SEND Participation Worker | £29,542 - £32,046 pro rata
Position reference: 50147330
Directorate: Children’s Services | Service: Early Start, Prevention & Sufficiency
Salary: £29,542 - £32,046 pro rata
Working Arrangements: hybrid
Hours per week: 18.5
Contract type: Fixed term for 3 years
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
Suitable for Secondment: Employees wishing to be considered for secondment should agree with their head of service before submitting an application form.
See our range of Employee Rewards: Employee rewards and benefits
Closing date: 27/11/2026 at 23:59
The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.
This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check
If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email dbs@barnsley.gov.uk
When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.
Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.
At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.
We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.
There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Early Start, Prevention & Sufficiency team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
- We’re an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people.
- Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.
- If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.
- We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development.
- There’s so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
- Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.
About the Post:
The opportunity
We're excited to be recruiting a SEND Participation Worker here in Barnsley, the place of possibilities.
Are you passionate about empowering parents and carers of children and young people with SEND to have their voices heard and influence the services that matter to them?
We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and proactive SEND Participation Worker to join Barnsley's SEND Participation Team on a part-time basis, working 18.5 hours per week.
This is an exciting opportunity to help strengthen the voice of parents and carers within Barnsley's SEND system. Working alongside families, services and partner organisations, you will create meaningful opportunities for parents and carers to share their experiences, influence decisions and contribute to the co-production of services and support.
Working alongside the SEND Participation Co-ordinator and wider SEND Participation Team, you will help ensure that parent and carer voices influence the development of services, support and information across Barnsley.
While the primary focus is supporting parent and carer participation, you will also contribute to wider participation activity with children and young people with SEND aged 0 to 25, helping to ensure lived experience is at the heart of service development across Barnsley.
About the role
As a SEND Participation Worker, you will play a key role in supporting opportunities for parents and carers to shape local SEND services. You will build trusted relationships with families, support engagement activities and ensure parent and carer views are captured, understood and used to inform decision-making.
The SEND Participation Team is also home to the Barnsley SEND Local Offer, bringing together participation, co-production and information in one place. You will help ensure feedback and insight from families shape the information, resources and support available through the Local Offer. This may include identifying information gaps, helping to develop accessible resources and supporting improvements to SEND information across the local area.
You will work closely with schools, services, community organisations and strategic partners. You will also support broader team activity, including occasional engagement with children and young people with SEND, whole-team events, consultations and co-production projects.
In your role, you will
• Develop positive and trusted relationships with parents and carers of children and young people with SEND.
• support focus groups, engagement activities and co-production opportunities.
• Help parents and carers share their experiences and influence the design, delivery and improvement of SEND services.
• Work alongside the SEND Participation Co-ordinator to develop and deliver parent and carer engagement and participation.
• Reach families who may face barriers to participation or who are less likely to engage with services.
• Work with schools, health services, community organisations and other partners to strengthen parent and carer involvement.
• Support children, young people and families to make informed decisions and advocate on their behalf where appropriate.
• Help improve SEND information and resources through the Barnsley SEND Local Offer, using family feedback and lived experience.
• Gather, record and communicate feedback from families to support service improvement.
• Contribute to participation events, workshops, consultations and wider engagement activity.
• Support the wider work of the SEND Participation Team, including direct engagement with children and young people where required.
• Maintain safeguarding, confidentiality and good practice at all times.
About you
We are particularly interested in people who have experience of working alongside families, communities or groups whose voices are often under-represented.
This role may suit someone with a background in community development, community engagement, family support, youth work, participation, co-production, neighbourhood working or voluntary and community sector services.
We are looking for someone who:
• Has experience of working with children and young people with SEND and their families.
• Can build relationships with parents and carers from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Has experience of engaging communities, families or groups whose voices may not traditionally be heard.
• Can empower people to identify issues, share experiences and contribute to positive change.
• Can encourage participation and help people feel listened to, valued and empowered.
• Has experience of delivering engagement activities, groups, workshops or participation sessions.
• Understands the challenges faced by children and young people with SEND and their families.
• Communicates clearly and can build positive relationships with families, colleagues and partners.
• Is organised, adaptable and able to manage a varied workload.
• Is passionate about improving services through lived experience and co-production.
• Is willing to work flexibly as part of a supportive and collaborative team.
You will hold a relevant Level 2 qualification, such as Youth and Community Work, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience, and be willing to undertake ongoing professional development.
Working arrangements
This is a part-time post of 18.5 hours per week, with flexibility around working patterns. The role includes daytime engagement activity and occasional evening events so parents, carers, children and young people can participate at times that work for them.
Some occasional weekend work and overnight residential activity may be required to meet the needs of the service.
Why it's great to work at Barnsley Council
We're an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. You will join a friendly and welcoming organisation where your work can make a real difference to children, young people and families in Barnsley.
• Great pay, generous holiday entitlement and an excellent pension scheme.
• Learning, development and progression opportunities.
• Flexible working and support to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• An inclusive workplace where employees are encouraged to contribute ideas and help shape change.
• The opportunity to work with residents and partners to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
Important information
Please make sure you view the job profile for this role, as you'll need to demonstrate how you meet the required criteria in your application form.
In certain circumstances, Pensions Regulations may reduce pension payments for people who return to work within local government service. If you're in receipt of a pension before starting your employment with Barnsley Council, this may affect your pension entitlements. Please contact the relevant Pensions Authority for advice.
Interested?
If you are passionate about working alongside parents and carers, amplifying their voices and helping create positive change across Barnsley's SEND system, we'd love to hear from you.
For an informal discussion about the role or the SEND Participation Team, please contact:
Alex Taylor, SEND Participation Manager
Find out more about joining our team and get help with your application at barnsley.gov.uk/jobs
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
Job Profile: SEND Participation Worker Job Profile.pdf
Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile.pdf
Help with your application form
Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.
We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.
We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.
CV's are not accepted for this role.
At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances"
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Salary range
- £29,542 - £32,046 per year