What is planet youth?

Planet Youth is based on an approach first trialled in Iceland, where they saw spectacular results leading to Icelandic teens being labelled ‘The cleanest living teens in Europe’. It involves using surveys to take a snapshot of teenage life in a local area, and then working with the community to address the needs and issues raised in the surveys.

In 2021 we surveyed teens across 13 Scottish high schools and this year will be reaching 24 schools across 6 areas, with enhanced and strengthened local coalitions groups created to drive change.

Visit winningscotland.org/planetyouth and planetyouth.scot for more.

Overview

Following the award of significant funding by the Scottish Government, Planet Youth is being accelerated in Scotland, through a two-year pilot phase led by Winning Scotland. We are looking to take on a National Development Manager to support the piloting and potential growth of the model in Scotland. In particular, the role will focus on assessing the strategic potential of Planet Youth as a model for improvement work for young people going forward. This will involve ensuring that learning about the model is spread widely, increasing the Planet Youth programme’s profile in Scotland, and stimulating dialogue across local and national stakeholders to shape future strategy around upstream prevention work.

This is an exciting role, joining at a pivotal time for the Planet Youth programme. You will be expected to develop and manage a range of complex and sensitive relationships, influencing dialogue and development work as the programme delivery work unfolds. You will bring clear leadership to this work, working closely with other Winning Scotland colleagues and reporting to the Youth Programme Director.

Supported by our Programme Director, you will focus on forwards development of strategy in relation to locally-driven upstream prevention work for children and young people, playing a significant role in shaping future Planet Youth strategy in light of learning from the programme to date.

The Role

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a leading role in the implementation and success of Planet Youth in Scotland, an evidence-based model creating a positive change in the lives and decisions of our teenagers and young people.

We are looking for someone who is inspiring and proactive, with strong experience of developing strategy to deliver real change, working within a broad and complex policy and delivery landscape. This role calls for a self-starter and someone who can work under their own initiative to drive strong collaborative endeavour, making the most of all the skills, knowledge and experience that is available internally and externally to the programme.

To succeed, you will need to be forward thinking and highly collaborative and someone who can establish and build strong relationships, and team spirit, within both the immediate team in Winning Scotland and also the wider Planet Youth family. You will be a strategic thinker, adept at horizon scanning and problem solving, identifying opportunities for positive change and developing strategic solutions to policy and delivery issues around young people’s health and

well-being. driving forward the outcomes sought by Winning Scotland around their resilience, confidence and empowerment.

You will have significant experience around policy and strategy development, with analytical aptitude to drive programme evaluation work and utilise findings effectively. The role offers an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of other people, providing stimulating professional interest and challenge.

You will be an ambassador for Planet Youth, and Winning Scotland, so strong influencing and negotiating skills will be essential, along with high levels of integrity.

Responsibilities

• Responsibility for strategic stakeholder engagement around the forwards development of Planet Youth in Scotland in light of experience from the pilot programme.
• Lead on the development of wider communications activity and events to share learning and stimulate thinking around the programme, nurturing strategic-level relationships across interests including national and local government, delivery agencies, third sector organisations including those reaching young people and and parents.
• Manage analytical development work and the delivery of robust programme evaluation to inform wider thinking around next steps from the pilot.
• Develop forwards strategy in the wake of the Planet Youth pilot, including thinking around alternative options/innovations, working with existing and potential new local stakeholders to scope approaches to expanding the pilot as appropriate.
• Engage proactively with national level partners (e.g., Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland) to scope out opportunities for future developments and further innovation .
• Support fundraising activity by Winning Scotland to drive the delivery of further initiatives and projects to promote upstream prevention work for young people

Experience required

Essential criteria

1. Strategic thinking: horizon scanning and forward planning
2. Stakeholder engagement and political acuity
3. Analytical aptitude, able to shape evaluation work and utilise findings effectively
4. Project planning and management competencies, highly competent with standard business tools / software to enable efficient collaborative working
5. Excellent written and verbal communication
6. Proactive and able to work at pace under own initiative with minimal steer, manage competing priorities in a complex landscape and deliver milestones to high standards

Desirable Criteria

1. Knowledge of the Scottish delivery landscape supporting work for children and young people, and current national and local government policies that are relevant to planet Youth (across, e.g., education, community, health, prevention)
2. Understanding of relevant local and national government structures and approaches to decision making
3. Data management and analytical skills.

Location:Hybrid working includes 1-2 days in the Edinburgh office each week, including every Thursday

Application deadline: 9am - Monday 30th October 2023

Interviews will be held: 13th and 14th November in Edinburgh

To Apply: Send a CV and covering letter or supporting statement to recruitment@winningscotland.org

We are open to secondments or other arrangements if appropriate.

For an informal conversation about the role, you are welcome to contact Katherine Falconer, Planet Youth Programme Director, at katherine@winningscotland.org

Background info

Winning Scotland is a charity that acts as a catalyst for change. Working with like-minded partners, we build confidence and resilience in all of Scotland's young people.

We collaborate with a range of partners to develop innovative resources and practical solutions that improve outcomes for children in Scotland. We engage and empower the individuals and groups who have the greatest influence on young people, giving them the tools and knowledge to create sustainable impact.

Our approach is highly effective. By creating a dedicated network of trained and informed teachers, carers, leaders, coaches and parents across Scotland, their influence will spread and embed in homes, schools, clubs and communities, supporting young people for years to come.

winningscotland.org