Our vision
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A world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.
We want to see a world where every young person who is struggling feels able to reach out, and has people and services around them who can really help.
We're looking for a Youth Participation Officer to join the YoungMinds Youth Participation & Safeguarding team. This is a permanent role.
Key information
- Application closing date
- 01 Jun 2026
- Interview date
- 22 Jun 2026
- Working environment
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We are currently working with a hybrid working model, where there is the option of working from home combined with 4-12 days a month of working in the office.
About this role
Your role will be located within the Strategic Participation team and will primarily involve direct work with young people (aged 16-25) on our Youth Advisory Group and Youth Panel programmes, and you will frequently work with young people (aged 14-25) across our youth programmes. You will report to the Strategic Participation Manager and work closely with colleagues across the youth participation and safeguarding teams to deliver and support young people’s safe and meaningful engagement in youth programmes. You will also work cross organisationally with colleagues from various teams to support embedding youth participation in all of YoungMinds’ work.
As the Youth Participation Officer, you will assist in the coordination, support and delivery of activities that put young people’s voices and expertise at the front and centre of everything we do. You will do this by supporting colleagues across the organisation to work collaboratively with young people (aged 16-25) in our Youth Advisory Group and Youth Panel.
Key responsibilities include:
- Co-designing resources with young people for young people, parents and carers and professionals
- Co-producing training to upskill staff and delivering it
- Co-creating social media content with young people
- Working with our income generation teams to centre Youth Participation in our partnerships and bids
- Working alongside our Youth Panel lead to support youth panellists to engage in organisational strategic thinking
- Working with the safeguarding team to ensure that all work undertaken with young people is safe and inclusive
You will act as a bridge between staff and young people using your understanding of youth work, participation and safeguarding to ensure that there are regular opportunities that feel safe, inclusive, accessible and kind and provide a way for young people to get involved. This will include the use of online and digital platforms as well as face to face work.
You will be an enthusiastic champion for young people and have a strong voice in the things that impact their mental health and services they receive. You will also be confident in supporting young people to engage in strategic conversations that shape and influence all of the work we do at YoungMinds as a national youth mental health charity.
About you
Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of work experience with young people (ideally in an informal setting), experience delivering sessions to young people that are engaging and accessible, an ability to work to competing deadlines across multiple streams of work, an understanding of Safeguarding practice when working with vulnerable adults, children and young people, and a drive for embedding anti oppressive and anti racist practice to a satisfactory level.
Further information on the post can be found in the job description below.
The YoungMinds’ approach to safeguarding includes the concept of a ‘culture of care’ which supports and promotes wellbeing and the prevention of harm. We believe that our staff, volunteers and consultants have an individual and organisational responsibility for safeguarding and aim to embed a safeguarding ethos and practice which is both proactive and responsive towards issues of safety and wellbeing.
We ask all staff to undertake safeguarding training with us as part of their onboarding journey and their ongoing learning and development.
Apply now
To apply for this role, please download the application form below and follow the guidance in the Youth Participation Officer job pack.
Applications should be sent to recruitment@youngminds.org.uk by the deadline listed below, with the job title included as the subject.
We welcome applications from Black and Minoritised, LGBTQ+ groups and those with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented.
Deadline for applications is 11:59pm on 1 June 2026.
Interviews will be held on week commencing 22 June 2026.
About YoungMinds
You’ll be part of a passionate, hardworking team that cares about the work they do and you’ll be part of making a real difference to the lives of children and young people. In addition to becoming part of the YoungMinds team, you’ll get:
- 25 days paid holiday entitlement (plus Bank Holidays)
- three days additional leave over Christmas and New Year
- auto-enrolment onto pension scheme where YoungMinds will match your contribution up to five per cent
- statutory benefits such as parental leave and sick pay
- a wide range of other health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits
- a dedication to continued professional development, training and shared best practice
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