Children And Young People Participation Worker
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hereford
Hours: 37 hours
Salary: 07HC £33,119 - £37,563 per annum
Closing date: 27th September 2026
Interview date: 2nd October 2026
The role
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.
To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact [email protected]
About You
You will have:
- 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, which includes:
- 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. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- 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. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.
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.
Herefordshire Council Plan
The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028
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: [email protected].
If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.
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. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
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. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
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.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
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.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.
Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!