Assistant Youth Worker

Hours: Flexible, as required
Contract: Zero-hours bank contract

Location: Milton Keynes

Help young people discover their potential, build confidence and have fun along the way.

Do you enjoy working with young people? Are you creative, enthusiastic and passionate about making a positive difference?

At YMCA South Midlands, we're looking for friendly, energetic and motivated Assistant Youth Workers to join our team and help create welcoming, exciting and supportive youth clubs for young people aged 11–18.

You'll help deliver engaging activities, build positive relationships and create a safe space where young people can make friends, try new things, develop confidence and simply enjoy being themselves.

You don't need years of experience or a long list of qualifications. What matters most is your ability to connect with young people, bring positive energy and help them feel valued, included and supported.

The opportunity

We believe every young person deserves somewhere they feel they belong. Somewhere they can have fun, build friendships, explore their interests and discover what they're capable of.

Our youth clubs provide exactly that.

As an Assistant Youth Worker, you'll work alongside a small team to create positive experiences for young people through games, sports, creative activities, workshops and community projects.

No two sessions will be quite the same.

One day you might be helping organise a sports activity or creative workshop. Another day, you could be encouraging a young person to try something new, supporting them through a challenge or simply being someone who takes the time to listen.

You'll help young people develop confidence, build positive relationships and learn important life skills, all while making sure our youth clubs are safe, welcoming and enjoyable places to be.

This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who wants to make a difference, gain experience in youth work and be part of something meaningful in their community.

The hours

This is a flexible, zero-hours bank role, with opportunities to work youth club sessions as required.

Hours will depend on the needs of our youth programmes, and there are no guaranteed minimum hours.

What you'll be doing

You'll work alongside our youth work team to help deliver engaging, inclusive and enjoyable youth club sessions.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Helping plan, organise and deliver fun, creative and meaningful activities for young people aged 11–18.

- Supporting activities such as sports, games, workshops, outdoor experiences and community projects.

- Building positive, trusting relationships with young people and helping everyone feel welcome and included.

- Encouraging young people to develop confidence, friendships, communication skills and independence.

- Listening to young people, valuing their ideas and encouraging them to have a voice in activities and decisions.

- Supporting young people to explore their interests, recognise their strengths and develop important life skills.

- Helping maintain a safe, positive and respectful environment, including setting appropriate boundaries and responding to challenging behaviour.

- Working closely with other youth workers to ensure sessions run smoothly and safely.

- Helping set up activities and equipment before sessions and pack everything away afterwards.

- Building positive relationships with parents, carers and members of the local community.

- Following safeguarding procedures, reporting concerns appropriately and maintaining accurate records where required.

Above all, you'll help make our youth clubs places where young people feel happy, supported and excited to return.

About you

We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys spending time with young people and believes in helping them achieve their potential.

You'll be approachable, positive and able to build relationships with young people from different backgrounds.

You don't need to have all the answers or be an experienced youth worker. What matters is your attitude, your willingness to learn and your ability to create positive experiences for young people.

You'll be someone who:

- Enjoys working with young people and is passionate about helping them grow and develop.

- Is friendly, approachable and able to build positive relationships.

- Brings energy, creativity and enthusiasm to activities and youth club sessions.

- Can communicate confidently with young people and work well as part of a team.

- Is patient, understanding and respectful of different backgrounds, needs and experiences.

- Can encourage positive behaviour and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

- Understands the importance of safeguarding and keeping young people safe.

- Is reliable, organised and willing to take responsibility for their work.

- Is flexible and happy to support different activities and sessions.

- Is open to feedback, learning and developing their skills.

Previous experience working with young people in youth clubs, schools, sports, community groups or similar settings would be valuable.

A relevant qualification in youth work, education or a related field would be an advantage, but isn't essential.

Why Join YMCA South Midlands?

Because this is an opportunity to make a genuine difference to young people's lives while doing something fun, rewarding and meaningful.

You'll join an organisation that believes in the potential of every young person and the importance of creating safe, positive spaces where they can thrive.

As part of our Youth & Community team, you'll have the opportunity to:

- Make a positive difference to young people in your local community.

- Help create fun, engaging and memorable youth club experiences.

- Build meaningful relationships and see young people grow in confidence.

- Gain valuable experience and develop your skills in youth work.

- Work alongside a friendly, supportive and passionate team.

- Enjoy the flexibility of a bank role, with opportunities to work sessions as required.

Everyone is Welcome Here

At YMCA South Midlands, we believe everyone should feel they belong.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the people we serve and where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

As a charity with a Christian heritage, our faith inspires our values and our commitment to serving others. We welcome people of all faiths and none. All appointments are made on merit.

Safeguarding

YMCA South Midlands is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to complete appropriate safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and a children's barred list check where the role is eligible.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want every candidate to have the opportunity to perform at their best throughout our recruitment process.

If you have a disability, long-term health condition or are neurodivergent and would benefit from any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us at any stage. We'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Ready to Apply?

If you're enthusiastic, enjoy working with young people and want to help create a safe, fun and positive environment where they can thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Click Apply Now and submit your application.

A note to recruitment agencies: We are managing recruitment for this role directly and are not seeking support from recruitment agencies. Please do not submit speculative CVs or contact us regarding this vacancy.