Project Lead Irish Travellers, & Youth Worker

What is the overall purpose of the role?

At Youth Action Alliance, our mission is to support the personal and social development (their values, beliefs, ideas and skills) of the young people living in Kensington and Chelsea, enabling them to increase their resilience and skills in the present and promote their ambitions for the future.

We are ambitious to grow, to continue supporting more young people and influence positive change. To achieve this, we are seeking to appoint a Lead Worker for the Irish Traveller cohort to develop and deliver an innovative and progressive project in a safe, industrious, and supportive environment, working primarily with this community.

The role will cover Lead and Support Worker positions across the following projects :

Irish Traveller young people (Travellers project Lead) 11-19 years old, including;

Weekly workshop/sessions

Targeted mentoring and support - helping them to stay in education, enrol in college, seek work opportunities, and access additional support services.

Off-site holiday activities

Outreach, detached work and networking

Please note, work may extend to ages 8-21, subject to funding.

Staying Connected project (Associate Lead) - young people 11-19 years old, including;

Targeted one-to-one mentoring and support via face-to-face, online or via phone

Direct liaison and programme planning and development Staying Connected Project Lead

Group support delivery

Personal action plans, including progressive pathways

Off-site holiday activities

Outreach, detached work and networking

Key Responsibilities

Programme Leadership & Delivery

• Plan and deliver an innovative, progressive programme of activities, developed in collaboration with young people and colleagues.
• Create safe, supportive spaces that foster personal and social development.
• Deliver 1 to1 and group support sessions through a variety of methods (in-person, phone, digital), providing advice, guidance, mentoring, and signposting to other services.
• Organise trips, workshops, and positive activities in line with the project delivery plan.

Project & Partnership Management

• Lead the day-to-day operational and administrative management of the project.
• Develop and manage partnerships with schools, local agencies, and trusted community stakeholders.
• Represent YAA at borough, London-wide, and partnership meetings to champion Traveller young people's voices.
• Manage project budgets, expenditure records, and ensure assets and equipment are safeguarded.
• Supervise project staff, support workers, and facilitators, ensuring high-quality delivery and compliance with YAA standards.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Record attendance, case notes, and data consistently and accurately in the online database.
• Capture and share the impact of young people's journeys through case studies, feedback, quotes, photos, and video.
• Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports for senior management and the Board of Trustees.
• Contribute to fundraising efforts by demonstrating impact and supporting applications to secure sustainable funding.

This job description cannot cover every task that may arise within the post at various times, and the post-holder will be expected to carry out other duties from time to time, which is broadly consistent with those in this document. This job description does not form part of the contract of employment.

This is a unique opportunity which merges two roles with the aim to uphold the standards of the organisations and create more access and opprotunities for young people across our services.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Experience

• A minimum Level 3 Youth Work qualification (or equivalent).
• Strong experience working with young people, ideally including the Traveller community.
• Skilled at building positive, trusting relationships with young people, families, and partners.
• Excellent organisational skills, able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Confident communicator with strong literacy, report-writing, and presentation skills.
• Competent in MS Office (Word, Excel) and database systems for recording and reporting.
• A strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and safeguarding.

Desirable

• Experience within the charity, voluntary, or community sector.
• Understanding of the specific challenges facing Irish Traveller young people.
• Track record of partnership working and external stakeholder engagement.