Third Sector & Not for Profit

Including: charities, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises. Campaigns, fundraising, trustees, graduate roles, volunteer management.

TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 18-25 AND WHO ARE COPING WITH A RANGE OF DIFFICULTIES AND ISSUES CAUSED BY PAST TRAUMA AND/OR ABUSE. THE SERVICE WILL COMPRISE TWO ELEMENTS OF SUPPORT.

FIRSTLY A ?TIME OUT? MODEL WHICH WILL INCLUDE OFFERING SHORT TERM NURTURING AND CARE FOR UPTO 8 YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING TEMPORARY BREAK DOWN IN THEIR NORMAL LIVING SITUATION. THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE PROJECT WILL BE TO PROVIDE MEDIUM TERM ACCOMMODATION AND SUPPORT TO A FURTHER 8 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A VIEW TO ASSISTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO ACCESS SUSTAINABLE LONGER TERM, MORE INDEPENDENT ACCOMMODATION. BOTH ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT WILL ADOPT A THERAPEUTIC MODEL OF PRACTICE AND HOLD THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-EXCLUSION AT THE CORE OF ITS WORK.

OBJECTIVES:
1. To ensure that the young people supported by the project receive the best possible service at all times.
2. To ensure that young people who use the Project receive a high level of individual attention, in terms of support, counselling, advocacy and inter-agency representation.
3. To help to develop a co-operative relationship with all other relevant agencies and providers to maximise the potential benefit to the young people using the Project.
4. To contribute to the formation of operational policy and to the development of practice within the project.

KEY ACTIVITIES:
1. To create a safe, nurturing and enabling environment, which assists young people both in need of a period of Time Out and in the longer term supported accommodation
2. To engage creatively in the project?s referral process and participate in devising Time Out packages or support plans depending on the young person?s need at the time of admission
3. To work directly with young people within the project, offering support and counselling, using the widest range of individual and group work methods.
4. To work collaboratively with outside agencies offering individual specialist support to young people.
5. To undertake keyworker responsibilities in relation to specific designated young people in accordance with the project?s established policy and practice on key working in relation to the supported accommodation element of the project.
6. To record all work undertaken to a high standard of accuracy and detail.
7. To participate actively in team meetings and all other forums aimed at developing policy and practice within the project.
8. To participate actively in supervision sessions with the relevant Depute Project Leader
9. To uphold the values, principles and policies of Quarriers and to operate at all times within the agency?s relevant policy guidelines.
10. To work within Quarriers? professional and administrative policies and practice guidelines.
11. To undertake any other duties which are commensurate with the post.

NB. The above Job Description will be reviewed on an annual basis and may change as necessary with prior negotiation



Qualifications
Desirable Education/Professional Qualification

Relevant SVQ III or equiv HNC

Certificated qualification in Counselling

Professional qualification in social work, community education or related discipline


Skills
Essential Skills:

Career Experience
Experience in the field of working with young people affected by issues such as homelessness, trauma, abuse, etc
Experience of professional practice in a community setting

Job Specific Skills
Knowledge of housing and social work services as they relate to young homeless people
Knowledge of the structured forms of support which may be deployed in supported accommodation projects for young people i.e. keyworking, reviewing,etc
Knowledge of the range of provision in the homelessness network and an ability to engage pro-actively to promote the rights and opportunities for young people with a variety of agencies
Ability to perform fully as part of a team.

Post Specific Requirements
IT skills
Satisfactory attendance record (DD A absences excluded)
Good general health
Ability to work on a full shift pattern including evening shifts, sleepovers, waking night shifts and weekend shifts
Supportive and enabling approach to young people
Ability to prioritise tasks and organise a diverse workload always maintaining the young person at the heart of any schedule
Good interpersonal skills applicable to fellow professionals as well as young people
Good recording and report writing skills
Knowledge of/ proficiency in activities applicable to work with young people
High level of reliability, commitment and personal integrity

The following skills are desirable:

Direct experience of supporting young people in a therapeutic environment or in working closely with agencies who provide
counselling or therapeutic support to young people

Previous training in the field of Homelessness / Housing/ Counselling/ Domestic violence/Trauma, etc

Specific experience of therapeutic interventions

Ability to use and share personal skills and knowledge with other members of the team and young people i.e art, alternative therapies,

Current driving licence



.

About the Role / Job Description 



Mind Your Mood is the student-led mental health campaign. It is run by students, for students, to help raise awareness of mental health issues that affect students at Queen's, and in wider society. It seeks to remove the stigma attached to discussing mental health, encourage students to practice self-care, build resilience, and connect with internal and external support services. 



Mind Your Mood are recruiting for the role of lead coordinator of a team of student ambassadors, exclusively for students at Queen's. 



The successful candidate will commit to flexible working hours per week (£12.02/hour) from Thursday 15 February 2024 until 28 June 2024, working up to a maximum of 15 hours per week, although hours will vary. The successful candidate will be required to attend any relevant training required for the post. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 13 February. 



The postholder will primarily work Monday to Friday, however evening and/or weekend work may be required.  



The postholder will be based on-campus.



Main duties associated with the Lead Coordinator are: 



Developing and delivering the 'Mind Your Mood' student mental health campaign, to include: 




  • To co-ordinate the planning and delivery of a range of engaging events targeted towards a student audience, and based on the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing, whether delivered internally or through an external facilitator; 

  • Managing and motivating a team of student ambassadors and volunteers (e.g. the Student Committee, and other students who express interest in joining the campaign);

  • Developing publicity and raising student awareness of the campaign and mental health in general, in particular development of social media and online communications and resources, working with Students’ Union and Schools and ensuring promotional presence at relevant events; 

  • Contributing to the management and monitoring of budgets; 

  • Seeking funding sources and contributing to development of funding applications; 

  • Further developing ways for project monitoring, evaluation and reporting; 

  • Carry out any other duties which are appropriate to the post as may be reasonably requested by the supervisor.



Qualifications

Applicants must be registered students at Queen’s University Belfast for academic year 2023 – 2024. 



The successful applicant, for whom English is not their first language, must have achieved a minimum pass mark of 6.0 overall for their IELTS (International English Language Test Score) or equivalent. Please note a copy of your IELTS results will be requested by email to your QUB email address following submission of your application). 



The successful candidate should be / have been / plan to be a resident in Belfast for their studies. 



Skills

To apply, please submit a CV and Cover Letter through QWork.



Within the Cover Letter applicants are asked to specifically refer to any essential and/or desirable criteria that they meet in their application statements, as the panel will use this information to shortlist and invite candidates to interview. Please provide clear examples, avoid acronyms or jargon that would not be familiar to panel members, outline your specific role, and be as clear as possible as the panel will not make assumptions based on any existing knowledge. 



Essential Criteria




  1. An awareness of, and a keen interest in, Mental Health issues and the benefits of early intervention to protect wellbeing;  

  2. At least three to six months proven experience in a leadership role including taking initiative and solving problems in a working / volunteering environment with minimal supervision; 

  3. At least three to six months experience of organising events including booking venues, communicating with attendees, preparing materials, and identifying and resolving issues as they arise; 

  4. Evidence of working as part of a team; 

  5. Willingness to complete the training required to undertake the role; 

  6. Willingness and ability to work flexible hours - must be available for a minimum 8 hours a week between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday during term time.



 



Desirable Criteria  




  1. At least three to six months previous experience of working on Mental Health campaigns (in a paid or volunteer capacity);

  2. At least three to six months experience of posting engaging content across the main social media platforms and growing audiences; 

  3. At least three to six months previous experience of supporting students or pupils, in paid or voluntary capacity;

  4. Ability to provide guidance and direction to a team of mental health ambassadors;

  5. Evidence of creating innovative campaigns.

.