Voice and Influence Team Manager

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council; Rotherham; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in Rotherham is seeking an aspirational Voice and Influence Team Manager to lead a committed team that ensures children and young people voices shape services. You will build opportunities for heard through groups, consultations, panels and engagement activities, and you will work with partners to improve outcomes for care experienced and vulnerable children.

The role requires safeguarding knowledge and a passion for co-production, with interview date

Qualifications

• Committed to children's rights, participation and empowerment.
• Has experience of managing and developing teams.
• Can build strong relationships and influence across services and agencies.
• Is confident presenting to senior leaders, elected members and partnership forums.
• Is creative, innovative and passionate about finding new ways to engage children and young people.
• Has a strong understanding of safeguarding, advocacy and participation principles.
• Can demonstrate a commitment to co-production and achieving meaningful outcomes for children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership to the Voice and Influence Team.
• Oversee established participation programmes such as Children in Care Group and Youth Cabinet.
• Lead engagement activities including groups, consultations, and panels.
• Work with senior leaders and partner agencies to ensure children's voices influence service development.
• Champion participation, co-production, advocacy and engagement across the service.

Skills

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Safeguarding knowledge

Co-production

Participation and engagement

Job description

Job details

Salary £48,738 - £51,928 Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Region Rotherham Job category/type Childrens Social Work Date posted 21/09/2026 Job reference REQ23991 Attachments attachment Job Profile Band K.docx attachment Benefits Package.doc

Job description

Directorate: Children & Young People Services

Permanent, Full time, 37 hours per week

We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative and inspiring Voice and Influence Team Manager to lead our dedicated team in ensuring that the voices, experiences and aspirations of children and young people shape the future of Children's Services.

This is an exciting opportunity to champion participation, co-production, advocacy and engagement across the service, ensuring children and young people have meaningful opportunities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

As the Voice and Influence Team Manager, you will lead a passionate team committed to improving outcomes for children and young people, particularly those who are care experienced, vulnerable or less frequently heard.

About the Role

You will provide operational leadership to the Voice and Influence Team, creating opportunities for children and young people to be heard through groups, consultations, one-to-one engagement, panels, meetings and innovative participation activities.

You will oversee a range of established participation programmes, including:

• Children in Care Group
• Care Leavers Group
• Young Inspectors Programme
• Youth Cabinet
• Children's and Young People's Partnership Board
• \"in touch\" groups for children and also parents/carers.

Working closely with senior leaders, elected members, partner agencies and community organisations, you will ensure that children's voices are not only heard but actively influence service development, policy and practice.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking an experienced and passionate leader who:

• Is committed to children's rights, participation and empowerment.
• Has experience of managing and developing teams.
• Can build strong relationships and influence across a range of services and agencies.
• Is confident presenting to senior leaders, elected members and partnership forums.
• Is creative, innovative and passionate about finding new ways to engage children and young people.
• Has a strong understanding of safeguarding, advocacy and participation principles.
• Can demonstrate a commitment to co-production and achieving meaningful outcomes for children and young people.

If you are passionate about championing the voice of children and young people and want to lead a service that creates real change, we would love to hear from you.

For further discussion please contact Joanne Hacking, at [e-mail]

Interview date: Friday 9 th October 2026.

This post involves working with children/ adults and therefore if successful you will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records check at an enhanced level. Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. For further information, please visit our website.

Head Office
Riverside House
Main Street
Rotherham
S60 1AE