Youth Pioneer for Chard

Application Pack May 2020

Contents

Recruitment Timeline 3The Diocese of Bath and Wells Pioneer Project 4About the Role 5Job Description 13Person Specification 16Terms and Conditions 17

Contact details

Human ResourcesPh: 01749 685 113Email: recruitment@bathwells.anglican.org

Pioneer Project LeadRevd Tina Hodgett, Evangelism and Pioneer Team LeaderPh: 01749 685 105Email: tina.hodgett@bathwells.anglican.org

Dear applicant

Thank you for your interest in the post of Youth Pioneer for Chard and the Ilminster Deanery with the Bath & Wells Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF). I am delighted to let you have details about the diocese and information about the post.

We hope you find the application pack provides all the information you need in order to consider your candidature for this post. If, however, you have any further questions please initially contact Human Resources. For informal discussions about the role please contact The Revd Tina Hodgett, Evangelism and Pioneer Team Leader.

Meanwhile, please find opposite, key dates for the appointment process. Should you decide to apply for this post we look forward to receiving your application and wish you well.

Enita AndrewsHR Manager

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Applications

Applications must be received by Friday 19 June by midday. Application forms, with a covering letter no more than one side of A4 describing what attracts you to this role should be returned to Human Resources either by post to The Diocesan Office, Flourish House, Cathedral Park, Wells, BA5 1FD, or by email to recruitment@bathwells.anglican.org.

Shortlisting To ensure the fairness of the selection process, shortlisting will be based upon the information which you provide in your application and assumptions will not be made about your experience or skills. We will look for demonstrable evidence that you meet the criteria set out in the person specification. Information provided on the application form will be viewed by HR, the recruiting manager and interview panel. A copy of our privacy policy for job applicants can be downloaded from our website.

Selection Process

We ask applicants to bear with us as interview arrangements may change dependant on the restrictions place at the time. At the moment our plan is to hold the first stage of the selection process towards the end of June (actual dates to be confirmed) and will likely take place virtually. Second interviews will take at the beginning of July and again will likely be virtually. A final stage will involve meeting some of the young people - we are hoping this will take place mid-July but we will be guided by any lockdown restrictions in place at the time. Further details regarding the selection process will be communicated at the time applicants are invited for interview. The appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

Safeguarding

We are committed to the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults, and the care and nurture of children within our church communities. We will carefully select, train and support all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles. This means that we will:

Ensure that our recruitment and selection processes are inclusive, fair, consistent and transparent.

Take all reasonable steps to prevent those who might harm children or adults from taking up, in our churches, positions of respect, responsibility or authority where they are trusted by others.

Adhere to safer recruitment legislation, guidance and standards.Further information can be found in our Safeguarding Policy available on the diocesan website. All applicants are required to complete a Confidential Declaration Form as part of our recruitment process when an offer of employment is made. This form is strictly confidential and, except under compulsion of law, will be seen only by those involved in the recruitment/appointment process and, when appropriate, the nominated safeguarding lead or someone acting in a similar role/position. All forms will be kept securely in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, 2018

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The Diocese of Bath and Wells Pioneer Project

This is one of nine posts under the Bath and Wells Pioneer Project. In our recent bid to the Strategic Development Fund we have dreamed a pioneering future for the Diocese of Bath and Wells, aiming for culture change across our communities. We have been awarded a grant of £1.6m by the Church Commissioners, matched by a financial commitment of £1.5m from the diocese.

We write in our bid to the Strategic Development Fund:

“We dream of a culture of innovation across the diocese intentionally catalysed by an injection of high-profile pioneers.”

If you are the person God is calling to this post, you will be arriving in the diocese at a time of significant change, as we put in place policies, people and practices to realise our Diocesan strategy which has these three strategic priorities:

To place mission and evangelism at the heart of all we do. To re-align our ministry resources towards mission. To identify, develop, and release the gifts of all our people.

“Pioneers enjoy being the first to see something, or to do something new – we are explorers, icebreakers, innovators and visionaries for the church.”

Revd Tina Hodgett, Evangelism and Pioneer Team Leader

About the Role

Our Vision: To establish a pioneer hub within the Deanery for engaging and discipling young people

You will be joining a team made up of the six project pioneers appointed so far under the Pioneer Project, which is playing a part in changing the culture, accumulating and disseminating pioneer learning and encouraging others into exploring pioneer pathways.

Why a Pioneer for young people? In October 2017 the Deanery set an action plan with mission at its heart. It set out a desire to affirm pioneer activity as the way ahead, acknowledging that existing models of church currently have little impact, particularly on discipling young people. We also feel called as a Deanery to explore new expressions of church and to equip our laity with new ways of engaging with young people. This will inevitably mean moving beyond church buildings and into the communities around us. A Youth Pioneer would be a leader in this crucial work reaching out to young people beyond the established pattern of church. As a Deanery we want to develop a more cohesive way of working with some new posts, including two Family Worker posts, being linked more fully into our mission plan. A Youth Pioneer would be central to this plan.

The Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group have been meeting in our new format for nearly a year. We know that our churches are growing older and that the current pattern of church in our parishes is simply not attracting young people.

However, we believe that as a church we are being called to reach out to the young people in our communities and that we need to reach out to them where they are. In rural parishes there are often close-knit groups of young people who are seeking to find their place within the community, and we have seen the difference that a Christian faith can make to young people’s lives through the previous work of Streetspace in Chard. We know that there are

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The Diocese of Bath and Wells Pioneer Project

This is one of nine posts under the Bath and Wells Pioneer Project. In our recent bid to the Strategic Development Fund we have dreamed a pioneering future for the Diocese of Bath and Wells, aiming for culture change across our communities. We have been awarded a grant of £1.6m by the Church Commissioners, matched by a financial commitment of £1.5m from the diocese.

We write in our bid to the Strategic Development Fund:

“We dream of a culture of innovation across the diocese intentionally catalysed by an injection of high-profile pioneers.”

If you are the person God is calling to this post, you will be arriving in the diocese at a time of significant change, as we put in place policies, people and practices to realise our Diocesan strategy which has these three strategic priorities:

To place mission and evangelism at the heart of all we do. To re-align our ministry resources towards mission. To identify, develop, and release the gifts of all our people.

many more who are seeking for meaning and community and we believe that God has laid on our hearts the need to take positive action.

Why Chard? The Pioneer will begin their ministry in Chard. Chard is the largest town in the Deanery and has the highest concentration of young people between the ages of 11 and 19. It also has two significant immigrant populations from Poland and Portugal.

Holyrood Academy is the largest school within the Deanery with 1200 pupils drawn from Chard and all the surrounding villages.

There is a youth centre building within the town and currently a charitable organisation, Active Learning & Skills, is running two youth clubs here during term time. 40-50 young people within the 11 – 18 age range attend these clubs.

The youth centre building would be made available for the Pioneer Missioner to use as a meeting place, and this has already been agreed with ALS. In order to adhere to best practice in Safeguarding and Health and Safety, trained youth workers from ALS would initially accompany the Pioneer Missioner and church volunteers in detached youth work, meeting young people in the parks and other gathering places in Chard and Ilminster.

Chard Churches Together is very committed to the project and there is a genuine concern about the town’s young people. There are two church-based youth groups at the Baptist church and in a local café, however they are looking for new ways of connecting with the young people in the town. We have a good core of volunteers in our churches with a desire to spread the Gospel message. Forefront, an independent evangelical church, has an active youth group and they are currently looking to appoint a part-time youth worker. Although the aims of this post would be very different to a Youth Pioneer, we would encourage some joint working and mutual support that would be beneficial for both post-holders.

Within Chard there are six wards two of which are in the bottom 30% of national deprivation measures and one is in the bottom 20%. There is a higher proportion of young people within these three wards. Also, within the last two years there has been an escalation within the town of County Lines, with the most vulnerable young people being targeted by gangs from London and Birmingham. Local police estimate that

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locally between 50 and 60 young people will have had contact with these drug gangs, as users, dealers or because a friend or family member is involved.

Our Deanery Mission Plan has the title, What Matters, Who Cares? and we have used this to set our Youth Pioneer proposal in context.

What Matters?Speaking with two groups of young people in Chard the following things were said:

What matters most to them? Friends and family, being in a group, having fun, being safe and not being bullied

What also matters?Having money, leaving school and staying in Chard or possibly moving to Taunton or Yeovil, being on social media

What worries them most?Bullying, particularly cyber bullying, having nothing to do, not having any friends, being bored

What also worries them?Friends taking drugs, girls trying to get boyfriends, drinking, not having enough money, being on benefits, boys wanting sex with girls, body image

Who Cares?Our young people matter to us as a Deanery. What they care about, we care about and what worries and challenges them, challenges us. We have a strong recent history of missional work with the young people in Chard, Tatworth and Ilminster and are looking towards a new phase in this work.

We want our young people to find inner resources, resilience and encouragement to find their own spiritual path, and for our Pioneer to model Christian living, offering different choices. One Community Police Officer commented that young people need someone who ‘will go into their spaces and give them a voice and show them that they can make different choices and make a difference’. As a Christian presence within our communities we believe that this will be best achieved by sharing with them the good news of Jesus Christ and being generous in blessing and honouring young people.

The RoleWe feel passionately that we are looking for someone who will first and foremost be led by the Holy Spirit, who has a genuine love of and respect for young people and who is seeking to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ in order that they may live life to the full.

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Our Youth Pioneer will be able to meet young people where they are and engage with them in different ways. They will provide a model of Christian living that can relate to young people and open space for them to explore their own spirituality. They will recognise that holy places are not about buildings or structures but about what God is doing through the people who are present.

We recognise that young people live in a challenging and swiftly changing world, in some ways with their own culture and language. We believe that just as the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in new tongues at Pentecost, so we need someone who can speak and understand the language of young people.

There is a willingness to support the work of the Youth Pioneer in our churches and the work will be directly supported by the Pioneer Team and by the DMPG. There is also recognition among many of the non-faith groups consulted that a Christian pioneer can offer a different viewpoint and model a way of living that gives young people real encouragement and hope.

We envisage that the Pioneer will spend one day a week supporting youth initiatives in other parts of the deanery as well as providing support and training for volunteers.

Our PartnersDeanery Mission and Pastoral GroupChard Churches Together Diocesan ‘Go Team’, our local Archdeaconry AdviserTwo Shires and Blackdown Churches Youth GroupsChard Street Pastors – Chard Street Pastors were set up in 2015 and are out on Saturday

nights in Chard. They frequently encounter and help young people and have developed good relationships with many of them.Chard Town Council – Councillor Kath MorrisonCommunity Support Police Officer – Caoimhe HickeyEleos Café –– Nat and Sarah Thomson who own the cafe have previously run a youth church and have offered premises for the Pioneer as well as catering for events/workshopsMen’s Shed – an enterprise started by members of St Mary’s, Chard to bring together able bodied and disabled men to learn woodwork and craft together

and undertake community projectsHolyrood Academy – through Rev’d Anna Flindell (Methodist Minister) – Governor with responsibility for pastoral careForefront Community Church – youth worker (when appointed)Chard Area Youth Committee – local group managing the youth club building and raising funds for resources for young people. An invitation has already been given to the Pioneer postholder to be part of the committee.Active Learning & Skills – youth-based charity running youth clubs across South Somerset, including Chard and Ilminster

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Young Farmers – local group based in Ilminster

We would aim to have up to three volunteers, from within churches in Chard and beyond, working with the Pioneer by the end of the first year and up to three in the second year. Volunteers would then be part of a dissemination of good practice across the Deanery and build up communication and support networks.

Our new Deanery website will be used to keep parishes informed of the Pioneer’s work and to disseminate prayer requests and requests for support for events/projects. We have also set up a Deanery fund to support the Pioneer’s work.

Our DeaneryThe Deanery, part of the Taunton Archdeaconry, comprises 33, mostly rural, parishes, grouped into six benefices with two standalone parishes.

We are in the far south-west of both the Diocese and Somerset, with one parish, Thorncombe lying in Dorset. The total population is around 36,000, with around half of the population living in Chard and Ilminster. We are a rural Deanery with the two towns of Ilminster and Chard. However, both towns are essentially rural in outlook, despite the presence of local industry.

Over the past five years provision for young people outside of schools has decreased, with Somerset County Council cutting their youth service severely. The population has a higher than average percentage of older people, with the highest age group being 65 – 74. This means that provision is skewed towards the older population and young people can be marginalised.

Youth provision within the Deanery is mostly through the uniformed organisations and a variety of sports clubs, many of which are well attended.We have two thriving youth groups in the Two Shires and the Blackdown Benefices.

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Youth Pioneer: What we are looking forWe are praying for someone who is a proven self-motivator and initiator, who can read and engage with the culture and work with our young people in the following ways:

* Encounter and Explore Detached youth work within Chard and beyond – finding where our young people

are Learn the language and culture of the town’s young people

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Discover where God is at work Feed back to the wider church

* Engage Create partnerships with existing groups and projects. Set up safe spaces for young people to come together, to share what matters to

them, and discuss their concerns. These may be new or may be within spaces that already exist, such as a local youth club

Support drug awareness and sexual health programmes for young people, where appropriate.

Model Spirituality and opening discussions to encourage exploration of spiritual and faith-based responses.

* Enable Create more explicitly faith-based community whilst still maintaining ‘non-church’

spaces and focus on the ‘non-churched’ Establish a healthy fresh expression that can become self-supporting Support ‘whole life’ discipleship through links with local Family Workers and

churches

Support and Management of the Youth PioneerWe envisage the supervision of the Pioneer to be one of high support and accountability – but of low control. Supportive supervision will be offered locally by the Local Supervisor. The rhythm and shape of this relationship will be worked out by pioneer and supervisor together but is expected to be light-touch.

The Pioneer is ultimately accountable to the Evangelism and Pioneer Team Leader (who is the Line Manager in the Diocesan Board of Finance based in Wells). The pioneer will give quarterly reports on learning and work in progress to the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group which is part of Deanery Synod who commissioned the post.

There will be an annual review conversation undertaken by the Line Manager and Local Supervisor.

The Pioneer TeamThe Pioneer Team will support both the Pioneer and Local Supervisor with practical matters such as fund-raising which will include looking for potential funding streams in order to develop the work and plan beyond the five-year term funded by the Diocese. They can also support the Pioneer in organising venues, helping with events and identifying local volunteers. The Pioneer may want to develop their own local support network in addition.

Core Members of the Pioneer Team Local Supervisor - Rev’d Ann Kember – Rector, St Mary’s, Chard, Combe St Nicholas,

Wambrook and Whitestaunton Jonathan Ingrams (local youth worker/trainer and leader of Workbench project –

representative of Chard Churches Together) Rev’d Jim Fallon – Rector, Blackdown Benefice

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Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group Rev’d Judith Abbott – Area Dean Rev’d Philip Butcher – Rector, Two Shires Benefice and Assistant Area Dean Greg Hoare – Deanery Lay Chair John Mayled – Churchwarden – Buckland St Mary Lydia Munday – Churchwarden – St Mary’s, Ilminster Audrey Hinkins – Cricket Malherbie, Two Shires Benefice Rev’d Philip Denison – Rector, Isle Valley Benefice Rev’d Ann Kember – Rector, St Mary’s Chard, Combe St Nicholas, Wambrook and

Whitestaunton

Appendix 1History of Streetspace in Chard

February 2006 Streetspace founded in Chard– supporting detached youth work and running town youth club

March 2010 Full-time paid Christian youth worker employed. Detached youth work continued and developed

2010 -2016 Small youth communities developedSpaces (small group mentoring)After school drop-insSex education and health workshops heldSpaced Out – drug awareness programmeMeals and Meetings (held in local curry house, faith-based discussions over a meal)New skate park created through young people fundraising and working with the town council – Skate Fest held each year for three yearsLinks with local churches developedSimilar work begins in Ilminster

September 2016 Young people chosen to attend Young Leaders ProgrammeLinks begin to be made with local churches’ Family WorkersFull-time youth worker post dissolved

November 2017 Streetspace finishes work in both Chard and Ilminster due to withdrawal of funding

Job Description

Post: Youth Pioneer for Chard and the Ilminster DeaneryArea of responsibility: Engaging and Discipling Young People based in Chard

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Our vision:To establish a pioneer hub within the Deanery for engaging and discipling young people

Aims of the post: To establish a Spirit-led and holistic approach to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

with our young people lovingly and respectfully To grow young disciples, enabling them to explore their faith in a range of contexts

and to live life in all its fulness To build on strong foundations already laid down To establish new faith communities within the Deanery for and with young people To inform, encourage and enable volunteers to participate in the pioneer work

Role Context:

The Deanery is based around the towns of Chard and Ilminster, but is mainly comprised of rural parishes

Chard has the largest population and has significant areas of deprivation There is a history of successful youth pioneer work in Chard through the work of

Streetspace and because of this there is good support for a Pioneer post from local churches, local organisations and the town council.

There is a strong Churches Together group in Chard who will support the Pioneer work whenever possible

The work will be based in Chard, but over five years we envisage that the Pioneer will support similar work in Ilminster and the rural parishes, offering training and advice

Location: Ilminster Deanery with work based in Chard

Accountable to: The Evangelism and Pioneer Team Leader with local supervision from Revd Ann Kember

With quarterly reports to: the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group

Key relationships:

In the community Local young people and families Community stakeholders and organisations –

schools, town councils and parish councils, local youth groups, Community Police Officers, local social enterprises and community projects

Local youth workers including Active Learning & Skills

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and Forefront Community Church

In the parish, local church and deanery Revd Ann Kember, St Mary’s Chard The Pioneer Team Local congregations and individual congregation members Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group Deanery Chapter and Synod Local lay volunteers from churches, including Chard Churches Together

Deanery and Diocesan contacts Evangelism and Pioneer Team Leader The Go Team (Diocesan advisers on children and young people) Other Project pioneers and youth workers Archdeacon of Taunton Pioneer Project Administrative Assistant Officers of the Diocesan Board of Finance support services team

Main Responsibilities:We are praying for someone who is a proven self-motivator and initiator, who can read and engage with the culture and work with our young people in the following ways:

To spend at least 70% of time with the community outside the church: Detached youth work within Chard, meeting young people where they are at and

engaging with them in different ways Make links with local youth and community groups in Chard One-to-one mentoring, if appropriate Lead and support the setting up of events and projects for and with young people Lead and support the setting up of safe spaces for young people to come together,

share what matters to them, discuss their concerns and develop healthy emotional responses, including spiritual and faith-based responses

They will provide a model of Christian living that can relate to young people and open space for them to explore their own spirituality

Create new fresh expressions of church for and with young people Initiate or support drug awareness and sexual health programmes for young

people, where appropriate

To spend around 30% of time in the local (base) church or churches, Deanery, Diocese or national networks:

Support youth initiatives in other parts of the deanery as well as providing support and training for volunteers

Encourage, support and train others to participate in the pioneer work Help build an understanding of cross-cultural contextual mission within the

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Participate in and help support a Pioneer Hotspot for the Deanery Share stories, learning and resources with local churches, and other church groups

where required, including attending Deanery Synod regularly Report to the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group Attend Diocesan or national pioneer network gatherings and other strategic or

missional learning and development events as appropriate Support the development of pioneer mission across the Diocese as required The appointee will be free to attend worship at a church in a tradition of their own

choice but it will be expected that you will attend worship in an Anglican church or churches in the Deanery at least twice a month in order to build relationships and understanding with local congregations.

Person SpecificationArea Essential DesirableQualifications, Knowledge and Experience

Educated to at least level 3 (A-level equivalent)

Knowledge of pioneer approaches, missional ecclesiology, Fresh Expressions, particularly with young people

Experience of pioneering new initiatives with young people

Experience of working in partnership with external organisations

Knowledge and experience of a diverse toolkit of leadership skills and approaches

A higher-level qualification in mission and/or theology and/or youth work

Knowledge of contemporary resources for enabling mission

Experience of working with civic agencies e.g. local government, charitable trusts

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Skills, Competencies and Abilities

The ability to reflect theologically on context and culture

Ability to build trusting, mutually reciprocal relationships with young people

Ability to grow communities of young people

Ability to share the gospel and communicate appropriately in different contexts

Able to work within inherited C of E, ecumenical and pioneer environments and structures

Ability to create personal support networks

Experience of coaching and mentoring

Entrepreneurial skills Teaching ability

Personal Qualities and Gifts

Having a well-grounded faith and sustaining rhythm of spiritual life

The ability to see what God is doing and join in

Ability to make people feel welcome and create hospitable spaces

Self-starter with the ability to work independently when required

Emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability

Spiritual imagination

An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a practising Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. This role will require an enhanced DBS check.

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Main Terms and Conditions

Employed by the Bath & Wells Diocesan Board of Finance

Hours of Work Full time – a minimum of 10 sessions per week (with a session being either morning, afternoon or evening). There will be a need to work flexibly to structure the working week to meet the needs of the context. This will include evening and weekend work.

The postholder will be entitled to an uninterrupted rest period of 24 hours in each period of 7 days and once a month to an uninterrupted rest period of not less than 48 hours. Time off in lieu is available for additional hours worked.

Contract Term This is a fixed term contract for 5 years due to time-limited funding.

Salary £33,800 per annum

Accommodation Accommodation is not provided with this role

Pension Pension Scheme administered by the Church of England Pensions Board. The employer will contribute 10% of the employee’s pensionable salary and the employee may choose to make an additional voluntary contribution of any proportion of their pensionable salary.

Holiday 25 days per calendar year plus bank holidays. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

Expenses All reasonable working expenses will be met at the agreed diocesan rates from local budgets.

Probation This post will be subject to a five month probationary period.

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