Targeted Youth Support Worker
About the job
Salary: £30,024 - £32,597 a year
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
As a Targeted Youth Support Worker at Luton Council, you will play a vital role in supporting young people aged 10 to 18 who are facing challenges that impact their personal, social, and educational development. You will engage directly with young people, their families, and partner organisations to assess individual needs, provide targeted support, and help them make positive choices that improve their wellbeing and future opportunities.
In this role, you will work closely with young people to gain their trust and commitment to positive activities, collaborating with families, schools, and community partners to encourage participation and re-engagement with education, training, and employment. You will carry out assessments, make and respond to referrals through Early Help and other support services, and collect information to evidence progress and outcomes. You will also design and deliver tailored, evidence-based one-to-one interventions that address the specific needs of young people, helping them to build confidence, resilience, and life skills.
A key part of your work will involve the development and delivery of ongoing programmes and projects that promote the personal and social growth of young people. This may include the delivery of detached and street-based youth work, providing a presence in the community to engage those who may not access traditional support services. You will act as an advocate for young people, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are represented within multi-agency settings, including participation in Team Around the Family processes.
You will manage your own workload effectively, working both independently and as part of a supportive team to meet agreed objectives and targets. This includes maintaining accurate and timely records, preparing reports and plans, and ensuring that all administrative and monitoring tasks are completed to a high standard. You will keep your professional knowledge up to date, particularly in relation to local and national youth work initiatives, and use this understanding to deliver evidence-based, reflective practice.
Collaboration is central to this role. You will work with voluntary, statutory, and community agencies, as well as schools and other local services, to promote effective referral processes and ensure joined-up support for young people. You will contribute to the development of local youth provision by supporting a coordinated and inclusive approach that reflects the needs of Luton’s diverse communities.
The safety and wellbeing of young people will be at the heart of your practice. You will ensure all activities are delivered in line with Luton Council’s Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies, taking appropriate action to protect children and young people from harm. You will also demonstrate a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that every young person has fair and equal access to opportunities and support.
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people and to contribute to Luton Council’s commitment to regenerating the town and improving the quality of life for all its citizens.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
About you
You will be an experienced and passionate youth work practitioner with a genuine commitment to improving the lives of young people in Luton. You will have demonstrable experience of working in a statutory or voluntary youth work setting with children and young people aged 10 to 18, particularly within a multi-racial and multi-cultural urban environment. Your background will include supporting young people who are disaffected, underachieving, or facing social and emotional barriers to learning, using a range of one-to-one and group work approaches to promote their personal, social, and educational development.
You will have the ability to build trusting, positive, and sustainable relationships with vulnerable and disengaged young people and their families, engaging them in ways that encourage participation, responsibility, and personal growth. You will be able to assess and interpret the individual needs of young people, identifying areas for development and creating tailored action plans that support progress and build resilience. A creative and reflective approach to designing and delivering learning and engagement activities—whether in groups or one-to-one—is essential, along with a willingness to adapt your practice to meet diverse needs and circumstances.
You will be confident working both independently and as part of a wider multi-agency team, collaborating effectively with colleagues across education, health, social care, and community services. Strong communication skills are key to this role, as you will need to engage with young people, families, and professionals with clarity, empathy, and professionalism. You will also demonstrate good organisational and administrative skills, ensuring accurate record-keeping, report writing, and case documentation, and you will be comfortable using ICT for communication, research, planning, and data management.
A reflective practitioner, you will be proactive in your own professional development, seeking opportunities to learn and improve your practice. You will have a sound understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion, ensuring that your work reflects Luton Council’s commitment to supporting all young people, regardless of background, culture, or circumstance. You will also have knowledge of safeguarding, child protection, and health and safety procedures, understanding how these principles apply in your day-to-day work to protect young people and maintain a safe environment.
In addition, you will bring knowledge of key areas that affect young people’s lives, such as youth offending, anti-social behaviour, child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, substance misuse, mental ill health, and issues related to gang involvement, radicalisation, or neglect. An understanding of youth work principles, family support practice, and relevant legislation and policy in one or more of these areas will enable you to make informed, compassionate, and effective interventions.
You will hold a recognised youth work qualification or an equivalent Level 3 qualification, with proven competence and practical experience in delivering support to young people. Above all, you will be driven by a belief in the potential of every young person and a commitment to helping them overcome challenges, achieve their goals, and play a positive role in their community.
This is a public facing role so you’ll need to show off your fluency in speaking and writing English.
About us
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Application Process
Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.
On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.
Benefits
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.Salary range
- £30,024 - £32,597 per year