Senior Youth Worker

Senior Youth Worker

Responsible to: Youth Project Coordinator

Hours: 10 hours per week

Rate of Pay: £13 per hour

Location: From Focus Centre Galashiels and various youth locations

Contract Duration: 1stMay 2023- 31stMarch 2025

**About Borders Additional Needs Group SCIO and “Branching In and Branching Out Transitional Youth Project.**

Borders Additional Needs Group or ‘BANG’ is a OSCR registered Charity dedicated to supporting families who have children with additional, complex or rare conditions living in the Scottish Borders.
BANG provides information on resources, benefits, training and works in partnership with Borders ASN Parent Carer Forum and Scottish Autism providing support to Parent carer, ASN Children and young carers.

BANG ensures our community of families have access to the right support, information and advice to help them manage the changes that are involved in raising an additional needs child. We are also committed to providing support to siblings and caregivers by providing them with training and peer support.

Families deserve to be empowered and to feel engaged in their child's journey and BANG aims to support the best possible outcomes for all families in the Scottish Borders who are raising a child with additional needs.

Today, BANG's community is in excess of 100 families.

**Branching Out Transitional Youth Porject and Branching In**

The project delivered by Borders Additional Needs Group SCIO will form a Transitional Youth programme for 16 -25 Year old young people with an Additional Support Need including Autism/ Learning Disability. The Transitional Youth Programme will work alongside a pre youth provision called Branching In for Additional Support Needs youths aged 12-15 years funded by Young Start. The project will create a Young Person profile capturing goals, strengths and person centred information used as a transitional resource tool, recording their achievements, training, volunteering and life skills as they work towards the transition into adulthood.

The project will deliver three distinct projects interlinked and connected giving bespoke options to ASN young people at various stages of their Transition journey and an opportunity for them to capture goals, aspirations and identify additional skills or support to enable them to reach their goal.

Transitional Weekly Group - Weekly youth group for young people to participate in the running of the group, learn budgeting skills, fundraising ,attend enhanced ASN employment programmes, youth training access to youth qualifications, social activities and independent living skills based in Galashiels at Focus Centre on Friday afternoon which close to local bus links to encourage more independent travel although transport can be provided if necessary.

Integrated Weekly Youth café - Aimed at older Youths who are transitioning out of main group and into independent living. The integrated youth work has opportunities to access peer to peer support, share social spaces with generic peers and integration into wider community. This project will be delieverd in partnership with Rowlands Youth group and Beyond Earlston and based at Rowlands, with monthly visits to Geek Retreat based in Galashiels high street.

Monthly online sessions aimed at young people who may find it difficult to transition into a group, live in remote rural areas, are home schooled or struggle to socialise with peers. The aim of the group will be to meet peers online, learn new skills like cooking, budgeting

**Purpose**

This role is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic individual to use their creativity, skills and experience to make a difference to lives of ASN young people in the Scottish Borders. The Senior Youth Worker will work with the Youth Project Coordinator in the planning and delivery of 2 weekly youth group sessions in Galashiels, monthly online ASN session and working with partners to delivery Integrated youth café providing opportunities for learning and social interaction, reflective of Scotland's youth work outcomes. The activities will aim to develop the young people’s skills and confidence, helping them to feel more connected to their community as well as supported to develop and share their opinions on service design and other community consultation.

**Responsibilities**
- To develop and deliver a youth work programme in conjunction with the Project Coordinator
- To plan and deliver effective quality youth work sessions each week for the young people who use the service.
- To support times of transition for young people within the group.
- To be responsible for gathering and recording session planning and evaluation outcomes for the young people.
- To be familiar with other services available for young people in the Scottish Borders
- To be prepared to undertake additional training as required by the project
- In partnership with the Youth Project Coordinator the Senior Youth Worker will be responsible