Development Worker (Children and Young People)

Introduction

Job Title: Development Worker (Children and Young People)

Location: Hybrid, travel across the region

Reports to: Director

Working days and hours: 35 hours per week 

Role Status: Fixed Term to 31.12.27

Salary: £37,080

Purpose:

The key purposes of this post are to:

• Support our participating diocese and their parishes in their identified approaches and routes to addressing racism within church youth groups, children’s groups and their work with children and families, enabling young people of GMH/UKME backgrounds to be supported in their discipleship journeys, and 
• Working collaboratively with the participating dioceses and their parishes, and to facilitate gatherings and other opportunities for sharing experiences, good practice, and learning across church-based youth and children’s and families work  
  
  

Role contextual  information:

Our role  holder will be able to:

• Understand how racism intersects with youth culture and the diverse ways in which families work
• Be able to work for change within the diverse contexts across the region.
• Be able to scope existing children and youth work provision in which GMH/UKME communities are engaged across the participating dioceses, and identify where there is need but absence of provision. 
• Establish and work effectively with our steering group from across the region from our participating dioceses to develop a programme of activity to meet the  aims and outcomes of the Initiative, and work with diocesan children and youth work teams to develop strategies for addressing the gaps in provision, connecting need with resources.
• Work with diocesan children and youth work teams to identify and facilitate the sharing of good practice in this field, supporting diverse local contexts.
• Effectively connect the learning of the steering group into the wider Initiative’s board and the diocesan racial justice groups.
• Be a good communicator and networker, able to make meaningful relationships with people of all ages in their diverse contexts as well as to engage meaningfully with diocesan and parish structures.
• Be a good listener able to translate learning into appropriate action.  
  
  

Specific Responsibilities: 

• Responsible for creating a regional network of role models and mentors from GMH/UKME backgrounds for young people – To do this by:
  - Developing recruitment and appointment processes (including safer recruitment)
  - Ensuring mentors and role models are appropriately supported and supervised
  - Ensuring mentors and role models have access to   available resources, liaising with the NRJU and regional diocesan education teams as appropriate.
  
  
• Responsible for curating an annual calendar of relevant activities and events, bringing together appropriate (and largely existing) resources which will engage the involvement of young people - To do this by:

  
  - Working collaboratively with the communications mechanisms in dioceses, and the WMRJJI communications officer

  Including events such as 
  Black History Month
  Racial Justice Sunday
  
  
• Responsible for devising and supporting opportunities and events which will bring a shared learning, experience of racial justice between churches across the region and within dioceses. – To do this by:

  - Facilitating the sharing of experiences and expertise about children and young peoples’ experiences 
  - Collecting and curating stories from young people and families among the GME/UKME community in our churches.
  
  

• Responsible for regular reporting on activities, updates and plans - To do this by:
  - Ensuring a regular pattern of updating and reporting, evidence and data as agreed with the Regional Racial Justice Director, Project Manager and Board.
  - Working collaboratively with WMRRJI and other regional/diocesan and national church/other/data resources
  
  
• Responsible for being visible and supportive in national and regional networks that grow positive and collaborative working relationships. – To do this by:
  - Identifying key networks agreeing which are priorities or offer potential with the WMRRJI Directors
  - Using such networks as opportunities for personal and professional development 
• Responsible for championing the highest standards of safeguarding practice within the remit of the role and links to diocesan / local work – To do this by:
  - Ensuring key relationships with diocesan safeguarding teams, linking up with where there are opportunities to promote training, and safer recruitment for employees and volunteers (role models and mentors)
  
  
• General responsibilities
   - Safeguarding training
   - Data and GDPR and training
   - Health and Safety

General Requirements: 

Due to the nature of this post, the post-holder will need to work within the underrepresented GMH / UKME communities of the six dioceses, understanding the contexts which individuals of a GMH / UKME background serve in their Christian discipleship, mission and ministry and any barriers which they may face, therefore there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) under the Equality Act 2010 that the post holder is of a GMH / UKME background and a practicing Christian, and able to be supportive of the Church of England, able/willing to work within and navigate its frameworks.

Person Specification: 

We are looking for someone who:

• Is passionate to eliminate racism within church youth groups, children’s groups and work with children and families.
• Can work create, develop and share resources and good practice to support the active inclusion of and participation of GMH / UKME individuals in leading and receiving young peoples work.
• Is supportive of young people of GMH/UKME backgrounds in their discipleship journeys.
• Produces clear and well-structured written work, including reports
• Can use both qualitative and quantitative data to evidence impact of their work against the required outcomes and outputs of the Initiative. 
• Has the ability to listen, communicate and be a natural networker who can create meaningful relationships with people across a variety of levels.
• Can arrange and facilitate effective and inspiring events and gatherings to enable the sharing of stories, resources, and good practice
• Is an effective team worker, following the Director’s reasonable directions regarding duties that support other roles and the overall aims of the Initiative even though it may be in another colleague's specialism

Additional  information:

Application details:

Closing date 8th December 2025

Interview date 17th December 2025

Interview location (Birmingham)

For more information, to arrange an informal conversation contact: Judith Knight at Judith@judithknighthr.com

West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative

The Church of England Birmingham, John Cadbury House

190 Corporation Street, B4 6QD

hello@wmracialjustice.org.uk   |   www.wmracialjustice.org.uk