“Participation can’t just be seen as a token gesture”: Job opportunity at Z2K

Co-Production Collective Community member, and ex-staff team member Lizzie talks about the charity Z2k and a new role that they are currently advertising for.

Who are Z2K?

Hi everyone, for those I haven't met before I'm Lizzie. My involvement as a staff team member and community member of Co-Production Collective has fundamentally shaped my beliefs about the value of co-production and participation in all walks of life (my blog in July 2022 outlines more on this). I’m proud to still be flying the flag for this as trustee of the London-based charity Z2K.

Z2K believes that no individual in the UK should be living in poverty, and that adequate, stable income and housing are key to creating a more equal society where everyone has the chance of a stable and dignified life. As outlined in a recent blog by former Participation Officer Hannah Davis – “Participation can’t just be seen as a token gesture: How we aim to work with experts by experience at Z2K” –  this is especially the case with poverty, which robs individuals not just of income but of agency and power too.

As a result, Z2K is committed to genuinely sharing power in how we deliver our work.  Not only is this crucial to influence external decisions and dismantle the broken systems that perpetuate poverty and inequality, but also to shaping and influencing organisational decisions internally.

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Hannah as she co-produced a core set of principles, alongside experts by experience, to anchor what participation looks like at Z2K:

1. Having a clear purpose
2. Sharing power
3. Meeting each person where they are at
4. Embedding hope

You can read more about these principles, and what they mean in practice, in the full blog.

Job opportunity: Participation Manager

Hannah has now moved on to supporting participation at Shelter, so Z2K is looking for a Participation Manager to work alongside Chief Executive Anela, the wider staff team, experts by experience and trustees, to help develop the participation strategy and deepen co-production across the organisation. This includes working with experts by experience in:

• Governance and decision-making.
• Advice & casework service design.
• Research & policy development.
• Campaigns & influencing design and delivery.

This is a real opportunity to make a difference. If you have: knowledge and experience of facilitating participatory approaches and co-production; plus project and/or people management experience; have worked with people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty and inequality; and are committed to Z2K’s aims, then this role might be for you.  

Take a look at the job description and person-specification, and make sure to get your applications in by Tuesday 11th April.

If you’d like to find out more about the role or the organisation, you’re welcome to get in touch with Lizzie via email or Twitter.

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