Rise of the parents' commissioner

The trust has created the role to aid parenting support and take a "high-profile position in raising awareness of the view and interests" of parents in the county.

The commissioner's main responsibilities will be to ensure the trust's parenting support strategy is in line with other strategies and to ask parents, carers and foster parents what their needs are.

Pam Goodwin, Staffordshire Children's Trust's manager, said that having a dedicated post was unusual. "The old Department for Education and Skills charged each authority with appointing a commissioner for parenting support," she said. "Some authorities are doing it as part of other roles, but we will have a dedicated person."

Goodwin said it would be a diverse, hands-on role, with the commissioner listening to parents and policymakers across Staffordshire to provide a balanced service. "With Sure Start we found that where parents' or carers' voices are heard, services and projects are far more successful than when it's just professionals deciding what's needed," she said.

The successful candidate will be paid between £39,123 and £42,517 a year. The post will be funded by a one-year grant from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Goodwin said if the move proved successful the trust's partners would fund the role after the government money runs out.

Mary Crowley, chief executive of charity Parenting UK, said it was unusual to have a dedicated parent's commissioner. "It's probably quite rare," she said. "It's unusual to have a completely dedicated parenting commissioner and certainly not something I've heard of a great deal."

A spokeswoman for parenting charity Parentline Plus, said the creation of the role was a positive step forward.

"We think it's a good thing. It acknowledges that parenting is essential in its own right, rather than in children's service strategies," she said.

Interviews for the post will take place on 9 October.