Dance Participation Lead Officer

Posting date:	12 November 2025
Salary:	£24,786.00 to £26,089.00 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	19 November 2025
Location:	Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1QH
Remote working:	Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week
Company:	Essex County Council
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	req20951_1762968112

Summary

Dance Participation Lead Officer

Fixed Term, Full Time

JNC scp 5 - 8, £24,786 - £26,089 Per Annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: Wednesday 19th November 2025 at 11.59pm

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 18 months.

Are you looking for a new opportunity to combine paid work with study and achieve a qualification? Do you have a passion to help and support young people? This could be the opportunity you are looking for!

We are currently seeking a Dance Youth Participation Officer to support our Essex Dance Theatre team to with the development and engagement of young people within Dance across Essex. On the job training alongside a formal qualification for a Youth Support Worker Level 3 will be provided.

Mobile and flexible working requirements: Working flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and residentials. The job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. You will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Benefits

• Healthy work life balance.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
• IT equipment and home-working equipment provided.
• 30 days annual leave + bank holidays + option to purchase extra.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
• Disability Confident Leader: we're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job.
• Up to 4 days per annum volunteering leave.
• Employee support networks, to ensure everyone in treated with dignity and respect.
• Study towards a Level 3 Youth Support Worker qualification

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees.

What our Apprentice's say

"I really enjoyed my apprenticeship with ECC, I loved that the majority of the apprenticeship is on the job learning and minimal classroom work. The opportunities for career development have been much wider than I originally thought, and the apprenticeship is such a great way to start your career and get your foot in the door with your local council/ government"

The Role

Working face to face with young people as part of a dance tutor team, you will ensure young people have positive experiences by working with them to identify what's important to them and then being part of developing good youth work activities with them.

You will need to be someone who can focus on putting young people at the heart of your work. Working flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and residentials, you will join an experienced team of youth workers in a variety of youth work settings. You will have the opportunity to learn how to lead a youth work dance provision.

About You

You will

• Be passionate about supporting young people.
• Have a good level of numeracy and literacy.
• Completed a 3-year Diploma at a Vocational Dance College
• Experience of working with young people and communities which may be in a voluntary role
• Have the ability to work across Essex as per service needs.
• Have the ability to undertake evening, weekend and residential work as required to meet service needs.
• Be able to build relationships and relate well to people.
• Motivate young people and facilitate young people's learning.
• Be able to work in a changing environment.
• Be committed to challenging prejudice and ignorance.
• Have the ability to develop work with young people to achieve planned outcomes.
• Work together as part of a team.

Essential Requirements for the Apprenticeship

• Functional Skills Level 1 in Maths and English (or equivalent), which is a Grade D/E or 2/3 to begin the apprenticeship.
• Ability to reach a Level 2 Functional Skills in both Maths & English by the End Point Assessment (EPA), if you do not already have this.
• This job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.
• Due to Apprenticeship funding rules, you must have the right to work in England and have been resident in the UK/EEA for at least 3 years.
• Not already hold a similar qualification at the same or higher level.

What will you be doing?

• Identify areas of need and opportunities within the community where a programme of dance youth work can be developed to support the work of the Essex Dance Theatre across Essex.
• Build on the current model of engaging young people through and extending the opportunities currently offered within Essex Dance Theatre - discuss with young people and their communities appropriate new programme initiatives and work in collaboration with young people to plan, implement, and evaluate these programmes.
• Contribute to and promote the whole provision of the Essex Dance Theatre by developing and sustaining strategic relationships with key community leaders and partners i.e. head teachers to ensure that opportunities are accessible to all who wish to become involved.
• As part of the team involve young people in the decision-making processes whereby individuals and groups take on responsibilities for themselves and others in planned projects and the wider community.
• As part of the team respond to individual and group needs, this includes issues affecting young people, promoting self-awareness and self-esteem.
• To deliver or support the direct delivery of youth work programmes as may be required, to include residential experiences for young people.
• Actively participate in the staff performance management scheme, to identify priorities and learning needs and to take responsible for your own learning and development, completing all required training and accreditation within 2 years of starting employment.
• Follow Child Protection Guidelines and report any concerns using the correct procedure and comply with individual responsibilities for staff and young people, in accordance with safeguarding and health and safety in the workplace.
• Ensure all duties and services provided are in accordance with the County Council Equal Opportunities Policy and Practice.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level and accountabilities of the post as directed.