Youth Participation Manager

Overview

Are you passionate about empowering young people and amplifying their voices in decision-making? Do you thrive in dynamic environments where collaboration, creativity, and leadership come together to shape meaningful change?

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a visionary Youth Participation Manager to lead our efforts in ensuring young people are actively involved in shaping the services that affect their lives. This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact by embedding youth voice at the heart of our Children’s Services.

This is a one year fixed term/secondment to cover maternity leave.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As the Youth Participation Manager, you’ll be at the forefront of driving our Participation Strategy across Children’s Services and the wider authority. You’ll lead a dedicated team of three Youth Participation Workers and work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure young people are meaningfully engaged in forums, consultations, interview panels, and strategic decision-making.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Strategic lead for youth engagement initiatives such as the Children in Care Council, SEND Forum, and Youth Voice Executive Committee.
• Budget management of participation cost centre.
• Representing young people’s voices at high-profile meetings including the Corporate Parenting Panel and Safeguarding Boards.
• Developing inclusive programmes that reflect the diverse experiences of young people, including those from LGBTQ+ communities, young carers, and those at risk.
• Managing youth-led events like the Youth Summit and Children in Care Celebration Event.
• Overseeing the Youth Voice Bucks website and promoting youth forums across the county.

This role is mobile and community-based, offering flexibility and variety in your day-to-day work.

About you

You’re a dynamic leader with a strong background in youth work, participation, or community engagement. You bring:

• Proven experience in leading youth voice projects and influencing service delivery.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage young people and professionals alike.
• A commitment to inclusion, ensuring all young people—regardless of background—have opportunities to be heard.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage events, budgets, and a team effectively.
• A relevant Level 4 qualification (or equivalent experience), with a JNC-recognised Youth Work qualification desirable.

You’re proud, ambitious, collaborative, and trustworthy—ready to perform at your best every day and champion the voices of young people across Buckinghamshire.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now and help us build a future where every young person feels heard, valued, and empowered.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Stuart Parker at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Friday 7^th November

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

 

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/