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We are looking for a passionate, motivated and well-organised Rights and Participation Coordinator to lead the development of our Volunteer Programme, with a specific focus on creating a new practical home support offer for young people who are living independently. We are also recruiting to a secondary role for our The Next Steps programme, which is a programme built around co-production.

The Coordinators will play a key role in making sure young people’s voices are central to every stage of the programme, from planning and design through to delivery, review and improvement. The programme supports young people who are care experienced from 16-25. A key part of the role will involve working with providers to commission and procure community-based activities that are engaging, enjoyable and meaningful for young people. This may include supporting the development of activity offers, coordinating delivery arrangements, and supporting and gathering feedback from young people.

This is an exciting new role within Birmingham Children’s Trust and will help create a volunteer offer that supports young people to manage, maintain and feel confident in their own homes. The postholder will work with volunteers, young people, professionals and partners to develop a practical, responsive and relationship-based programme that improves young people’s independence, confidence and life chances.

The role will focus on building and coordinating a volunteer-led practical support offer. This could include helping young people with small home maintenance tasks, gardening, clearing outdoor spaces, basic DIY, painting and decorating, taking rubbish to the tip, and helping young people learn how to care for, maintain and take pride in their home and garden.

The postholder will play a key role in recruiting, supporting and coordinating volunteers who can offer practical help, encouragement and life skills support. They will work closely with other key leads across the volunteer programme, including colleagues involved in recruitment, matching, referrals, safeguarding, training and wider volunteer development.

This role will require someone who can build effective relationships with young people, volunteers, social workers, personal advisers, carers, providers, community partners and internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will need to understand the importance of safe, well-managed volunteering activity and be able to coordinate support in a timely, efficient and organised way.

The Volunteer Programme Lead will also work directly with young people to understand what kind of practical support would make the biggest difference to them. The offer should be shaped around what young people say they need and want, ensuring the programme is accessible, respectful, empowering and genuinely useful.

This is a role for someone who believes that young people should have the practical support, encouragement and trusted relationships they need to live well, feel settled and succeed as they move into independence.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham, UK so you must have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship or on a VISA.

About You

• You are passionate about children and young people and committed to improving their life chances, independence and wellbeing.
• You have experience of working directly with children and young people and can build positive, trusting and respectful relationships.
• You have experience of managing, leading, developing or coordinating programmes, projects or services.
• You are highly organised and able to manage competing priorities in a timely, efficient and proactive way.
• You can recruit, support, coordinate and engage volunteers, ensuring they feel valued, prepared and clear about their role.
• You understand the importance of safe volunteering practice, including appropriate matching, support, boundaries and safeguarding.
• You can work directly with young people to understand their needs and coordinate practical support that helps them manage and maintain their home.
• You can build effective relationships with social workers, personal advisers, carers, providers, community partners and internal and external stakeholders.
• You are practical, creative and solution-focused, with the ability to turn young people’s needs and ideas into meaningful support.
• You are confident working with partners and volunteers who may support young people with practical tasks such as basic DIY, home maintenance, gardening, painting, decorating, clearing gardens or transporting rubbish to appropriate disposal points.
• You can work collaboratively with other leads across the volunteer programme, including colleagues focused on recruitment, referral pathways, matching, training and wider service development.
• You communicate clearly and confidently and can promote the volunteer offer so that young people and professionals understand what support is available and how to access it.

Additional Information

This role will sit within the Rights and Participation Service and will support the development of Birmingham Children’s Trust’s wider Volunteer Service offer.

The postholder will lead the development and coordination of a practical home support volunteer offer for young people living independently. This will include working with young people to understand what practical support they need, recruiting and supporting volunteers, coordinating referrals, and ensuring that help is safe, timely, appropriate and meaningful.

The successful candidate will work closely with other volunteer programme leads and colleagues involved in recruitment, matching, referrals, safeguarding, training and programme development. They will help ensure the volunteer service is joined up, well coordinated and able to respond to young people’s needs.

The postholder will support volunteers to provide practical help that may include small home maintenance tasks, gardening, clearing outdoor spaces, basic DIY, painting and decorating, taking rubbish to the tip, and helping young people learn how to look after and maintain their home and garden. The emphasis will be on practical support, confidence-building, independence and helping young people feel more settled in their homes.

This post will require strong programme coordination, volunteer management, communication, relationship-building and organisational skills. The postholder will need to work confidently with young people, volunteers, professionals and partners, ensuring the offer is safe, inclusive, responsive and focused on improving young people’s life chances.

Interview Date: 29th July. Interviews will take place in person.

Onboarding Process: Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian including Experian DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Our Benefits:

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.