Description At Walsall Council, we believe that people are at the heart of everything we do. In our work, the way we listen and respond to our customers and colleagues will determine the way we grow and bring the Council’s vision to life. To succeed, we must push the boundaries of customer service and added value - outstanding is the new standard and the new routine Widening Participation Lead Ref: RT07524 £38,223 - £43,421 per annum (pay award pending) 1 permanent full-time post An exciting opportunity has arisen for a newly formed post of Widening Participation Lead, that will be part of the growing Organisational Development (OD) team and manage a small team of resourcing specialists. 2023 saw the creation of a new and exciting Organisational Development (OD) team, who has begun embedding a strategy for organisational development based on collective leadership, staff engagement, health and wellbeing and equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI). As part of this work, there is a need to widen participation by developing opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion within the council workforce. What is the main purpose of this role? To support the Organisational Development Business Partner (ODBP Widening Participation) and managing a team of resources specialists. To support the ODBP (WP) to champion Walsall Council’s OD Strategy and Workforce strategy across the organisation, whilst also providing feedback from activities to help shape and design the continuing evolution of these strategies. Support the ODBP (WP) to widen participation, supporting the development of opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion within the council focussing on representation, equity and access, social mobility and inclusive policies and practice. Leadership and direct management and upskilling of the resources team, to support the continuous improvement of wider recruitment across the organisation. Coordinate the external attendance at key events that will increase recruitment and widen participation. Provide support/resilience to the apprenticeship service and provide leadership to new initiatives as part of the widening participation strategy. What will you be doing? To play a leading role in the continuous improvement of the resources team, ensuring that technology is utilised effectively, and new ways of working are used for the benefit of the organisation. Support the ODBP (WP) in delivering the Councils’ OD Strategy and co-ordination of associated initiatives / deliverables and in collaboration with other HR colleagues support the delivery of the Workforce Strategy and other key HR/EDI strategies. Liaise closely with the apprenticeship lead to share business intelligence and collaborate on initiatives. Ability to analyse service activity and workload data and translate that into meaningful intelligence to inform opportunities and initiatives. About you We are looking for someone who can demonstrate people management skills; coaching leadership style and behaviours aligned to Walsall Council values. You will need to be an excellent communicator, both orally and in writing, including presentation skills. We want someone who has the ability to work collaboratively with senior leaders to identify widening participation opportunities and promote these opportunities to the wider community. We are looking for someone that can plan and co-ordinate attendance at key events across the county to maximise recruitment and widen participation. View Job Description & Employee Specification Closing date for applications: 31 October 2024 This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The postholder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.