Youth Support Worker

Job summary

As a Youth Support Worker, you'll make a real difference to the lives of our young people by helping them feel heard, understood, and confident throughout their healthcare journey. Through kindness, creativity, and meaningful relationships, you'll empower young people to engage with their care, build resilience, and achieve the best possible outcomes. Your support will help create positive experiences that can have a lasting impact on their wellbeing and future.

Main duties of the job

This role exists to ensure the young people at GOSH feel supported, included, and empowered throughout their healthcare journey. The postholder will build trusted relationships, and provide emotional and practical support, and create joyful opportunities for young people for the betterment of their hospital experience.

Working closely with young people, their families, and our Youth Workers, the Youth Support Worker will help make hospital experiences more positive, engaging, and age-appropriate. The role contributes to creating a welcoming environment where every young person feels respected, valued, and able to thrive.

The postholder will be accountable for supporting young people's wellbeing, promoting engagement with services and activities, and helping to reduce barriers that may prevent them from accessing care or achieving positive outcomes. They will identify concerns, contribute to safeguarding, and ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard and acted upon.

Through compassion, inclusivity, and a commitment to excellence, the Youth Support Worker will help improve experiences, build confidence and resilience, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people, and their families.

About us

We are committed to recruiting the best person for the job through a fair, open and consistent process that is free from bias and discrimination.

We are working towards becoming an anti-racist organisation. This means creating a workplace where every colleague feels seen, heard and valued, and where racism in any form has no place. Our anti-racism commitment is backed by action through our Anti-Racism Statement and action plan, developed in collaboration with our REACH staff network.

We actively challenge discrimination, dismantle barriers and embed equity across all aspects of our workforce, including recruitment, progression and development. All applicants will receive equal consideration regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, health condition or employment history.

We particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and LGBTQ+ community members. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a member of the Business Disability Forum, and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

Our staff networks, including REACH, PRIDE, ENABLED and Women's Networks, are active and executive supported. These employee-led networks play a vital role in shaping an inclusive culture at GOSH and are open to all colleagues.

Together, we are building a culture where inclusion is not optional - it is essential.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment/s below.

Person specification

GOSH Cultures and Values

Essential

• Collaboration - We work together to deliver safe, consistent, patient-centred care. Respect - We treat everyone with respect, kindness and equity. Curiosity - We stay curious to drive innovation that delivers exceptional patient outcomes.
• Experience of working as part of a diverse team. Experience of contributing to an inclusive workplace culture.

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work independently and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work as part of a large team.
• Ability to develop positive therapeutic relationships.
• IT skills, including use of electronic patient records and Microsoft Office applications.

Academic/Professional qualification/Training

Essential

• GCSE English and Mathematics (Grade C/4 or above) or equivalent qualification.
• Educated to Level 3 in a relevant subject area or equivalent experience working with children and young people.
• If no Youth Support Worker Qualification is held, willingness to undertake the Youth Support Worker Apprenticeship.

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection.
• Excellent communication and engagement skills with young people and families
• Experience working with children and young people.
• Experience supporting young people with emotional, social, behavioural, or mental health needs.