Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service)
Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) Participation and Business Support Officer
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Important role clarification
This post is dedicated to the Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB). Cafcass sponsors and supports the FJYPB, but this is not a general Cafcass business support post. The role’s day-to-day purpose is to provide business, administrative and participation support for the FJYPB, its members and its programme of work.
Do you believe children and young people should have a genuine influence on decisions, services and systems that affect their lives?
About The FJYPB
The Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) brings together children and young people with lived experience of family justice. Board members use their experiences and ideas to influence practice, policy and decision-making across the family justice system in England and Wales.
The FJYPB is sponsored by Cafcass and works with Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru and a wide range of family justice partners. Although the post will involve working alongside Cafcass colleagues and using relevant organisational processes, the role is specifically assigned to the FJYPB and exists to support the Board’s members, activities and priorities.
The FJYPB delivers a substantial programme of participation activity, including commissions, consultations, events, training, conferences and strategic influence work. Members require thoughtful, reliable and well-coordinated support so they can participate safely, meaningfully and inclusively.
About The Role
We are looking for an FJYPB Participation and Business Support Officer to join the team that supports the Board. This is not a general support role for Cafcass services or teams. Your focus will be the effective running of the FJYPB and the practical arrangements that enable children and young people to take part in its work.
The post combines business administration, coordination and direct participation support. You will help organise the FJYPB’s programme, maintain clear information and records, coordinate practical arrangements, communicate with members and stakeholders, and support children and young people before, during and after FJYPB activities.
Meaningful participation is about more than organising meetings and events. It requires trust, safe spaces, careful planning, clear communication and effective follow-up. You will play an important part in ensuring FJYPB members feel informed, valued, prepared and able to influence real decisions.
What You Will Be Doing
- Provide day-to-day business and administrative support for the FJYPB and its programme of work.
- Maintain regular, appropriate contact with FJYPB members so they are informed, prepared and supported.
- Support children and young people before, during and after FJYPB participation activities and commissions.
- Coordinate FJYPB projects and commissions from initial planning through to delivery, feedback and follow-up.
- Organise Board meetings, participation sessions, travel, accommodation and other practical arrangements.
- Maintain accurate information, records, trackers and systems that support FJYPB activity, oversight and reporting.
- Prepare accessible information, communications and materials for children and young people, professionals and partners.
- Support creative, digital and inclusive approaches that enable members to participate in ways that work for them.
- Help present the views and messages of FJYPB members clearly, while preserving their meaning and ensuring their voices remain central.
- Help members understand how their contributions have been used and what has changed as a result.
- Work with the wider FJYPB support team, Cafcass colleagues, Cafcass Cymru and family justice partners to coordinate opportunities and maximise the impact of members’ voices.
- Apply safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection and professional-boundary requirements throughout the role.
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Travel and working pattern: The role requires national travel and flexibility to support FJYPB activities, including up to four Saturday Board meetings per year, of which two are in-person Board meetings, conferences, and other weekday events and projects as required. Occasional overnight stays may be necessary.
Are you someone who?
Participation
- Believes children and young people’s experiences should shape services, policy and practice.
- Understands that participation should be safe, purposeful and connected to genuine influence.
- Values inclusion and can help create opportunities where members can participate in ways that suit their individual needs.
- Can build positive relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Understands the importance of safeguarding, confidentiality, professional boundaries and trauma-informed ways of working.
Business
- Communicates with warmth, professionalism and respect, adapting their approach for different audiences.
- Can balance competing priorities while remaining calm, careful and responsive.
- Enjoys contributing to a collaborative team and is willing to undertake the careful, often unseen work that makes high-quality participation possible.
Administrative
- Is highly organised, reliable and comfortable managing detailed administrative work.
- Maintains accurate records, follows processes carefully and pays close attention to detail.
- Can manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively, ensuring work is completed to a high standard and within agreed timescales.
Why join the FJYPB support team?
This is an opportunity to work directly in support of a nationally recognised young people’s board and to help children and young people influence senior leaders, judges, policymakers and professionals across family justice.
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Your participation and business support will help turn the FJYPB’s ideas and priorities into well-planned, safe and meaningful opportunities. The quality of the administration, coordination and follow-up you provide will directly strengthen members’ experiences and the impact of their work.
Your support will help children and young people use their lived experience to influence change across the family justice system. Through a combination of participation practice, coordination and administrative support, you will help create safe, meaningful opportunities for members to share their views, shape decisions and understand the difference their involvement makes.
Next steps / timelines
If and when you are ready to apply, our application process is straightforward and quick to complete. You don’t need to complete your application in a single visit, you can start it and come back and amend your responses / update your CV, just make sure you come back before the closing date to submit.
Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.
Closing Date
26th October 2026
Initial Interview
10th and 13th November 2026
Final Interview
23rd and 24th November 2026
We understand you may benefit from finding out more to help you decide to apply. There is a lot of information available at Cafcass Careers but if there is something else you need to find out more about, you can either contact Upekha Welivita - Upekha.welivita@cafcass.gov.uk from our HR Resourcing team if your query is to do with the recruitment process or is HR-related, or Lauren Shepherd, Family Justice Young Peoples Development Worker at Lauren.Shepherd@cafcass.gov.uk if your questions relate more to the role, providing your contact information and best times / methods to get hold of you.
Whilst we will always try and respond a.s.a.p. we wouldn’t want you to miss the closing date before we are able to. If this is the case, we recommend you apply and as part of your application you can ask questions and this may allow us to contact you and provide you with the required information that will help you decide if you still wish to be considered.
Finally, in anticipation of your application being successful, you might want to read about the offer and pre-employment checks process. As part of your application, you can highlight any concerns or questions about the pre-employment checks and we encourage all applicants to do so, safe in the knowledge such information will not be shared with individuals involved in the selection process.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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