Redthread Senior Mental Health Youth Worker

Job Overview

The Senior Youth Worker leads the Mental Health Youth Work service embedded within the A&E department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The role involves line management of the Mental Health Youth Worker, partnership working with hospital and community partners, and developing and evaluating the service. The Junior Youth Worker will support and build trusting relationships with young people aged 11‑18 who present with acute mental health needs, particularly after self‑harm.

Where You Fit In

This is a new pilot service in partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Accident and Emergency Department. The Senior Youth Worker will lead the delivery of the service, manage a caseload, and ensure integration with hospital staff and NHS services.

Main Duties & Accountabilities

• Lead the delivery of the Mental Health Youth Work service for young people aged 11‑18 who attend the A&E department, ensuring holistic assessment and tailored, trauma‑informed care plans.
• Line‑manage the Mental Health Youth Worker, providing guidance, supervision, case allocation, and oversight of caseloads.
• Work collaboratively with the other Senior Youth Worker to support and improve team skills and consistently deliver Redthread’s intervention model.
• Promote high levels of wellbeing for staff working with young people experiencing acute and chronic mental health challenges.
• Hold a caseload of young people with complex needs across A&E, community, face‑to‑face, and virtual settings, supporting their personal, educational, health, and social development.
• Assist with the ongoing development of the service model and youth work resources specific to the target population.
• Contribute to the training programme for hospital staff, including micro‑teaching and formal presentations.
• Maintain strong working relationships within the hospital, ensuring Redthread youth workers are fully embedded and delivering services that meet young people’s needs.
• Represent Redthread at external meetings, build and maintain relationships with stakeholders and partner agencies.
• Research and network with other organisations serving young people in the hospital area, keeping the team updated on relevant services and referrals.
• Attend multi‑disciplinary team meetings with ED staff and CAMHS teams to support and safeguard young people.
• Maintain professional knowledge of issues affecting young people, particularly mental health and self‑harm.
• Apply safeguarding responsibilities and provide guidance aligned with Redthread’s Safeguarding policy and NHS Trust procedures.
• Keep client forms, databases, and contact files secure, compliant with GDPR, the Data Protection Act, and confidentiality policies; maintain high‑quality recording on Salesforce.
• Collect and record evidence of project outcomes and young people’s achievements for monitoring and reporting.
• Support the development of the programme’s monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate effectiveness and impact.
• Ensure accurate data capture on the CRM system, using insights to shape service delivery and share information with partners.
• Produce monthly and quarterly reports for funders and organisational leadership with oversight from the Service Manager.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Relevant Level 3 or 4 qualification in health & wellbeing, youth provision or equivalent experience.

Desirable:

• Degree‑level qualification in social work, youth work, social science, education or similar.
• Qualifications in counselling and/or mental health first aid for young people.

Knowledge

Essential:

• In-depth knowledge of the physical, social and emotional developmental needs of young people.
• Understanding of issues faced by young people in inner‑city areas.
• Awareness of child protection and safeguarding issues and current best practice within the youth work sector.
• Knowledge of mental health systems, statutory services such as CAMHS, and the needs of young people who self‑harm.
• Knowledge of best practice in case recording.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues, including Gillick competence.
• Knowledge of solution‑focused brief therapy tools or similar counselling methodologies.
• Knowledge of psycho‑education tools suitable for neurodivergent young people.
• Understanding of health inequalities and their impact on diverse groups.

Experience

Essential:

• Significant professional experience working with vulnerable young people across varied settings.
• Experience in a health and well‑being context with young people experiencing mental health challenges.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience leading and managing projects for growth and continuity.
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships with partner organisations.
• Experience planning and delivering training.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a London borough.
• Experience managing and motivating a team.
• Experience developing project processes, procedures and policies.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems to measure programme impact.

Skills & Abilities

Essential:

• Resilient and reflective.
• Strong verbal and written communication, able to interact with young people one‑to‑one across various contexts.
• Ability to plan and manage own workload.
• Accurate data entry, record keeping and monitoring processes; proficient with up‑to‑date IT systems.
• Analytical and evaluative skills to provide effective management oversight of high‑risk complex cases.
• Ability to oversee cases using an electronic database.

Desirable:

• Leadership and management skills to give the team direction and motivation.
• Capability to supervise, guide and support youth work teams around task allocation, priorities and personal development.

Other

• Share Catch22 values.
• Committed to Equality & Diversity.
• Willing to travel and work flexibly.
• Desire to develop and undertake training as required.
• Enthusiasm for Redthread’s work.
• Approachable, self‑motivated and committed to continuous personal development.
• Commitment to equal opportunities in all aspects of Redthread’s work.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices, ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services.

#J-18808-Ljbffr…