about the role and application process 

Complete the application form on our website and remember to attach your CV.  

We will contact you within two weeks of receiving your application. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so you are advised to submit yours early.  

Stage 2 – Interview 

If you are successful in stage one of your application, you will be invited to attend an interview where you’ll meet our team. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you better and will consist of scenario based questions and a short delivery task  to assess your facilitation and presentation skills. 

Stage 3 – Induction Training 

The induction training is the final part of the assessment process where we ensure you’re confident in your role as Project Leader and have the required skills for the job. You’ll will be required to attend a training day on one of the following days/locations: 

• London:
• Saturday 14th September 9.30-5pm or Thursday 19th September 9.30-5pm.
• Manchester
• Saturday 14th September 9.30-5pm