Youth Services Leader

Hours:	35 per week, Monday to Friday
Benefits:     Reporting to: Salary:	28 days per annum plus 10 public holidays, 8% non-contributory pension, BUPA Health Insurance, People Friendly hours, Flexi Time, We Applaud Recognition & Reward programme Operations Manager Up to £43,079 (depending on experience and qualifications)

Are you looking for an organisation where you can make a difference? Are you enthusiastic, self-motivated and have passion for helping young people achieve their goals? If so, we would like to hear from you!

Routes to Work South (RTWS) is an award-winning organisation committed to alleviating poverty and supporting unemployed South Lanarkshire residents to develop skills, confidence and knowledge required to progress into and sustain employment. We work collaboratively with partner agencies, employers, and stakeholders to deliver flexible, accessible, client-centred employability and skills services that respond to the needs of local communities and the labour market. Our services support individuals facing a range of barriers to employment, helping people progress through different stages of the employability pipeline towards positive and sustained outcomes.

For over 20 years, RTWS has successfully delivered a range of welfare-to-work programmes, funded through South Lanarkshire Council, Skills Development Scotland, the Department for Work and Pensions, and other funding streams including the Big Lottery and European Structural Funds. We currently deliver services to young people and adults across South Lanarkshire through Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind (NOLB).

As an arm’s-length external organisation of South Lanarkshire Council, we play a key role in delivering services that support the council’s Employability Strategy, working closely with the Local Employability Partnership, our wider network of partners and employers to create opportunities, reduce inequalities, and support economic inclusion.

At RTWS we are committed to delivering high-quality services, driving innovation and creating a positive impact for the individuals, employers, and communities we support.

Leadership at Routes to Work South

At Routes to Work South, our Leaders turn strategy into action. As part of our Leadership Team, you’ll inspire high-performing teams, drive results and ensure our services deliver improved outcomes for the people we support.

You will balance support with constructive challenge, creating a culture of accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement. You will set clear expectations and drive performance. From service quality and compliance to performance and customer experience, you’ll lead from the front ensuring high standards are consistently maintained.

If you thrive in a fast-paced, outcomes-focused environment and are motivated by getting the best from people, driving improvement and making a real difference, this could be the role for you.

 

What Will the Role Involve?

This is a new leadership opportunity for someone to build on RTWS’s established track record of delivering effective youth services. Currently, our youth offer includes employability support and tailored training programmes, complemented by the delivery of a dedicated Youth Hub from our Cambuslang office. Together, these services support young people to overcome barriers, develop skills and progress towards positive destinations, contributing to improved School Leaver Destinations.

With youth unemployment and the risk of young people becoming NEET continuing to be a significant challenge, we want to broaden our reach, strengthen pathways into employment, education and training, and improve outcomes. As Youth Services Leader, you’ll have the opportunity to shape this development, bringing fresh ideas and identifying new ways to increase our impact.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you’ll provide strong, hands-on leadership, taking ownership of team performance and driving performance against KPIs and targets. You’ll maintain high standards of quality and customer experience while ensuring full compliance with contractual and funding requirements.

You’ll champion an inclusive, person-centred approach while providing the support and constructive challenge needed to get the best from your team. Working closely with other Leaders and the Senior Management Team, you’ll contribute to organisational priorities, turn strategy into action and help shape the future direction of RTWS’s youth services.

Main Aims

• Provide strong leadership to achieve individual and team KPI’s in line with contractual requirements and the organisations performance management framework.
• Ensure young people receive high-quality, person-centered support that promotes positive progression.
• Lead the development and delivery of services that provide effective pathways into training, work placements, employment, education and other positive destinations.
• Develop and strengthen our youth hub and community-based provision.
• Ensure the successful delivery of all contractual outputs, outcomes and compliance requirements
• Drive a culture of accountability, quality and continuous improvement.
• Champion a high quality, inclusive customer experience for clients facing complex barriers to employment.
• Work collaboratively with the Leadership team to support the delivery of organisational priorities and strategic objectives.

 

Key Duties/ Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate staff delivering specialist pre-employability and employability services, setting clear performance expectations and supporting teams to achieve agreed targets and outcomes.
• Manage staff performance, including sickness and absence, annual leave, training and development, and conduct regular one-one meetings and performance appraisals.
• Hold monthly caseload reviews with staff to monitor client progression, address barriers, and ensure interventions are appropriate to individual need.
• Organise and chair regular team meetings, providing clear performance updates, priorities and service developments.
• Monitor and review programme performance, providing regular forecasts, management information reports and updates to the Operations Manager and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate, timely and compliant data recording, maintaining high data quality standards and adherence to GDPR and CRM requirements.
• Take operational decisions within agreed authority levels, escalating risks, issues or exceptions to Senior Management as required.
• Support internal and external audits and contract reviews, ensuring evidence and performance information is accurate and available.
• Monitor and manage assigned budget areas in line with organisational purchasing and authorisation policies.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with partners, stakeholders and internal colleagues to support specialist client pathways.
• Co-ordinate staff attendance at external events, partnership activity or specialist forums as required.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of RTWS services, shaping provision in response to client need, stakeholder feedback and performance insight.
• Ensure services are delivered in line with RTWS Customer Service Standards, policies and procedures,

• Ensure contract compliance and the CRM system is always maintained by the staff.
• Carry out any other duties as and when required by the Company.

 

 

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Essential Skills & Knowledge	Desirable Skills & Knowledge
A minimum of 3 years’ experience leading or supervising staff within employability, welfare to work or a similar performance driven environment.	A recognised leadership or management qualification (e.g. SVQ Leadership & Management, ILM Level 3 or above, CMI, or equivalent).
Strong experience of performance management, including driving achievement against KPI’s and targets.	Experience working within Scottish Government or locally funded employability programmes.
Confidence working in a targeted, high-support and high-challenge environment, providing both encouragement and constructive challenge to maintain standards.	Demonstrate a knowledge of equal opportunities, use of language in its promotion, and its implications in the work of the organisation.
Understanding of contractual delivery, compliance and quality requirements within funded programmes.	Experience delivering or overseeing intensive or specialist employability services.
Ability to lead, motivate and support staff, including performance management, wellbeing and development.	Understanding of employability interventions and provision across the employability pipeline including engagement, pre-employability, in work support and progression.
Ability to analyse performance data, produce forecasts and management information, and use insight to drive service improvement.	Familiar with job creation and displacement issues and the ethos of the voluntary sector and potential income sources.
Understanding of barriers faced by young people, who are economically inactive or facing complex challenges to employment, education or training.	Experience contributing to service improvement or redesign initiatives.
Working knowledge of CRM systems and data protection requirements, including GDPR.	Familiarity with the voluntary sector and its funding environment.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to motivate, influence and challenge constructively.
Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusive service delivery.
Ability to solve problems, adapt and respond effectively in a fast paced, target driven environment.
Experience facilitating team discussions or performance improvement activity
Experience developing partnerships with statutory agencies, employers or third-sector organisations,
Intermediate to Advanced IT skills particularly in relation to Microsoft packages.
Full Driving License and access to own transport

This job outline reflects the main tasks and responsibilities discharged by the post holder at the present time, however, RTWS reserves the right to alter or amend the content of this job outline to reflect changes to the job or services provided, while maintaining the overall character and level of responsibility for the post.

If interested in joining RTWS, please submit your CV with a covering letter (applications without covering letter will not be considered) answering the following to https://hr.breathehr.com/v/youth-services-leader-49155

1. What motivated you to apply for the role? (Max 300 words)
2. What skills and experience can you bring to the role? (Max 300 words)

 

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience of working with young people and/or adults with health and wellbeing needs.

 

Applications close Wednesday 28^th October at 5pm any applications received after this will not be considered.

 

For those being invited to interview, they will take place on Tuesday 10^th November.

 

Please note RTWS are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, if you require amendments to the recruitment process, please contact us.