Project Support Officer (Holiday Activites and Food Programme)

Young People’s Services, Youth and Communities

Youth Services

Project Support Officer- Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Ref: 001399

Contract: Fixed Term until March 2029

Salary: £34,434 - £38,221 | Actual Salary: £20,664 - £22,937 per annum (Grade 6)

Hours: 22 per week over 3 days, hybrid, flexible working options available

Location: Rock Street Resource Centre, Rock Street, Oldham, OL1 3UJ

Closing Date: Tuesday 21st April 2026

Interview Date: TBC.

Role Overview:

The postholder will play a central role in shaping the quality and impact of Oldham’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme. You’ll be a trusted source of advice, guidance and direction for a wide range of external partners, helping them deliver inspiring, highquality provision that meets national standards and truly benefits local families. A key part of the role is designing and delivering a comprehensive support and training offer for providers across the borough, ensuring they feel confident, equipped and connected.

You’ll take the lead in developing meaningful and creative ways to engage children, young people and families, helping to maximise participation and ensure the programme reflects what our communities want and need. You’ll also coordinate consultation and engagement with HAF providers, using their insight to drive continuous improvement and shape future delivery.

The postholder will support the commissioning of both new and established providers through a robust grantbased process, working closely with commissioning specialists and ensuring opportunities are promoted through effective outreach and clear communication.

This is a varied and outwardfacing role. You’ll represent Oldham at local, regional and national meetings, contribute to the development of a strong communications and marketing plan, and help maintain the borough’s online booking system. Strong partnership working is essential, ensuring the HAF programme aligns with wider initiatives supporting children and young people.

You’ll also play a key part in ensuring the programme is safe, compliant and highquality. This includes supporting financial, safeguarding and health and safety requirements, as well as carrying out regular quality assurance visits to providers throughout delivery periods.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with HAF providers to ensure a consistently high standard of provision across Oldham.
• Engage effectively with all stakeholders to promote strong attendance at HAF activities and ensure families are wellinformed about available support.
• Support the full HAF funding process, including application assessment, moderation, and commissioning responsibilities.
• Carry out Quality Assurance visits during HAF delivery periods, using findings to inform provider development and strengthen programme implementation.
• Undertake any additional duties commensurate with the level of the post.

Key Requirements:

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• Appropriate degree, professional qualifications, or equivalent experience
• Experience of working with a broad range of stakeholders and building positive relationships to influence decision makers and positively promote the organisations reputation
• Ability to work as a team and on own initiative, determining priorities and meeting important deadlines over the short, medium and long term

About Us:

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours:

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

• Work with a resident focus
• Support local leaders
• Committed to the borough
• Delivery high performance
• Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page

Our Benefits Package:

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

• 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
• The option to purchase additional annual leave.
• An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
• Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
• Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
• Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Staff recognition and celebration events.
• Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment:

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to the link below for details for how to obtain your Certificates of Good Character. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer, someone who has served in the Armed Forces, or you’ve participated in the GM Elevate Programme, and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy:

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information:

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

Right to Work in the UK from 1st July 2021.doc