Youth Project Lead (Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller)

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 Gypsy, Roma and 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 project provides the following for Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller young people 11-19 years old including;

• A weekly girls workshop
• 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

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

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.

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.