Systems Change Lead - Changing Futures

Do you have significant experience of co-production, participation or lived experience approaches?

Can you influence senior leaders and partners to make lived experience a meaningful part of how public services are designed, delivered and improved?

We are looking for a Lived Experience and Co-production Lead to join the West Midlands Changing Futures Programme.

Changing Futures Phase 2 is a national programme funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government until March 2029. It aims to improve outcomes for adults experiencing multiple disadvantage, including homelessness, substance misuse, poor mental health, domestic abuse and involvement with the criminal justice system.

The West Midlands has been selected to deliver the programme for the first time, bringing together partners from housing, health, social care, local government, criminal justice and the voluntary sector to provide more joined-up, person-centred and trauma-informed support. The programme will focus on driving system change across Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton, helping services work more effectively together to improve outcomes for residents and reduce reliance on crisis-led interventions.

Based within the Office for Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), the Changing Futures team plays a key role in supporting public service reform through collaboration, innovation and learning. Working closely with colleagues and partners across the region, the team develops and shares insight, evidence and best practice to inform wider system change and improve outcomes for people facing complex challenges.

This is a regional role with the opportunity to shape how lived experience influences governance, learning, improvement and wider public service reform.

You will be the regional subject matter expert for lived experience and co-production, working across local government, health, housing, criminal justice and the voluntary and community sector.

You will build relationships, provide challenge and advice, bring people together and make sure the insight of people with lived experience informs decisions.

What you will be doing.

• Lead the development and implementation of the regional lived experience and co-production function for Changing Futures.
• Ensure lived experience meaningfully informs regional governance, learning, improvement priorities and systems change.
• Provide specialist advice, guidance and challenge to senior leaders, programme boards and partner organisations.
• Develop and promote frameworks, tools and guidance to support high-quality, consistent co-production across the region.
• Influence policy development, service design, commissioning and system reform through lived experience evidence.
• Identify common themes and emerging issues from lived experience activity across Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.
• Establish and coordinate the Regional Lived Experience Network.
• Build trusted relationships with people with lived experience, VCSE organisations, statutory partners and local lived experience leads.
• Facilitate communities of practice, peer learning and opportunities for shared reflection.
• Support partners to strengthen their capability and confidence in co-production and participation.
• Create safe, inclusive and psychologically informed opportunities for participation.
• Ensure diverse and underrepresented voices are included.
• Produce insight reports, recommendations and learning products to support decision-making and system improvement.
• Support the programme’s “You Said, We Did, We Learned” approach.
• Ensure lived experience evidence contributes to programme reporting, learning reviews and System Maturity Framework activity.
• Connect learning from Changing Futures with Place Based Budgets and wider public service innovation and reform.
• Manage budgets for regional lived experience and participation activity, ensuring appropriate reimbursement and value for money.
• Represent WMCA within regional and national lived experience and co-production networks.

What’s Essential.

You will have:

• Significant experience of designing, leading and embedding co-production, participation or lived experience approaches within complex multi-agency or public service environments.
• Experience of working alongside people experiencing multiple disadvantage or significant barriers and inequalities.
• Experience providing specialist advice and guidance to senior leaders, boards, partnerships or organisations.
• Strong knowledge of co-production theory, principles and practice.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed and psychologically informed approaches.
• Experience interpreting and applying policy, guidance, regulatory requirements or recognised frameworks to support service improvement, transformation or systems change.
• Excellent facilitation and relationship-building skills, with the ability to bring different organisations and perspectives together.
• Experience analysing qualitative insight and identifying themes, patterns and recommendations.
• The ability to communicate complex information clearly and influence without direct authority.
• A strong understanding of public service systems, including local government, health, housing, criminal justice and the VCSE sector.
• Knowledge of lived experience leadership, participation, engagement and community empowerment within public services.
• An understanding of the legislation, safeguarding, equality, inclusion, information governance and ethical considerations associated with participation and lived experience.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical delivery and work effectively across organisational boundaries.
• Experience working at a regional, system or strategic level across multiple organisations.

Location.

The location for this role is Summer Lane, Birmingham with at least X days a week spent in the office.

How to apply.

Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Anonymised Applications.

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Reasonable adjustments.

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