Youth Worker for Paediatric Diabetes Service

Job overview

Job Overview

We are seeking a motivated and skilled Youth Worker (Band 5) to join the Paediatric Diabetes Service across Tameside & Glossop, supporting children and young people living with diabetes. This post will focus on young people aged approximately 11–18 years, with particular emphasis on the transition from paediatric to adult services.

The post holder will deliver and develop a youth‑focused service that provides practical, emotional, and psychosocial support to young people with diabetes and their families. Working as part of the multidisciplinary Paediatric Diabetes Team, the Youth Worker will contribute to clinics, group activities, and one‑to‑one interventions, supporting young people to build confidence, resilience, self‑management skills, and independence.

The role involves close collaboration with nursing, medical, psychology, and allied health professionals, and includes active participation in service development, clinical governance, and transition planning. The post holder will receive regular supervision from a Clinical Psychologist with expertise in paediatric diabetes.

This is a 0.9 WTE post (33.75 hours per week). Working hours are flexible to meet the needs of young people and may include early evenings and occasional weekends.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties of the Job

• Provide high‑quality, holistic support to children and young people with diabetes (approximately ages 11–18), with a particular focus on transition from paediatric to adult services
• Deliver one‑to‑one and group‑based youth work interventions to support emotional wellbeing, social development, self‑management, and independence
• Work as an integral member of the Paediatric Diabetes multidisciplinary team, contributing to clinics, reviews, and care planning
• Assess the psychosocial, developmental, educational, and vocational needs of young people and implement appropriate programmes and activities
• Act as a key worker for young people, families, and professionals, offering advice, guidance, and advocacy where appropriate
• Support young people and families through the transition process into adult diabetes services
• Engage and build positive relationships with young people, parents/carers, and siblings, promoting participation and self‑advocacy
• Contribute to service development, clinical governance, audit, and evaluation of youth work provision
• Maintain accurate records and documentation in line with Trust policies, safeguarding requirements, and information governance standards
• Work flexibly across settings, including community and hospital environments, with some evening and occasional weekend working

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Youth Worker (Band 5) will deliver and evaluate a specialist youth work service for children and young people living with diabetes across Tameside & Glossop. The role focuses on supporting young people aged approximately 11–18 years, with a particular emphasis on the transition from paediatric to adult diabetes services.

Working as part of the multidisciplinary Paediatric Diabetes Team, the post holder will provide holistic, youth‑centred support that addresses the emotional, social, developmental, and educational needs of young people and their families. The role includes one‑to‑one interventions, group work, participation in clinics, and the development of recreational, social, and support activities designed to promote independence, resilience, self‑management, and engagement with healthcare.

The post holder will act as a key worker for young people with identified needs, managing referrals, undertaking assessments, and coordinating appropriate support. They will work closely with nursing, medical, psychology, and allied health professionals, contributing to care planning, transition arrangements, and service development.

The role includes responsibility for maintaining professional standards, contributing to clinical governance, safeguarding children and young people, and ensuring accurate record keeping. Regular supervision will be provided by a Clinical Psychologist with expertise in paediatric diabetes.

The post is 0.9 WTE (33.75 hours per week). Working hours are flexible to meet the needs of young people and may include early evenings and occasional weekends.

Clinical / Professional Responsibilities

• Provide high‑quality, holistic youth work support to children and young people with diabetes, taking account of individual emotional, social, cultural, developmental, and physical needs
• Deliver one‑to‑one and group‑based interventions for young people with identified needs, following referral and assessment
• Act as a key worker for young people and families, offering advice, guidance, advocacy, and signposting to appropriate services
• Support young people and families through the transition from paediatric to adult diabetes services, working closely with the wider multidisciplinary team
• Participate as a professional member of paediatric diabetes clinics, contributing to patient care and care planning
• Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with young people, parents/carers, and siblings
• Provide information and advice to young people and families on psychosocial, educational/vocational, and generic health issues

Service Delivery and Development

• Monitor, prioritise, and manage referrals received from paediatric diabetes services across Tameside & Glossop
• Deliver and contribute to the development of recreational, social, and support programmes for young people with diabetes
• Work flexibly with the diabetes teams to provide a varied programme of activities, including daytime and early evening provision
• Enable young people to participate in service development and share their views to help shape services across the Trust
• Support young people in community or home settings where appropriate, to help re‑establish normal routines such as education or employment
• Develop and maintain links with community organisations and services to support young people’s wider needs

Multidisciplinary and Partnership Working

• Work collaboratively with healthcare professionals to support adolescent‑friendly services and clinics
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case conferences, and reviews, providing professional input to care planning
• Liaise with education, social care, voluntary, and community services as appropriate

Clinical Governance and Safeguarding

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of clinical governance within the young people’s service
• Participate in audit, service evaluation, quality improvement, and user feedback activities
• Maintain accurate and timely records in line with Trust policies, safeguarding requirements, and information governance standards
• Identify, document, and escalate safeguarding and child protection concerns in line with Trust procedures

Training, Supervision, and Professional Development

• Engage fully with clinical supervision provided by the Clinical Psychologist and the Paediatric Diabetes Team
• Undertake teaching and awareness sessions for healthcare staff regarding the needs of young people
• Support student placements and learners as required
• Maintain continuing professional development, reflective practice, and compliance with mandatory training
• Participate in appraisal, performance review, and Knowledge and Skills Framework processes