Job Title: Senior Youth Officer

Job Reference: FRGJOB_1210
Project: The Integrated Youth and Family Project, Louth Meath
Contract Type: Ongoing
Reporting to: Foróige Area Manager
Hours: 35 hours per week minimum
Annual Leave: 29 days per year (pro-rated)

About Foróige

Foróige is an independent, non-profit national voluntary youth organisation engaged in out-of-school youth development and education. The organisation aims to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their own development and the development of society.

Foróige employs over 600 staff and involves thousands of volunteers in the creation and delivery of high quality services to young people through the operation of over 500 Foróige Clubs, the Big Brother Big Sister Programme and over 190 General Youth Services and Special Projects. These community-based and community-supported initiatives are run throughout the country, in rural and urban environments, and generally in partnership with various voluntary and statutory agencies.

The organisation is a registered charity and is supported by a combination of statutory, philanthropic and corporate funding. Foróige is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of Equality of Opportunity in its employment practices.

Project Information

The Integrated Youth and Family Project (IYFP) is a partnership between Foróige and Tulsa, offering structured support to identified at-risk young people and families within the Tusla Louth Meath area. The Project is funded by Tusla through the Creative Community Alternatives Initiative (CCA). The objective of each CCA project is to support children to live in their community 24/7 resulting in fewer children in residential care; more children stopped from coming in to residential care; prevention through creative community alternatives; and de-escalation to community through creative community alternatives.

The IYFP offers structured support to identified at-risk young people and families within the Tusla Louth Meath area. The project has developed a model of working with vulnerable young people and families, providing specialist intervention and support services for:

• Identified young people, who are at risk of reception into care.
• Young people who are in foster care and approaching disengagement.
• Young people with identified additional needs or levels of risk.
• Parents and siblings of those engaged.

The project aims to meet a clearly identified need to respond in a comprehensive, holistic way to the needs of vulnerable young people and their families. Interventions that are delivered are experiential, developmental, resilience building programmes designed to promote positive coping capacities and self-care in the face of stressful and difficult circumstances. Programmes range from one to one and group programmes with young people to parenting and whole family supports with a view to increased integration of the young person and family into the community.

The project employs one Senior Youth Officer (S.Y.O.) to oversee the Projects development and provide direct line management support and supervision to the IYFP team of youth officers (6). The S.Y.O. role will be approximately 60% management, supervision and administration, and 40% direct work with young people and families. This is subject to change and directed by the needs of the role.

The Projects catchment area will be Louth and Meath. The project has two bases, Navan and Dunleer.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be given a contract of employment. It must be understood however, that if the position becomes redundant at any time during the period of the contract or if the funding for the post is discontinued or a post holder fails to perform satisfactorily, employment may be terminated.

The duties of the Senior Youth Officer in carrying out any functions, which may be involved in or arise out of the appointment, shall be as notified by the Foróige Area Manager, the Board of Foróige and/or its Chief Executive. These duties will include but are not limited to:

• Managing, leading and delivering of the service as it develops and continues to expand.
• Further enhancing the project participation criteria, referral pathways and relationships with existing Tusla and other relevant service providers.
• Supervising and supporting project staff in the development and implementation of work plans.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with Tusla social work team, other Tusla personnel and key community stakeholders.
• Developing a range of intervention models in line with evidence and best practice.
• Being involved creatively in the identification of youth and family needs in the area as well as responses to those needs.
• Facilitating the ongoing work of staff. Compiling with the assistance of the Foróige Area Manager, reports and plans as required by the funder, supporting staff to do this and ensuring that deadlines are adhered to.
• Supporting staff to ensure that they are fully compliant with Foróige policies, procedures and guidelines as instructed by Foróige management and ensuring that deadlines are adhered to.
• Administrating, budgeting, resource management and managing relations with funders, other organisations and agencies.
• Initiating and contributing to local, regional and national initiatives, committees and structures in relation to responding more effectively to the needs of young people and communities in relation to their young people.
• In consultation with Tusla facilitating direct interventions for targeted young people and their families, which are needs and strengths led that will enable them to develop their capacity and inner strength to reconnect and integrate into their community.
• Providing specialised developmental programmes and outreach services, to include planned crisis intervention services, to help young people learn new skills to deal with the difficult issues they face in their lives in constructive and resourceful ways.
• Providing an integrated response to the needs of vulnerable young people and their families in the context of achieving better outcomes for the young person.
• Enlisting the support of parents/guardians, family members and others and enabling them to engage effectively with young person in supporting behaviour change.
• Assisting the young person and their family to access appropriate community and statutory services and resources.
• Enabling vulnerable young people and their family to build skills such as personal effectiveness, self-efficacy, confidence, social competence and resilience.
• Attending case conferences, regular reviews and meeting with Tusla personnel.
• Aiding the development of participant’s knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enhance their self-confidence and promote empathy with the ideas, attitudes and feelings of others.
• Any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

Professional Qualifications and Experience

(E) = Essential, (D) = Desirable

• Education to National Degree standard (Level 7 NFQ) in a relevant discipline. (E)
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience of working with young people and families experiencing adversity and in planning interventions in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for the young person and their family. (E)
• Experience in working with families and parents, facilitating parenting and whole family programmes (E)
• Experience in a management or supervisory role. (D)
• A good knowledge and understanding of Tusla’s National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Tusla's National Service Delivery Framework including Tusla’s National Practice Model for Children and Young people. (E)
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of Foróige’s purpose and philosophy and approach to youth work and engaging young people and families. (E)
• Experience in establishing, leading and coordinating new and innovative responses to youth needs (E)
• Ability to work in an efficient manner and to lead and motivate others. (E)
• Car owner with full driving licence. (E)

Person Specification 

(all Essential requirements)

• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships.
• Good interpersonal skills, including ability to liaise with a wide range of contacts and build and maintain effective working relationships.
• Excellent organisational skills and high standards of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to be proactive, use own initiative and work effectively within a pressurised environment.
• Positive and flexible approach to working as part of a team.
• Excellent written communications skills, including ability to draft summary information and correspondence.
• Ability to follow organisational guidelines and processes.
• Computer literate.

Requirements of all Foróige staff 

(all Essential requirements)

• Commitment to the purpose of Foróige and to work within the values, policies and procedures of the organisation.
• To act consistently in a professional manner at all times.
• To participate in regular supervision with your line manager.
• Flexibility in relation to hours of work to meet the needs of the work. Work during unsocial hours will be required.
• Identify training needs with your line manager and participate in training opportunities appropriate to the role
• To undertake other duties as may be requested by the Board of Foróige and /or the Chief Executive Officer of Foróige or their nominee from time to time.

Benefits

• Salary: Salary: Senior Youth Officer Scale: €52,883, €54,851, €56,823, €58,793, €60,759, €62,725 pro rata.
• Annual Leave: The Senior Youth Officer will be entitled to 29 days annual leave pro rata plus public holidays. The needs of the job must be considered when applying to take this leave.
• Pension: Contributory pension benefits.
• Training & Development: Structured onboarding together with a 9 day Foróige Induction Programme. Ongoing CPD.
• Study Leave: Up to 5 days paid Study Leave per year of course.
• Organisation Culture: Support & Supervision policy and practises that supports your professional development.
• EAP: 24/7 Employee Assistance Career
• Break: Up to 2 years Career Break after 3 years service.
• Unpaid Leave: Up to 6 months Unpaid Leave Break after 1 year
• Flexible Work: Flexible work practices that support work life balance.
• Maternity and Paternity Benefit: Top up Maternity and Paternity Benefit pay.

Other Information

Garda vetting: As our work involves contact with young people, candidates under consideration for employment in Foróige will be subject to Garda vetting.

Hours of work: The Senior Youth Officer will be expected to work a minimum of 35 hours per week, of which, a minimum of 10 hours will be direct contact time with young people and families. This position will require flexibility in relation to working hours and it is expected that the Senior Youth Officer will work at least three late evenings and regular weekend work.

Travel: This post will involve some domestic travel within Ireland and occasional meetings. Travel and expenses will be paid in accordance with appropriate Foróige rates.

Note:
A panel may be formed from which future positions funded from a variety of sources may be filled.

Applications: 

Please complete the Foróige Application form online here.

Closing date: Thursday 19th June at 12pm.