Youth Development Worker

Introduction

The London Diocesan Fund (LDF) is seeking a Youth Development Worker to play a key role within the Children and Youth team, working across multiple sites in Hackney & Islington.

Job Summary

The Youth Development Worker (YDW) is a crucial and exciting role that aims to support youth mission and ministry in churches across the Stepney episcopal area, with an immediate focus on supporting around 22 churches from both evangelical and Anglo-Catholic traditions involved in our five new Youth Minster initiatives across Hackney and Islington deaneries.

Job responsibilities

• Work intensively with parishes to develop their offer using the parish development pathway. With immediate focus on supporting around 22 churches involved in our five new Youth Minsters
• Leads and support Youth Minster initiatives across Hackney and Islington deaneries, including working to achieve missional impact and financial sustainability by 2030
• Lead implementation of Diocese Growing Younger Strategy in The Stepney Area.
• Oversight of the youth budget in partnership with the Programme Manager (shared oversight)
• To develop partnerships with Tower Hamlets youth projects 
• Contribute to a positive safeguarding and racial justice culture
• Supporting the coordination of Area-wide events for young people in partnership with Minsters.  
• Connect with the Area staff team and lead in supporting them in culture change to show Growing Younger as priority – reporting on progress of youth projects in Stepney
• Develop, facilitate and/or provide Area level training for volunteers.
• Develop and improve existing connections with both Church and Non-Church schools, especially with School Chaplains, to ensure that these links are understood and utilized by local churches. 
• Connect the resources of the central team with parishes. Especially promoting the learning platform and the Apprenticeship Programme

Please refer to the attached Job Description for the full details on the main responsibilities.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience in paid role in Children’s or Youth Ministry.
• Experience supporting others to deliver youth ministry
• Relevant safeguarding experience.
• Great interpersonal skills.
• Good communications skills
• Project management experience
• Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
• Practicing Christian, committed to upholding the values and mission of the Church of England

Desirable

• Experience in coaching and or training.
• Youth Ministry in an Urban Context
• Youth or children’s work qualification.

Please refer to the attached Job Description for the full details on Person Specification.

About the London Diocesan Fund

The London Diocesan Fund (LDF) is the employment body that serves and supports the Diocese of London and Church of England. The Diocesan of London comprises of c400 parishes north of the River Thames and within the M25 motorway. You can find our Diocesan 2030 vision, which outlines our priorities for the next 10 years here: london.anglican.org/our-2030-vision

The Church of England in London is growing, vibrant and at the heart of communities throughout the capital. At the London Diocesan Fund we seek to do everything we can to support this mission and growth, using our resources to help our parishes and chaplains to serve over 4 million people.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community.

We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.

Benefits of working with us

The LDF offers a supportive working environment, opportunity for career development and the following financial benefits:

• Competitive remuneration package
• 27 annual leave days to rise to 30 after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays
• 15% employer pension contribution and salary sacrifice available
• Death in service benefit x3 of basic gross salary
• Enhanced maternity leave of six months full pay, after 12 months’ of employment
• Season ticket loans of public transport
• Access to Benenden Health Insurance
• EAP counselling through Health Assured                               
• Up to £100 for eye test and contribution to spectacles                         
• Two additional paid days for community volunteering