Youth Participation Worker

Bedfordshire Hospitals; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Luton is recruiting a Youth Participation Worker on a part-time basis to support a charitable-funded service development. You will help grow participation of children and young people with long-term conditions in shaping the services that support them.

Working with paediatric psychology and other teams, you will establish a young people’s advisory group and develop pilot projects to improve wellbeing.

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths.
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Child Development or Youth Services.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Degree level education.

Responsibilities

• Increase participation by children, young people, parents and carers involved with Bedfordshire Hospitals in shaping the services available to them by developing and coordinating a young people’s advisory group of young people with lived experience of health conditions.
• Together with the group, complete wider scoping with young hospital patients to find out what support, activities and resources they might engage with.
• Based on feedback from young people, to develop events or projects which promote and support the wellbeing of young people with long-term conditions.
• Mapping of existing local resources, and engagement with potential community partners as well as internal stakeholders who may be able to support programme delivery.
• Delivery of the planned events, and collection of relevant outcome data to evidence their impact

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Public engagement

Education

GCSE English and Maths

NVQ Level 3 / Child Development or Youth Services

Degree level education

Job description

Main area Youth Participation Worker Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Fixed term: 24 months (post funded for two years from start date) Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week ((may include work outside of usual office hours)) Job ref 418-PAED55673-EH

Site Luton and Dunstable Hospital Town Luton Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 09/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 23/11/2026

Job overview

As part of a new service development supported by charitable funding, we have an opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Youth Participation Worker to join our team. This post will support the development of a project aiming to increase participation of children and young people living with long term conditions in shaping the services that support them at Bedfordshire Hospitals.

The ideal post-holder will have experience of working with children, young people, and families, as well as experience of participation, advocacy, or consultation. It will suit someone who is creative, organised, self-motivated, and with genuine interest in improving the lives of children, young people, and families living with long-term conditions.

You will be supported in your role by staff within the paediatric department, and will be based within and supported by the Paediatric Psychology Service . Psychology is a valued part of our hospital’s approach to patient care, and we work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to support our children and families to thrive.

We are happy to consider applications from people working towards a career in the psychological professions, as well as those from other professional backgrounds which meet the post requirements.

Main duties of the job

This post will support the development of a project aiming to increase participation of children and young people living with long term conditions in shaping the services that support them at Bedfordshire Hospitals. You will lead on the coordination of spaces for young people to meet and be involved in co‑producing events which are aimed at peer support and early intervention to support the emotional adjustment and wellbeing of children and young people living with long-term conditions and their families, ensuring that their involvement is meaningful and appropriate.

The role will have two main aims; firstly, to lead on the establishment of a young people’s advisory group made up of young local residents living with long-term conditions, and secondly, together with the advisory group, to develop and trial pilot projects which support the wellbeing of young people with long-term conditions.

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics‑led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Increase participation by children, young people, parents and carers involved with Bedfordshire Hospitals in shaping the services available to them by developing and coordinating a young people’s advisory group of young people with lived experience of health conditions

Together with the group, complete wider scoping with young hospital patients to find out what support, activities and resources they might engage with

Based on feedback from young people, to develop events or projects which promote and support the wellbeing of young people with long-term conditions

Mapping of existing local resources, and engagement with potential community partners as well as internal stakeholders who may be able to support programme delivery

Delivery of the planned events, and collection of relevant outcome data to evidence their impact

Person specification

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in Child Development or Youth Services
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Degree level education

Experience

• Previous experience of advocacy or consultation, and/or evidence of working in a similar field (e.g. youth work)
• Experience of designing, leading, and evaluating programmes of work for children and young people
• Experience of working with children and young people affected by health difficulties or disabilities
• Experience of co‑production with young people and other stakeholders
• Experience of liaison with wider stakeholders/ organisational networks
• Experience of working with diverse communities and in different cultural and social contexts
• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection policies and their application to working with children and young people
• Experience of working with children, young people and families affected by acute or long‑term physical health difficulties
• Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties and/or SEND needs
• Conducting audit and/or evaluation projects
• Contribution to research programmes
• Understanding of current NHS/Social Care policies/ practices relating to children’s healthcare services

Knowledge and Skills

• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people living with long-term medical conditions or with disabilities
• Well‑developed interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate effectively (both verbally and in writing)
• Ability to creatively engage children, young people and families with a range of developmental and health needs
• Knowledge of co‑production principles
• Ability to present the views of service users to a variety of stakeholders, including at a strategic/managerial level
• Ability to adapt communication to meet the needs and developmental stage of the audience
• Able to plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
• Able to work independently, and to seek support as appropriate
• Good working knowledge of statutory, voluntary, and health agencies involved in providing services for children and families
• NHS Constitution - Having experience for ensuring that the values including Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment are adhered to daily, and any matters of concern are raised with the relevant Line Manager or through the necessary processes within the Trust

Personal Skills

• Able to effectively manage boundaries as well as exposure to distressing/ emotional circumstances that might arise when working with groups who have a variety of health and/or developmental issues/needs
• Able to use supervision to support and improve output
• Able to be flexible, and to adapt approach according to need
• Able to work to flexible hours (i.e. outside of usual office hours) and in a variety of different contexts
• Ability to develop and use multi‑media materials for presentations in public and professional settings
• Able to drive, or to travel between different locations as required for the role

It is an exciting time to join Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state‑of‑the‑art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.