Mentoring Lead

ABOUT TRAIN

TRAIN began as a detached youth work charity, and that foundation still shapes who we are. While our programmes have grown and diversified, we remain committed to working with young people who are often under-served. This includes those who may be facing complex challenges, feeling disconnected from school or support services, or struggling to find their place in the community. Our work is built on trust, consistency and respect, ensuring young people feel seen, valued and able to thrive.

Our vision: every young person should have the opportunities, tools and support they need to create a positive future.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Didcot Mentoring Lead, you'll focus on early intervention for young people. You'll have the opportunity to help young people with goal-setting, healthy relationships, emotional regulation, educational engagement and making positive choices.

It will be your responsibility to develop and deliver consistent and nurturing mentoring provision across all of the secondary schools in Didcot and the primary schools in and around Didcot, providing young people with the much-needed 1:1 and group support which you will be able to tailor to their individual needs.

You'll ensure that our mentoring provision continues to evolve to meet young people's ever-changing needs. You will build a meaningful rapport with young people through an approach grounded in the principles of informal education, voluntary engagement and consistency.

Building excellent relationships with our schools and stakeholders is a crucial part of this role, utilising and expanding the existing network already in place, and providing them with reliability, consistency and a high level of professional ability to support the young people who need it most.

You'll be comfortable engaging with young people in our other varied settings as required. This includes spending time in the community on outreach and detached work, and assisting with delivery at our open-access youth clubs, holiday programme, trips and more.

It will be part of your role to ensure you create welcoming, inclusive spaces where young people feel seen, heard and supported.

You'll report directly to our Youth Work Manager and help ensure young people remain at the centre of all we do. We're happy to consider applicants wishing to work either four or five days a week.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary: £29,542 - £32,578 FTE, depending on experience. This range is based on a 37.5-hour week, pro rata for part-time hours. We welcome applicants who may not feel they meet every point of the person specification.

Contract: Permanent

Contractual hours: 30-37.5 per week. Most mentoring delivery takes place during the school day. We also ask all staff to have some involvement in our community provision, so this role includes at least one later evening per week (until 6.30pm).

Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays

Pension: 3% employer contribution

Professional development: Tailored programme to suit your experience, ambitions and the requirements of the role.

Wellbeing: Full membership of an employee assistance programme with mental health and wellbeing support. Clinical supervision is available to our staff team as required.

Culture: Supportive, collaborative team with regular team meetings and shared learning.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver 1:1 and group mentoring, modelling high standards of inclusive, empowering and trauma-informed practice.

Forge and maintain excellent professional relationships with all schools in Didcot and TRAIN's stakeholders, including voluntary sector organisations and statutory services, building on the network already in place.

Hold responsibility for the recruitment, planning, delivery and evaluation of the mentoring provision across all schools in Didcot, ensuring it is young-person centred and responds to the needs and aspirations of local young people.

Ensure the mentoring offer is responsive to young people's ever-changing needs, developing with them, and that your practice is well-informed and up to date.

Contribute to promoting a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion within the team and across all aspects of youth provision.

Create and strengthen opportunities for meaningful youth voice in your mentoring sessions and programmes.

Ensure compliance with safeguarding policies, and report any safeguarding concerns or disclosures to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Contribute to our wider youth work offer, including youth clubs, detached/outreach, holiday programmes and trips, as required.

Monitor, evaluate and report on outcomes and performance indicators in line with funder and organisational requirements.

Ensure delivery is compliant with TRAIN's policies and procedures.

There may be an opportunity for this role to grow, contributing to the recruitment, training and oversight of the mentoring team.

ABOUT YOU

Essential qualities

Committed to TRAIN's mission, vision and values.

Passionate about seeing under-served young people thrive and fulfil their potential.

A…