Co-Production & Engagement Manager

Job Introduction These permanent roles have a starting salary of £42,958 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. We have a great opportunity to join our Children, Families and Lifelong Learning User Voice and Participation team as a Co-production and Engagement Manager . We work closely with children, young people and their families or carers to support them to influence service design and improvement. We do this through meaningful participation and co-production. We have two roles available, one of these roles will be based in Woking supporting West Surrey and the other in Reigate supporting East Surrey. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service (pro-rated for part time opportunities) Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents About the team These roles sit within our Customer Engagement and Systems Development service, within the Quality Relationships area of the Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate of Surrey County Council. The service leads on developing and nurturing partnerships across agencies and organisations working with children and young people in the county, driving user involvement, participation and co-production, and you will work alongside colleagues in our user voice and participation team. These are new roles which we are thrilled to be introducing, to support our developing Experts at Hand offer, a key part of our SEND reform plan in Surrey. You will be working closely with other colleagues, including schools and partner organisations, in Experts at Hand, strengthening relationships and trust with children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, and their families and support networks. Experts at Hand represents an increased emphasis on early, preventative support, where strengthening inclusive practice, and intervening before difficulties escalate, will be vital to ultimately improving outcomes for children and young people. About the role As a Co-Production and Engagement Manager, you’ll be leading our efforts to support inclusive practice, and to embed co-production across all services participating in Experts at Hand. You will work to ensure that the voices of the people we support shape every aspect of our work, building strong collaborative relationships and embedding this into everyday practice throughout the workforce. Our aim is a culture of co-production where children, young people and their families/carers are visible partners in achieving change and improvement. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills, values and align with our behaviours , we are looking for candidates who: Believe in people-led change Are confident facilitators and relationship-builders Are motivated by collaboration and innovation Are organised, proactive, and passionate about inclusion Have experience in co-production, in social care, education, or health Hold a degree or equivalent experience Possess strong communication, written and IT skills Hold a commitment to strength-based approaches and the belief that people are experts in their own lives If you have experience in managing services that work with people with additional needs and disabilities this would be highly transferable to this role. An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role. How to apply To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions: Describe how you would use your communication and facilitation skills to approach stakeholder engagement in Experts at Hand. Who do you believe it would be important for you to collaborate with to promote Experts at Hand? Describe how you would summarise the importance of co-production in Experts at Hand. Please tell us what skills you believe you have to measure the impact of co-production Contact us Please contact Liz Whitby via email on Liz.Whitby@surreycc.gov.uk for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 01/11/2026 with interviews planned to follow. Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.