Wigan Parent Carer Participation Coordinator Wigan, England
Job description
Wigan Parent Carer Forum are looking for a motivated individual to join our growing team. We are looking for a creative and enthusiastic participation coordinator whose energy and passion will engage others in having their voices heard.
The ideal candidate will be competent in prioritizing and working with little supervision. They will have an eye for detail, be self-motivated and trustworthy abundant in energy and enthusiasm to include and involve parent carers in collaborating with our partners in the Local Authority and Health Services, ensuring Children and Young people with SEND in our area are able to access the right services and receive the right support.
The Parent Carer Participation Coordinator is an exciting and rewarding role, where you will have flexibility to be creative and innovative in empowering parent carers to be engaged and involved in working together to make a difference in the lives of children, young people with SEND and their families.
You can read more about the forum here: www.wiganpcf.org.uk
Has responsibility for: Being the primary point of contact and coordination for independent parent carer participation in Wigan Borough. This will be achieved by engaging widely with parent carers in the Wigan Borough ensuring accessible participation opportunities, strategic representation and training opportunities.
Job duties:
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB
To be the initial point of contact and coordination for parent carer participation. A passionate driver for ensuring lived experience plays a key role in developing services for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and /or disabilities in Wigan Borough. Working closely together with our partners in the Local Authority, Health Services and voluntary sector.
Development, support and coordination of parent carer representatives and volunteers.
To empower, support and coordinate parent carer representatives in attending strategic workstream meetings.
Encourage information sharing between all key stakeholders, particularly a wider parent carer audience.
Actively promoting relevant information for parent carers of children /young people aged 0-25 with SEND and their families. Including promotion of the Local Offer, Holiday Activity Fund and short breaks services.
Developing creative local parent carer participation opportunities, capturing information in meaningful, innovative ways that explore and explain the needs of families and also relay messages from strategic workstreams to families.
Presenting information in varied ways to reach multiple audiences effectively. Including the ability to provide quantitative and qualitative data to strategic boards and convey complex messages accessibly to wider audiences.
Promoting the purpose of the forum, recruiting and supporting volunteers.
Developing positive relationships with key partners, professionals and organisations.
Working to include and involve those who currently face barriers to engagement and ensuring the forum is inclusive, diverse and representative.
Working towards the themes identified by wider parent carer input, trustee board and outcomes identified by funders.
KEY TASKS
Ensuring Wigan Parent Carer Forum is parent carer led and effectively collecting collating collective parent carer voice that influences strategic decision making in our locality.
Support and coordination of parent carer volunteers.
To engage with and support parent carers and key strategic decision makers to provide parental representation.
To increase the use of the SEND hub for participation activity,
Facilitating focus groups and events
To produce a termly SEND newsletter, send out surveys using an online tool and promote participation opportunities using website, email and social media.
To provide input to the existing website for the parent carer forum and be responsible for maintaining it and keeping it up to date.
To undertake reporting as required and produce regular reports.
To proactively scope out and develop further participation and engagement opportunities and make the manager aware of these.
To write and prepare grant/funding applications and monitor their progress.
Develop and deliver training to parents and partners
KEY RESULTS/OBJECTIVES
To have effective and sustainable methods of parent carer engagement and coproduction
To have good strategic representation on all SEND groups across a range of organisations, Health, Local Authority and voluntary sector.
The SEND Hub is well used for participation activity as well as participation opportunities across the Borough.
Termly newsletters are sent out and the website and social media platforms are regularly updated.
Training courses are regularly delivered.
Grant applications are written and submitted.
Development of the Holiday Activity Fund offer for children with SEND
Parent carer voice is effectively collated, presented and used in co-producing with our Local Authority and Health partners.
Children and Young People with SEND & their families have services that meet their needs.
Person Specification
Essential
- Educated to minimum of NVQ level 3 or equivalent in a relevant area.
- Proficient in the use of ICT including use of one drive, Office 365, Canva, social media.
- Empathy and understanding of the daily challenges many families in the SEND community are experiencing.
- Able to develop positive relationships and mediate challenges using solution focused approaches.
- Able to work independently using your own initiative but also work well in a team
Desirable
- Marketing and design skills.
- Previous use of Menti or other digital tools
- Knowledge of Social Pedagogy
- Knowledge of Genuine Partnerships Four Cornerstones
- Lived Experience of having a child with additional needs
- Degree in a relevant field.
OTHER DUTIES
To perform the job in accordance with the Wigan PCF policies and procedures, especially the Equal Opportunities and Harassment Policy.
To undertake any other tasks, duties or projects of this post and as directed by the designated line manager as may reasonably be required from time-to-time.
The post-holder will be expected to assist with any reasonable administrative duty at the request of the line manager.
Wigan Parent Carer Forum would love to hear from you if you are interested in being part of our team.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds.
Job share/part time hours would be considered for the right candidate.
We look forward to hearing from interested candidates.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: £18,000.00-£26,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Wellness programme
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Wigan: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- participation: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 27/05/2023
Reference ID: WPCFCoord23
