The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £29,697 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.
We are excited to be hiring a new Participation Officer to join our fantastic User Voice and Participation (UVP) team. The team is based in Woking with hybrid and agile working options.
Rewards and benefits
- 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
- Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
- An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
- 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
About the team
The User Voice and Participation (UVP) Team at Surrey County Council work to empower children and young people to be involved in decision making about their lives and services that affect them. We work in collaboration with colleagues to improve outcomes for children, young people, and those in their network. We not only listen to but work with children and young people to effect change.
Surrey Youth Voice is a partnership between Surrey's young people and the UVP Team. Surrey Youth Voice run various participation groups and projects for children and young people that enable them to have their voice heard, build their confidence and skills, whilst having fun and encouraging peer support. The aim of the team is to build trust with children and young people who use Surrey services, so they feel able to share with us their experiences; what is and isn't working well. Our role is to ensure that leadership, colleagues, teams and partners make changes to improve children and young people's experiences.
Our participation groups and projects support looked after children, care leavers, children and young people who use emotional wellbeing and mental health services and children and young people with additional needs and disabilities. We also support our future politicians through Surrey Youth Cabinet.
About the role
We are looking for a Participation Worker to join the team to support additional needs and disabilities participation, specifically advocating for autistic children and young people to have their voice heard, and supporting positive service change and delivery for autistic children and young people.
As a Participation Worker your role would be to:
- Actively listen and enable children and young people to have their voices heard
- Empower children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings about decisions that affect them
- Positively shape and influence additional needs and disabilities services following from children and young people's feedback
- Stakeholder relationship building, specifically with the All-Age Autism Implementation Team at Surrey County Council
- Advocate and support Surrey's All Age Autism Strategy
- Support young people to co-chair, attend and be actively involved in the Children's Autism Partnership Board and support autistic children and young people led initiatives
- Signpost young people to Surrey Youth Voice to ensure effective and meaningful participation
- Multiagency working and following safeguarding procedures
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:
- Ability to actively listen to enable children and young people to have their voices heard
- Ability to build positive rapport with children and young people and empower them to express their views, wishes and feelings about decisions that affect them
- Ability to work alongside a range of professionals and communicate the views of children and young people without bias or judgement
- Personal resilience when hearing other experiences, which can be upsetting at times
- Good range of IT skills, ability to use Microsoft programmes and organise your time via an electronic diary
- Able to liaise and maintain effective working relationships not only with children and young people but with parents, carers, partners, and services
- Be a role model and support our apprentices to reach their full potential
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23rd June 2024 with interviews to follow.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
Our commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:
- The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
- The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.