Young Co-producers  

Existing systemic inequalities has allowed the Covid-19 pandemic to have disproportionate impact on the mental wellbeing and healthcare of young people from racialised communities. Change needs to happen. 

UK Youth, Centre for Mental Health and The Diana Award are collaborating on a new programme that aims to reimagine mental health support for young people from racialised communities.  The project will be led by Young Co-producers aged 16 – 25 with a passion for and/or lived experience of mental health issues and racial injustices. This programme will give young people from racialised communities a seat at the table and an opportunity to reimagine and affect change within mental health support.  

Following insight from our #YoungandBlack campaign, the first cohort of the programme will focus on young Black people, seeking to understand their experience of the intersection of race and mental health.  

What is a Young Co-producer? 

We are looking for 8 Young Co-producers with interest in and/or lived experience of mental health issues and racial injustices. This is an opportunity to reimagine and affect change within mental health support. Young Co-producers will drive the development of our new programme. As a Young Co-producer you will co-produce training and recruitment of other young people, help design the programme brand, get involved with peer-research and share your ideas and insight to advise the project team on the change you want to see within mental health support.  

The role will run from July 2021 to April 2022 and is paid, supported role for young people aged 16 – 25. Being a Young Co-producer will help you develop your skills and experience. As part of your role, we will provide training and support to help you establish yourself as a Young Co-producer, including project management, goal setting and reflective practice.  

What’s in it for me? 

• The chance to work in partnership with other young people from across England 

• Develop skills for life that look great on your CV 

• Get your ideas heard on a national platform 

• Induction and skills training for the role and on-going support from project team and expenses covered 

What are we looking for? 

The Young Co-producers is a development role for young people, we do not have minimum educational or work experience requirements but are looking for people who: 

• Identify as Black or Black mixed-race 

• Are aged between 16 – 25 

• Live in England 

• Currently affected by mental health problems, have faced mental health problems in the past or have a strong interest in mental health 

• Can commit to at least 2 hours per month on average (could increase to a maximum of 10 hours per month)  

As these are sessional roles, the amount of work and training you will do each month will vary. The role is designed to work flexibly with your availability.  

Commitment from you 

• Promote the mission and vision of the project externally which could include acting as a spokesperson 

• Provide advice and share your ideas with the project team 

• Meet the attendance and support requirements (at least 2 hours per month, up to a maximum of 10 hours per month) 

Who we are 

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and  empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened, supported and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes. 

UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. To find more about us and how we make an impact, please visit UK Youth Website. 

Why get involved with UK Youth 

We are a value-based, passionate and committed organisation offering a friendly working environment with lots of opportunities for professional development and socialising (even whilst we are all working remotely!) from lunch and learn sessions, staff quizzes, to virtual coffee meet ups. 

UK Youth prides itself on being an Equal Opportunity employer, and we would particularly welcome applications for this role from those who identify under one of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. 

We value the differences that a diverse workforce brings and are committed to inclusivity and to employing and supporting a diverse workforce. Our selection procedures ensure that people are treated on the basis of their relevant merits, experience, skills and abilities and that no individual receives more or less favourable treatment. 

We welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in our organisation, including Black, Asian, minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We are also currently underrepresented by men and so are seeking applications from different backgrounds, cultures, age, experience and identity to bring a wide range of experience, ideas, views and insights to UK Youth. 

How to apply 

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please click the link and complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system (provided by Applied). You will have the option to submit either written or video answers to the 4 short application questions.

• Closing date for applications will be 12:00pm, 25th June 2021. Drop in support with your application is available on Wednesday, 16th June from 4:30 - 5:30pm. Please email jada.eduvie@ukyouth.org for further details

• Interviews are due to take place the week commencing 5th July 2021 

• Induction and first meeting with the project team to take place the week commencing 19th July 2021 

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference. 

As part of the recruitment process, UK Youth will be gathering and uses certain information about you. For further information regarding this, please review our Data Protection Privacy Notice which explains what data of yours we process and how we use it.  

What happens next? 

If your application is successful, you will be invited to an individual interview via Microsoft Teams.  

If you are appointed as a Young Co-producer, your induction will commence the week starting 19th July 2021. This is a paid induction and you must be able to attend.