• Reference number:
  22517
• Location:
  Travellers Early Years Service
• Contract type:
  Permanent (Fixed term funded post)
• End date:
  31st March 2029
• Hours:
  22.5 Term Time
• Salary:
  £28,124.46 – £37,117.07 FTE
• Closing Date:
  8 March 2026
• Interview Date:
  wb 16th March 2026
• Restricted to internal only:
  No

We are seeking a dedicated Project Worker 2 – Youth Participation Worker to play a key role in delivering Barnardo’s Traveller Support Service for Irish Traveller families across the Greater Belfast area.

About the Service

Our work falls into the following strands:

• Early Years play, learning and development sessions for parents and young children
• Transition support to encourage school attendance and engagement with learning
• Youth Voice project which includes Youth Group and one to one mentoring for young people
• Advocacy and partnership working

About the Traveller Youth Voice Project

Our Youth Voice Project is for young people aged 12+. The focus of this project is to amplify the voices and lived experiences of Traveller young people, promote inclusion, remove barriers to accessing services and create opportunities for young people to thrive and reach their full potential. It involves:

• Youth Group which takes place fortnightly during term time in a community setting
• One to one mentoring which takes place weekly/ bi-weekly at young peoples’ homes or in a community setting.

About the Role

The post holder will support work across all strands of the Traveller Support Service however a particular focus will be on developing and delivering the Youth Voice Project. The post holder will be required to:

• Liaise with schools, community group, parents and young people to invite referrals
• Respectfully engage with parents and young people from traveller families and build positive, supportive relationships
• Work collaboratively with young people and parents to identify support needs and set goals.
• Develop and deliver tailored one to one mentoring sessions for young people
• Develop and deliver group sessions for young people that focus personal development, building skills and voice and influence
• Actively support young people to express their views, identify key priorities, promote self-advocacy and participate in system change
• Identify and secure a range of appropriate audiences for children and young people to communicate their views through a variety of methods
• Work co-operatively with statutory and community organisations to promote inclusion and provide the most effective service for young people.
• Apply safeguarding and child protection procedures

Please ensure that you outline on your application how you meet the essential criteria below:

Essential Criteria

• Degree in Community Youth Work, Social Work, or Education OR substantial experience of a leading role in development and delivery of youth participation programmes for young people across the 12–18 age range
• Awareness of factors and issues impacting Traveller young people and families

• Demonstrable experience of leading, designing and facilitating group work programmes, with and for young people.
• Demonstrable experience of working within confidentiality, GDPR, Safeguarding Policies and Procedures and promoting the welfare of children
• Demonstrable experience of creating strong partnerships and use of multi‑agency working skills, with experience contributing to muti-disciplinary meetings, networks or forums

• Demonstrable experience in completing written reports, collating impact reports and session recordings in English and have IT skills including the use of Microsoft Word, and Outlook
• A full driving license and use of a car for business purposes. As driving is an intrinsic part of this role, applicants with a disability that prevents them from driving should be able to demonstrate an alternative means of meeting the mobility requirements of the post.

Occasional evening and weekend work will be an element of this post, and the post holder will need to demonstrate that they can meet these requirements.

Closing Date: Midnight, 8 March 2026

Interview Date: W/C 16 March 2026

Location: 230c Belmont Road, Belfast with option for hybrid working

Hours: 22.5 Term Time

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently to 31 March 2029 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement.

Salary: £28,124.46 – £37,117.07 FTE

Contact: recruitment.support@barnardos.org.uk

The successful candidates will also be required to undertake an Enhanced Access NI with Child Barred List check.

A waiting list will be held in the event that similar vacancies arise during the next 12 months.