Youth Engagement Worker

About Us

akt is the UK s national LGBTQ Youth Homelessness charity. We provide safe homes, mentoring, and support to ensure that no young person needs to choose between a safe home and being who they are. 24% of young people facing homelessness in the UK identify as LGBT (National Scoping of LGBT Youth Homelessness, akt, 2015) and 78% of LGBTQ+ young people cited an absence of family support (The LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Report, akt, 2021). The charity was founded in 1989 and operates service centres in London, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol and works online through a Digital Service to offer support to young people outside of our four office regions. akt works with over 800 vulnerable young people a year providing both face to face and online assistance.

Job Summary

The role will involve the provision of youth engagement activities to a diverse range of LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or living in a hostile environment. Our focus is in maintaining our ability to provide the highest service possible, giving our young people the opportunities to access peer support, community engagement and life skills. Overall, we aim to support LGBTQ+ young people into safe accommodation and work or education and prevent them from becoming homeless again in the future.

Key Tasks:

• Work as part of the Youth Engagement team to engage LGBTQ+ youth in a programme of meaningful activities designed to promote wellbeing and support young people to meet their personal goals.
• Make sure young people are meaningfully engaged in the co-creation of akt s services and projects.
• With the support of the Youth Engagement Manager develop, manage, and grow akt s LGBTQ+ youth work programme in London.
• Facilitate group work and peer support sessions and complete risk assessments.
• Support the London Services drop-in session.
• Develop and grow our programme of LGBTQ+ national and regional youth events.
• Work with young people and colleagues to explore the potential for national/regional trans youth events and activities.
• Support young people to be involved with the development and creation of an ever-growing collection of online/practical resources and videos to provide advice, support and reassurance to LGBTQ+ young people, on issues and topics that matter to them most, in conjunction with Digital Services and Marcomms Teams.
• Support fundraising and business development activities in relation to the growth of our youth work and youth engagement work.
• Support young people with opportunities to be involved in participation events.
• Support the Youth Engagement Manager to engage young people in research opportunities and sharing experiences to shape best practice for external partner agencies.
• Engage with external providers on intersectionality to ensure groups are inclusive and accessible at the service.
• Support the planning and delivery of national events for young people.
• Support youth engagement activities in other cities as required.
• Be a responsible First Aider (training will be provided).

More details about the role can be found in the job information attached to this advert.

Application Deadline: midnight (11.59pm) on Monday 7th October 2024

First Interview: Tuesday 21st October 2024

Second Interview (Youth Panel): Thursday 24th October 2024