Children And Young People Participation Worker in Hereford

Herefordshire Children's Services is seeking a passionate and dynamic Participation Worker to ensure that children, young people, care leavers, parents and families have a meaningful voice in shaping the services they receive. Working within the Safeguarding and Review Service, you will develop and facilitate a range of participation opportunities, consultation forums and engagement activities that enable children and young people to influence service development, policy, commissioning and strategic decision-making. You will champion children's rights, support co-production initiatives, and ensure that feedback leads to tangible improvements through a strong "You Said, We Did" approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate participation groups, forums and consultation activities for children, young people and care-experienced young people.
• Build positive and trusting relationships with children and families, ensuring all voices are heard, particularly those from seldom-heard groups.
• Support co-production projects that influence service design, quality assurance, recruitment, procurement and policy development.
• Organise workshops, events, conferences and engagement activities across the county.
• Create child-friendly resources, surveys, newsletters and digital communications.
• Work collaboratively with social care, education, health, safeguarding and community partners to promote meaningful participation.

Herefordshire is on a journey, and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact on the local authority and help improve the lives of children and young people across our communities.

About You

• Experience working directly with children, young people and families.
• Experience facilitating groups, consultations, workshops or engagement activities.
• A strong understanding of participation, co-production and children's rights.
• Knowledge of the challenges facing children in care, care leavers and vulnerable children.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and organisational skills.
• The ability to engage, motivate and empower young people to influence decisions that affect their lives.
• Confidence using digital engagement tools and social media platforms.

Qualifications

Essential

• Work experience within Children's Services, Social Care, Community Development, Education, Health and Social Care, or a related field.
• GCSE English and Maths (Grade C/4 or above or equivalent).
• Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Degree or professional qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Qualifications in participation, engagement, advocacy, youth voice or co-production.
• Project management or training/facilitation qualifications.
• Co-produced resources and consultation tools that improve outcomes for children and families.

We Offer

• A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme.
• Basic Salary of £33,119 - £37,563 per annum.
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS).
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress.
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
• Flexible working: flexitime, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling.
• Payment of professional membership fees.
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits.

Why Choose Us?

We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together. Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community. Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life.

We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference. It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for: Those who indicate that they have a disability, those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist, and those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.