Voice & Influence Participation Project Worker

Work within our Voice & Influence team whose focus is on mental health participation work, the role includes the facilitation of the weekly Young Commissioners session, our mental health action group and our work with young people within schools and colleges in Barnsley.

Chilypep is currently funded by the Integrated Care Board, South Yorkshire, to engage young people with lived experience of mental health in influencing and shaping services across Barnsley. The Voice & Influence Participation Project Worker will lead on the planning and running of the weekly Young Commissioners groups, for young people aged 11-25, supporting and facilitating their involvement in mental health service design and influencing through training them as young commissioners. The right candidate will have the skills to lead the planning and delivery of group work sessions with the support of other staff within the team.

Some 121 support for young people will also be required outside the group sessions liaising, signposting, and referring to other services where appropriate.

HOME, Barnsley (Help with Our Mental 'Ealth) provides young people with a safe, inclusive, and creative space which offers early support and intervention for young people's improved mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Hub has young people's friendly spaces which provide an informal, calm, and supportive environment from which they can find further help and information.

Our work is a combination of youth work approaches and principles, and early intervention and prevention services based on good practice, with young people's voice at the heart of everything we do.

We are looking for an experienced and skilled Voice & Influence Participation Project Worker. The ideal candidate will need to be a thoughtful and flexible practitioner, placing young people and their welfare at the heart of their practice and have a compassionate, authentic approach. They will have a demonstrable commitment to equality and social justice and be a positive team player willing to share learning and good practice.,

• A recognised qualification to degree level in youth work, community development work, social work, training or education, or other relevant qualification or experience.


• Experience of working with children/young people/young adults/families affected by mental ill health.


• Experience of planning, leading and facilitating group work.


You must also be able to demonstrate:

• Proven experience of Youth / Community Development work or training experience, with a particular emphasis on supporting children and young people in active participation.


• Understanding of the issues faced by young people/young adults experiencing poor mental health.


• Demonstrable experience of supporting young people affected by mental poor health and wellbeing.


• Developing and delivering creative participative activities with young people, for example: peer research, mentoring/befriending, consultation, social action, evaluation, and audit tools for young people.


• Understanding of Equal Opportunities and Anti Discriminatory Practice


• Competent in the use of a range of engagement tools and mediums including face to face, online and social media platforms.


• Ability to work as part of a team.


• Ability to form positive relationships with children and young people.


• Open to learning.


• Ability to take direction and to work on your own initiative.


• Good verbal and written communication skills.


• Competent in the use of computers and IT and management information systems.


• Be willing to work evenings and weekends.


• Be enthusiastic, self-motivated, with ideas of how-to self-care.


• Be innovative and creative.


Children and Young People's Empowerment Project recognises the requirements of the Equality Act and follows clear equal opportunities policies. We'd love to hear from applicants that from all communities and would welcome applications from young people, Black, Asian or minority ethnic persons, marginalised genders and people who have a disability, impairment or learning difference. We are an employer that values lived experience at all levels of our organisation.
Our priority is to safeguard and protect the Children and Young People we work with, and we operate within strict Safe Recruitment Practices, including a DBS check for all staff and volunteers
All candidates must have existing permission to work in the UK.


• Pension: 8% employer contribution


• Annual Leave and Bank holiday entitlement: 38 days pro rata (including bank holidays)


• Benefits: Access to clinical supervision; BHN Extra's: cycle to work scheme, bYond prepaid spending card and Extras Discounts.


• Start Date: Immediate start preferable.