Job title: Life Coaching Co‑ordinator
Salary: £39,997 - £43,091
Hours: 37 hours (5 days over 7)
Contract: Permanent
Location: City wide – admin base Technorth

As a Life Coaching Co‑ordinator, you’ll lead and support a dedicated team of Life Coaches who work with some of Leeds’ most vulnerable young people.

The Life Coaching Service provides high‑support, one‑to‑one youth work for young people aged 13–18 who are experiencing poor mental health, difficulties at home, or disengagement from education.

In this role, you’ll balance people management with hands‑on practice. You’ll oversee referrals and allocations, support and supervise staff, quality‑assure work with young people and maintain a small caseload of your own.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across the Youth Offer and partner services to ensure young people receive the right support at the right time.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Life Coaching Co-ordinator you will bring to the role:

A JNC‑recognized Level 6 Youth Work qualification (ESSENTIAL for this post)
Substantial experience of working with young people facing complex social, emotional or mental health needs
Ability to work restoratively, helping young people build confidence, self‑care skills and resilience
Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and school holidays
Strong leadership skills including supervision and managing competing priorities

About the role

As Life Coaching Co‑ordinator, you will play a key role in the day‑to‑day running of the Life Coaching Service. You will oversee referrals and allocations, support effective caseload management and ensure high standards of safeguarding, recording and outcomes.
You will provide regular supervision and support to Life Coaches and Life Coaches in Training, helping to develop confident, reflective practitioners and a positive team culture.
Alongside your management responsibilities, you will maintain a small caseload of young people and contribute directly to service delivery, ensuring your leadership remains grounded in practice.
You will work closely with colleagues across the Youth Offer and partner agencies to support joined‑up, timely responses for young people and their families.

Feedback from young people who have been supported by the Life Coaching Service has included;

‘’The Life Coaching Service is amazing! I wish all teens in need could have a Life Coach’’.
‘’ I wish my youth worker came into my life sooner. They have helped me with my confidence and I am now attending college’’.
‘’Me, my mum and my stepdad always talk about how helpful and amazing the Life Coaching Service is to us as a family. I can always count on my Youth Worker’’

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements

a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact;

Shaun Macklin, Youth Service Manager – Projects on 07891 270602 or email at shaun.macklin@leeds.gov.uk.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job description

Job Purpose: Work with Young people experiencing significant change and development as they transition between childhood, adolescence and into young adulthood. Most youth work interventions take place in a group work setting but it is recognised that for some young people their needs and behaviour may be complex and difficult to address in a youth work group setting & or prevent them from accessing altogether.

This role will lead and manage a specialist team of Life Coaches that undertake individual work with young people to build relationships and address their mental health needs such as suicidal thoughts and feelings, self-harm, stress, anxiety or depression accompanying them to sessions/activities and providing ongoing support as needed to promote sustainable outcomes.

Responsibilities:

Act as single point of contact for the Life Coaching Service, ensuring there are close working links with relevant services and teams such as the NHS, Early Help Hubs and the Residential Services Support Hub.

Act in a consultative capacity offering support, guidance and advice to members of the wider Youth Offer workforce regarding issues relating to young people’s mental health and well-being.

Co-ordinate and manage referrals and allocations, facilitate Re-think forums and lead the promotion, publicity, marketing, monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

Work directly with young people & their families for up to 50% of the role including routinely working late in the evenings, weekends, school holiday weeks and occasional residential work.

Maintain high quality records of work and to provide appropriate information/reports as requested to enable the service to be monitored and reviewed.
Develop and implement evidence based strategies and solution focussed interventions that will support young people to positively regulate emotions, build self-esteem, confidence and resilience.
Explore partnerships and develop them to improve outcomes for young people.
Represent the Youth Offer and actively participate in networks and partnerships, across the city, working to improve the mental health and well-being of young people.
Work in partnership to assess needs, provide and evaluate, a well-planned and resourced programme of activities, services and facilities for young people using youth work methodology.
Facilitate the development of the service by planning, delivering, monitoring and reviewing youth work provision in line with the Youth Offer Quality Assurance processes.
Ensure young people participate in designing, delivering and reviewing their programmes and involvement at governance level where possible.
Undertake research with young people and other stakeholders to develop the Service’s ability to effectively respond to the changing environment and key priorities.
Responsible for direct management of a team of Life Coaches ensuring policies and procedures relating to managing staff are undertaken including induction, improving attendance, improving performance and grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Provide regular supervision and appraisal to staff members maintaining supervision and appraisal records using the appropriate documentation and associated guidance.
Contribute to staff development through facilitating appropriate training opportunities, forums and the dissemination of good practice.
Act as a mentor, coach and role model for other practitioners in order to help develop and broaden their professional youth work practice.
Organise and lead meetings to ensure effective communication and the smooth running of youth work delivery.
Maintain effective relationships with colleagues within the Service, Directorate, other Council Directorates, Elected Members, external agencies and the general public.
Responsible for day to day administration and resource management of the service ensuring smooth running of the programme of activities, services and facilities including building security (key holding and alarm duties), health & safety, banking of monies, ordering of equipment, inventories and record keeping.
Responsible for financial procedures, including budget control, preparation and submission of funding bids and managing external funding, contributing to the setting of budgets, taking a lead role in monitoring the relevant budget and ensuring effective spending of the budgeted sums.
To be contactable by telephone and deal with out of hours emergencies as required
Be proactive in safeguarding and promoting welfare of Children & Young People using a Restorative Practice approach as an overarching ethos.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the level of the role.

Qualifications The minimum qualification essential for this post is a JNC recognised Level 6 Youth Work qualification.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Able to recognise and respond to the signs of mental health issues for a young person.
Able to support a young person with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive.
Able to work restoratively with young people in order for them to develop appropriate self-care and coping strategies to empower them to take appropriate actions and become active citizens.
Able to work effectively with young people in groups and individually to safeguard their welfare and secure their commitment to achieving their life goals.
Able to assess and evaluate the individual needs of children, young people and their families.
Able to effectively manage conflict and deal with sensitive issues whilst working under often conflicting demands.
Able to work effectively with parents and staff from other agencies.
Able to work flexibly to accommodate different lifestyles, goals and aspirations of individual young people which will include working outside of normal office hours including regular weekend work, late evenings, schools holidays and some residential work.
Flexible approach to meet the changing demands of the Youth Offer
Able to effectively deploy available resources to ensure optimum benefit to young people.
Able to manage competing priorities whilst working with young people presenting at risk delivering on a range of service objectives and adapting to changing circumstances.
Able to work effectively as part of a team and demonstrate excellent organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines.
Able to address any HR related procedures, in the management of Service staff.
Able to lead, motivate and supervise staff (including volunteers and Students)
Able to carry out administrative duties and meet deadlines (to include submission of external funding bids, preparing quality reports, producing annual profiles and development plans)
Able to publicise and market the work.
Able to lead on responding to immediate health & safety issues.
An in depth understanding of the issues concerning young people today, specifically those that impact on their mental health and well-being.
Working knowledge of local and national organisations and sources of support and help for young people experiencing emotional health and well-being issues.
Knowledge of evidence based strategies and solution focussed interventions that will support young people to address issues and circumstances that are affecting their mental health and well-being.
Knowledge of Local Authority policies and procedures and relevant legislation and their relationship to Youth Work
Knowledge of responsibilities in terms of Health and Safety, security, confidentiality and data protection affecting all activities within the posts remit
Good working knowledge and understanding of Outcome Based Accountability (OBA), Restorative practice, Re-think formulation, Child Friendly City priorities and the Leeds Practice Model
Experience of working with young people experiencing social, emotional & / or behavioural issues.
Of working with young people in a coaching or mentoring relationship
Experience of exemplary leadership and strategic development of face-to-face practice and initiatives within young people’s Services
Experience of a high support, high challenge approach when working with other practitioners in order to address barriers to a young person achieving their potential.
Substantial experience of working with young people in a diverse range of youth work environments
Experience of enabling young people to work effectively in groups.
Experience of effectively planning youth work programmes with young people linked to Children’s Services priorities and Youth Offer targets.
Experience of effectively recording and evaluating youth work sessions and producing reports within specific timescales
Experience of developing positive links/partnerships and communicating effectively with the voluntary sector, other agencies and the local community in order to develop initiatives and services for young people.
Experience of facilitating training &/or briefing sessions to other practitioners and stakeholders
Experience of managing and supervising staff and volunteers
Experience of managing administration and financial procedures.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Conscientious, honest and reliable
Positive view of young people and a commitment to a young person-centred approach
Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Able to Drive
Current driving licence.
Coaching qualification
Experience of motivational interviewing techniques