Youth Services Manager (Maternity Cover)

Youth Services Manager (Maternity Cover)

Job Type: Full-time, fixed term contract (May/June – approx. December 2026)
Responsible to: Head of Youth and Childcare Services, Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for: Youth Services Staff

Job Description:
YMCA Essex are seeking a talented, driven and caring Youth Services professional to
manage the development and delivery of YMCA Essex’s Youth Services. The Youth Services
Manager will build upon the already established universal, specialist and targeted youth
work offer for children and young people across Essex.
This will include developing and implementing new services to ensure the sustainability
and positive impact of the department. If you would like to make a difference in young
people’s lives across Essex, this job could be for you!
Our current activity is mainly based around Chelmsford and Colchester, although there are
opportunities for expansion county-wide. The Youth Services Manager would oversee 30+
staff across multiple youth provisions and holiday club settings, aided by the Head of Youth
and Childcare Services and the supportive YMCA Essex management team.

Responsibilities:
To support and develop the youth team, assisting with the monitoring of staff
performance and ensuring that staff adhere to policies, objectives and the staff
code of conduct.

About You:
We are looking for a passionate, organised, and aspirational leader, to inject energy and
drive into YMCA Essex Youth Services, inspiring everyone involved to add value, make the
most of opportunities, and do the very best for both those we serve and those we are still
to reach by creating an environment of growth and development.

You will have at least 5 years experience working directly with young people. You will have
at least 2 years experience of managing a team. Ideally, you will have a minimum of three
years of leadership experience in the youth work/support sector, although other relevant
areas will be considered. You will also have a proven track record of setting up and
delivering funded projects from beginning to end ensuring the best outcomes are achieved
for young people.

This is a crucial role within the YMCA Essex team and is ideal for people who are looking to
develop their career in the sector. We are looking for an inspirational and dedicated
individual who has a genuine desire to transform lives.

Hours of Work:
37.5 hours per week, generally worked within office hours, Monday to Friday, with
occasional evening and weekend work.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Main Functions – This outlines What the applicant will be expected to do in order to fulfil this
job role.

Atmosphere

1. To both actively and passively be the YMCA Essex values ambassador to the Youth
   Services Team, wider organisation and those outside of it, exemplifying everything
   that YMCA Essex stands for.
2. To create a warm, comforting and enriching environment for children, young people,
   families and staff to be a part of, so they achieve the best of their individual abilities.
3. To inject energy and drive into YMCA Essex Youth Services, inspiring everyone
   involved to add value, make the most of opportunities, and do the very best for both
   those we serve and those we are still to reach by creating an environment of growth
   and development.
4. To be a responsible, caring and nurturing role model for the Youth Department staff
   in order to create a positive, happy and supportive environment for the team.
5. To provide safe, diverse provisions that all children and young people can access
   equally.

Business

1. Oversee all aspects of service delivery ensuring financial, quality, health and safety,
   contractual targets and performance measures are achieved.
2. Be responsible for providing high quality inclusive youth services and ensure the
   creation of safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all children and young
   people.
3. To deploy staff and resources effectively, maintaining ratios in multiple settings.
4. Identify and pursue opportunities for funding to enhance the delivery of the Youth
   Service.
5. Lead and develop opportunities to hear youth voices and encourage participation to
   improve engagement with our services and deliver positive outcomes.
6. To take forward new initiatives and developments required to ensure the youth
   service meets the needs of children and young people of Essex.
7. To support and develop the youth team, assisting with the monitoring of staff
   performance and ensuring that staff adhere to policies, objectives and the staff code
   of conduct.
8. To manage the budgetary requirements needed to run the Youth Department.
9. Working closely with the Head of Youth and Childcare Services, be accountable for
   safeguarding best practice in the service, ensuring timely and pro-active risk
   management and consistency in approach including working with external
   safeguarding partners

Compliance

1. Ensure the Youth provisions meet the high standards set by YMCA Essex, facilitating
   inspections and implementing recommendations.
2. Ensure Health and Safety policies are implemented within the youth provisions and
   that risk assessments are completed as necessary and ensuring staff are undertaking
   all appropriate risk assessments for activities, equipment and environment.
3. Lead and manage a team, recruiting and inducting new staff, and supporting their
   performance to ensure high standards of service at all times.
4. Ensure the team is adequately trained and empowered to work effectively and
   creatively with clients to enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes
5. Ensure excellent customer experience is provided and queries or complaints are
   dealt with in line with the organisation policy.
6. Ensure that settings are continually developing to ensure high quality, inclusive
   childcare is provided.
7. To ensure any data kept is done in conjunction with our data protection policy.
8. Proactively keep up to date with developments in the youth sector.

Personal

1. To Liaise with the Head of Youth and Childcare Service, Chief Executive Officer,
   Board of Trustee, youth services staff, students and volunteers within the YMCA and
   External Agencies, parents, children and members of the public.
2. To be a professional, dedicated, and integral part of the Management Team that
   supports the Heads of Departments & C.E.O in running the services that the YMCA
   Essex offers.
3. To carry out other tasks which may from time to time be required by the Head of
   Department or Chief Executive.

Core Values – These values outline How the applicant will carry out the Main Functions of
this job role.

• Kindness – Putting the wellbeing of people first in day-to-day life
• Fairness – Equal treatment for all
• Professionalism – Unrelenting competence, even in the face of difficulty
• Perseverance – Never giving up on others, or ourselves
• Joy – Delighting in life, and the opportunity to make a difference
  

Terms and conditions
This job description sets out the task requirements of this post. Along with the Staff Handbook
and the Terms of Appointment it forms the terms and conditions of employment within the
Association.
It is recognised that the Association is involved in a dynamic environment and as such, job
descriptions will be required to be periodically reviewed and amended to reflect the changing
nature of the job. Such reviews will be carried out in consultation with the staff concerned
and one month’s written notice given of any change in the job description.

Other Duties
To undertake any other specific duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the
immediate Line Manager or anyone else designated by the Head of youth and childcare, as
necessary. To work in a flexible way to ensure that the workload is completed and to
undertake any other jobs commensurate with the seniority of the post.

Discretion to act
To exercise discretion in the performance of the duties of the post and to use best practice
commensurate with the safety of clients and colleagues, and the effective and efficient use
of resources.
Nothing in this Job Description is intended to authorise the post-holder to undertake
responsibilities that belong properly to trustees and members of the Executive Management
Team unless properly authorised to do so by the Chief Executive directly or through an
appropriate Manager.

Relationships
To establish, maintain and enhance team-working with colleagues and staff of YMCA Essex
and to keep confidential all information about individuals and the business. Any breach of
confidentiality is extremely serious and may lead to dismissal.

Personal Development
To play an active role in the development and implementation of your individual
development plan.

Association Ethos
To enable the aims, objectives, ethos and core values of the Association. The Association is
committed to equality of opportunity in recruitment, employment and service delivery and
expects all staff to abide by our Equality and Diversity Policy.

Health and Safety
To adhere to the Association’s Health and Safety policies at all times.

What you should do next:
If you are interested in applying for this role, we would love to hear from you.
Please apply by sending CV and Covering letter to becky.whitaker@ymcaessex.org.uk
Suitable applicants will be contacted and invited to interview.