Participation Worker

Participation Worker

We are seeking a passionate and organised participation professional to lead work with care experienced young people and ensure their voices shape policy, practice, and change across Scotland.

Position: Participation Worker, Scotland
Salary: £27,953 to £33,130 per annum
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hybrid, Scotland, with links to the Glasgow office and travel across Scotland
Closing date: 11.59pm Sunday 1st Feb

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in improving the lives and outcomes of children and young people in foster care. Working as part of the Scotland and Policy and Campaigns teams, you will lead participation activity with care experienced young people and ensure their voices are heard, valued, and acted upon.

A key focus of the role is leading and coordinating the Young Person s Advisory Board in Scotland, supporting young people to campaign for change in children s social care and to shape the organisation s work through meaningful participation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and coordinating the Young Person s Advisory Board, including meetings, one to one support, and skills development
• Co producing, planning, and delivering a programme of participation and engagement events
• Supporting young people to campaign and influence policy and decision making
• Acting as the main point of contact for participation activity in Scotland
• Using trauma informed and strengths based approaches to support wellbeing and engagement
• Building strong relationships with partners, stakeholders, and funders across Scotland
• Coordinating communications and producing project updates and reports
• Managing project budgets, monitoring outcomes, and contributing to evaluation and impact reporting
• Contributing to organisational participation strategy and safeguarding practice

This role requires some travel across Scotland and occasional evening and weekend work, including residential activity.

About you

You will bring experience of participation or co production work with young people, ideally care experienced young people or those from marginalised communities. You will be highly organised, creative, and confident working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience of participation and engagement work with young people
• Experience supporting young people to campaign or influence change
• Understanding of children s social care and the issues affecting care experienced young people and foster carers
• Experience of planning and delivering events and projects to agreed timescales and budgets
• Knowledge of trauma informed practice, safeguarding, and children s rights
• Strong communication skills and confidence working with internal and external partners
• Willingness to travel and work flexibly when required
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice

Lived experience of care, experience of chairing groups, youth work qualifications, or use of social media in a professional context would be an advantage but are not essential.

About the organisation

The UK s leading fostering charity and membership organisation, working to improve the lives of children and young people in foster care and to support fostering families and services.

The organisation is committed to listening to those with lived experience and placing their voices at the heart of its work, campaigning for positive change across children s social care.

What s on offer

• 38 days annual leave including bank holidays
• Flexible and hybrid working
• A range of family friendly and fostering friendly leave options
• Enhanced maternity and adoption pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• 24 hour Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension and life assurance
• Contribution to eye tests and lenses
• Season ticket loans

The organisation is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, particularly those from under represented and minoritised backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process, and job share applications are welcomed.

Applicants who identify as care experienced and meet the minimum criteria will be guaranteed an interview under the Care Leaver Covenant.

Other roles you may have experience of could include; Participation Officer, Youth Engagement Worker, Youth Participation Coordinator, Engagement Officer, Policy and Participation Officer, Young People s Worker, Community Engagement Officer, Youth Projects Officer, Participation and Inclusion Officer.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.