JOB TITLE: YOUTH OFFICER

JOB REFERENCE: FRGJOB_1317

PROJECT: SAFE PROJECT, Midlands
CONTRACT TYPE: FIXED TERM, Maternity Leave Cover
RESPONSIBLE TO: AREA MANAGER/SENIOR YOUTH OFFICER
HOURS: 35 HOURS PER WEEK
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 600 Foróige Clubs, the Big Brother Big Sister Programme and over 150 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.

ROLE INFORMATION

The successful candidate will be employed by Foróige as a Youth Officer. The SAFE Project is provided by Foróige, in partnership with Tusla in the Midlands. The SAFE Project operates in Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. The project offers structured support to identified at-risk young people and families within the Tusla Midlands area. The SAFE Project will work with vulnerable young people and families and to provide specialist intervention and support services in partnership with others for:

1. Identified young people, who are at levels 2 and 3 of the Hardiker Model.
2. Young people stepping down for the Midlands Integrated Youth & Family Project.
3. Young people with identified additional needs or levels of risk.

This service 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 will be 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 will range from one to one and group programmes with young people, to parent support, with a view to increased integration of the young person and family into the community. Referrals to the service will be made by Tusla and other statutory, community and voluntary agencies.

This position is based in Mountrath. However, the Youth Officer may also be required to engage with young people from other counties within the Midlands Tusla area, if the need arises.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate will be given an initial contract of employment up to 31st Dec 2025 which may be extended after this date. 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 Youth Officer in carrying out any functions, which may be involved in or arise out of the appointment, shall be as notified by the Area Manager, the board of Foróige and/or its Chief Executive. These duties will include but are not limited to:

• In consultation with Tusla, identification of the needs and strengths of young people and their families and developing case plans to respond to them effectively in accordance with Foróige’s Policies and Procedures.
• Implementing developmental and educational programmes on a one-to-one or group basis with young people and their families, as appropriate.
• Attending case conferences and reviews, court appearances and regular meetings with key Tusla personnel including the Social Work team.
• Enlisting the support of parents/guardians, family members and others and enabling them to engage effectively with the young person in supporting behaviour change.
• Engaging effectively with parents/guardians and other family members to support them in their role with the young person.
• Assisting the young person and their families to access appropriate community and statutory services and resources, i.e. provide information and support and/ or referral to relevant agencies.
• Facilitating the integration of the young person into the community through engaging them with local clubs, groups and organisations that suit their interests, build on strengths and meet their needs.
• Enabling vulnerable young people and their families to build skills such as personal effectiveness, self-efficacy, confidence, social competence and resilience.
• Enabling and empowering the young people to fully participate in their own development and that of their community.
• Enabling the project participants to explore the range of options available to them particularly with regard to education, training and/or employment.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with key stakeholders in the community.
• Compiling with the assistance of the Senior Youth Officer, reports, plans and any other relevant documentation, ensuring that deadlines are adhered to.
• Operating in compliance with Foróige policies, procedures and guidelines as instructed by Foróige management.
• Day to day administration and budget management as required.
• Any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

E= Essential, D= Desirable

• Education to National Degree standard. (E)
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of Foróige’s philosophy and approach to youth work and engaging young people and families. (E)
• A minimum of 1 years’ experience of working with young people experiencing adversity in their lives and planning interventions in order to achieve the best possible outcomes with the young person and their family. (E)
• Experience working with families and parents, particularly in delivering parenting and whole family programmes (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. (D)
• 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 working relationships
• Good interpersonal skills, including ability to liaise with a wide range of contacts.
• 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.
• Good written communications skills, including ability to draft summary information and correspondence.
• Ability to follow organisational guidelines and processes.
• Good computer skills, including Word, Excel, Internet, PowerPoint and Social Media

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 may 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

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ROLE

• Funding: It must be understood that if the funding for the post is discontinued the post holder’s contract may be terminated.
• Garda vetting: As our work involves contact with young people, candidates under consideration for employment in Foróige will be subject to Garda vetting.
• Annual Leave: The Youth Officer will be entitled to 29 days annual leave pro rata plus Good Friday. The needs of the job must be considered when applying to take this leave.
• Hours of work: The Youth Officer will be expected to work a minimum of 35 hours per week.
• Please note this position will require flexibility in relation to working hours. It is expected that the Youth Officers will work late evenings (up to 11pm) with some additional weekends.
• Salary: The salary for this position will be as per the Foróige Youth Worker salary scale €37,436, €38,994, €40,552, €42,113, €43,671, €45,235, €46,798, €49,127, €51,457
• Travel: This post will involve domestic travel within Ireland and occasional meetings. Travel and expenses will be paid in accordance with appropriate Foróige rates.
• Base: The base for this post is Mountrath, Co. Laois.

Applications:

 Applications should be made by way of the Foróige job application form only. The job application form is available at the ‘careers’ section of our website www.foroige.ie or here

Interviews: There will be 2 stages of interviews.
Internal candidates may be required to attend first round stage interview.

Closing date: 11th September 2025