Youth Worker – DASH

role terms

• salary: band d - £27,215.13 to £30,173.90 (full time equivalent)
• hours: 37 hours per week, mostly office hours but to include some evenings and weekends subject to organisational needs
• role type: permanent
• place of work: based at no limits advice centre
• role screening: dbs - enhanced with barred lists
• essential driver?: yes, as dash is a community-based project of use of a vehicle for work is essential.
• closing date: 9am on monday, 2nd of march 2026
• interview date: tbc

cvs and expressions of interest will not be accepted. Please visit no limits website for full job description and to complete the application for this role

✨are you passionate about helping to make a difference to children and young people? We’re looking for an experienced and enthusiastic youth worker to join the dash (drugs and alcohol support hub) team.✨

no limits is the leading youth services charity in southampton, supporting children and young people in the city and across hampshire.

at no limits, it is important our staff and volunteers reflect, represent, and have experience of the challenges faced by the children and young people we support. We are proud of and appreciate our many staff and volunteers who use their own lived experience to support the children and young people they work with.

with this in mind, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (dei) in all aspects of our work and organisational culture – and when recruiting, it’s important to us that we continue diversifying our staff and volunteer teams, with children and young people at the centre of everything we do. You can learn more about our dei approach here.

when we talk about talent, we value the transferrable skills and experiences you can bring to no limits, whether through work (in the same or a different sector), volunteering, or personal experiences. To make sure we get the best talent on our team, we are open to and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and sections of the community, including diverse ethnic backgrounds, lgbtqia+, disabled, and neurodiverse individuals.

as a youth worker - dash, you will support young people aged 11-24 with substance use issues. This will involve taking a holistic and collaborative approach to case holding, and will include assessing young people, devising care plans and offering specialist substance advice and information. Dash deliver a range of interventions including open access, 1-2-1 & group interventions and needle exchange.

Experience of youth work or supporting people around substance use is highly desirable; you may not have this experience but will have an understanding of the issues young people face. On your application, tell us about the skills you can bring to this role. You will need to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that young people and their families are able to access appropriate support.

A working knowledge of youth criminal justice and mental health issues is desirable.

your key responsibilities will include:

• case-holding children and young people affected by substance use to support them around substances and reduce the harm associated with substance use
• conduct comprehensive assessments
• working alongside young people to create and review recovery plans and safeguarding
• provide high quality, rights-based information and advice in a way that is understandable and accessible to children and young people and enables them to explore options and make informed choices
• delivering educational and harm reduction interventions and supporting professional networks to deliver interventions and plans

please see thejobdescription for further details about the responsibilities of the role.

we are committed to making a difference in the lives of the children and young people we work with, and as such, you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the no limits ethos. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is paramount.

we particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those who have had experiences similar to the young people we aim to support. We are…