Participation & Engagement Support Officer

Job Introduction

About the Role

The Participation and Engagement Support Officer will support the Participation and Engagement Team to champion the rights, voice, and active participation of children, young people and families across Oxfordshire’s Children, Education and Families Directorate and the partnership, and to ensure that the children, young people and families we support are meaningfully involved in decisions affecting their lives and, in the development, and evaluation of services. The role will support the culture of listening, advocacy, and co-production and design, supporting the team in working collaboratively with internal teams, external partners, and participation groups.

About you

As a candidate for the Participation & Engagement Support Officer position, you are passionate about championing the rights, voice, and active participation of children, young people, and families across Oxfordshire.

You are committed to ensuring that those you support are meaningfully involved in decisions that affect their lives, as well as in the development and evaluation of services. You thrive in promoting a culture of listening, advocacy, and co-production, empowering others, fostering genuine engagement and can work collaboratively with internal teams, external partners, and participation groups to embed these values in practice. With excellent communication, facilitation and organisational skills, you have the ability to work independently and as part of the team, managing multiple projects and delivering to deadlines.

Rewards and Benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

• We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 33 days.
• Option to buy additional holiday.
• Access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary.
• A range of local and national retail discounts
• A host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

Our commitment to

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to

Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to

Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you encounter any technical issues with the application system,