Youth Worker

Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

This role will focus on early intervention, building strong relationships, and supporting young people to remain safe, reduce risk, and maintain stable placements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 support to young people who have been missing from home or are at risk of going missing
• Deliver return home interviews and contribute to ongoing safety planning
• Work with young people identified as low risk of exploitation, providing education, guidance, and prevention-focused interventions
• Support young people in foster care placements, helping to strengthen relationships and reduce the risk of placement breakdown
• Develop individual support plans based on identified needs and risks
• Promote positive decision-making, resilience, and emotional wellbeing
• Work in partnership with foster carers, social workers, schools, and partner agencies
• Record, monitor, and evaluate outcomes to evidence impact

About you

You will:

• Have experience working with vulnerable young people, including those missing from home or in care
• Be skilled at building trusting, consistent relationships
• Be calm, reliable, and solution-focused
• Demonstrate strong communication, empathy, and listening skills
• Have a good understanding of risk, safeguarding, and early intervention approaches

The role will require you to hold or to be working towards the Degree in Youth and Community Work or equivalent and have a clear understanding of the national policy framework and legislation relating to young people and a good knowledge of Youth Work issues and participative approaches to work with young people. There is an option for an apprentice role to be considered for the correct candidate.

We are looking for people with initiative, self-motivation, are enthusiastic and have excellent empathy and listening skills and have experience of delivering Youth Work and positive engagement with young people with experience supporting young people who are missing from home, at low risk of exploitation, and living in foster care where placements may be vulnerable.

Additional Information

1 post: Full-time: 37 hours per week

2 post: Part- time: 18.5 hours per week

Flexible working required, including evenings

The Post Holder will need to have a clean driving licence and have access to their own vehicle.

For further information regarding the role please contact Cathy McGhie: Cathy.McGhie@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

To find out more information about what it is like to work for Cheshire West and Chester Council including our rewards and benefits please see www.cwcrecruitment.co.uk

No candidate will meet every single requirement - if your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Cheshire West and Chester Council are committed to equality and diversity in employment.  Please see the Equality Policy for more information.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have adopted a Local Living Wage for our employees which means that all employees will receive a minimum of £13.45 per hour for all contracted hours.

For any technical enquiries please email Sourcingteam@ecwip.co.uk and quote job reference number in all correspondence.