Co production and engagement manager jobs in queenborough, kent

About Kinship

We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to. 

Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.

About the role

Our Participation and Involvement Manager will build on existing practice across the organisation and lead on the implementation and further development of a participation and involvement framework, enabling a large and diverse range of kinship carers to share their views and expertise meaningfully, safely and effectively to shape Kinship’s activity. It will also support our growing participation and involvement activity which involves children, young people and young adults with experience of growing up in kinship care.

You will work closely with kinship carers and colleagues across the organisation to understand the key challenges and opportunities with embedding participatory methods, including co-production and co-design, which improve Kinship’s work – right from the design and delivery of our advice and support services through to influencing policy and campaigning for change.

With support from colleagues, you will act as the key cross-organisational adviser on participation and involvement practice, supporting and empowering colleagues to develop the skills and knowledge they need to embed a consistent approach to the involvement of kinship carers to best suit the needs of their roles.

As an enthusiastic and engaging facilitator, and an advocate for participatory methods, you will sensitively and skillfully work alongside kinship carers and colleagues to deliver high quality involvement activity which supports the charity’s mission and aims. You will also be an experienced project manager, ensuring all activity is appropriately monitored and evaluated, and aligned with best practice around equality and diversity, remuneration, safeguarding and governance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Refine and further develop an existing organisational participation and involvement framework which supports staff to meaningfully, safely and effectively involve kinship carers in their work.
• Design and implement a plan to embed effective practice based on the framework across Kinship, building a positive organisational culture and providing appropriate training, upskilling and support to colleagues to ensure consistency of delivery and experience for kinship carers.
• Lead a cross-organisational working group of people with relevant lived, learned and professional experiences to support and advise on embedding high-quality participation and involvement activity.
• Work closely with colleagues across the whole organisation to understand their bespoke needs, strengths and requirements around implementing participatory methods in their day-to-day work, and develop strategic relationships with colleagues in areas with more extensive existing participatory or adjacent activity (e.g. research, volunteering).
• Develop and recruit a network of people with lived experience interested in being more intensively involved in participatory activities, with a focus on increasing the diversity of people working with us.

Essential experience includes:

• Experience managing and leading the delivery of participation or involvement activity with people with lived experience of social issues.
• A commitment to meaningful participation and involvement activity, including a nuanced understanding of the individual and organisational opportunities and challenges associated with this.
• Knowledge of models, methodologies and approaches used in high quality participation and involvement activity, and strong skills in creative facilitation – particularly with groups.
• An understanding of kinship care and how this may impact on kinship carers’ involvement with Kinship and our activity.
• Experience of effective project management with strong attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

What we’ll offer you 

Kinship offers 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time) as well as a generous pension scheme. We have an excellent wellbeing offer including the Employee Assistance Programme and clinical supervision. We will invest in your professional development with training and career development opportunities.

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

This is a fantastic time to join a supportive and well-established team within an organisation with rapid growth ambitions. This role will be what you make it and we’re looking for someone to seize this opportunity!

How to apply

Please apply via Charity Job with your CV and a cover letter of no more than 2 pages for the attention of Sam Turner. Please include your notice period and earliest availability to start in your cover letter.

• Application deadline:      9.00am, Wednesday 25 June 2025
• First interview:                 Online, Monday 7 July 2025
• Second interview:          In-person (Vauxhall), Wednesday 16 July 2025

Kinship reserves the right to close applications early on receipt of sufficient applications. Apply early!

Role: Senior Officer, Policy & Advocacy (Climate Change & Environment)

Reporting To: Policy & Advocacy Adviser (Climate Change & Environment)

Salary: £47,333

Location: Remote working (preference for GMT +/- 8h). 

For non-UK candidates: Please note that you would be hired via Deel either as a contractor or as an employee with local national benefits.

Contract duration: 3 year fixed-term contract, renewable

Probation period: 6 months

Contract type: Full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days a week), compressed hours and flexible working arrangements available

Closing date: 13 June 2025 at 23:30 UK time

What does United for Global Mental Health do?

At United for Global Mental Health, we work with trusted partners to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase support for mental health worldwide.

The United for Global Mental Health team is made up of diverse, passionate and knowledgeable individuals based in the UK and in countries around the world. By combining our extensive in-house expertise in advocacy, financing and campaigning with the unique insights of our many partners, we’re making progress on ensuring that everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health. You can read about our three-year strategy and our 2024 impact report here.

What will I be doing? 

This role will support the delivery of several activities within our portfolio of activities on climate change, the environment, and mental health. The four main areas of work that the Senior Officer will be responsible for include:

• Leading work with national partners (50% of post)

• Integration of people with lived experience (hereafter referred to as PWLE) across the portfolio (25% of post)

• Developing our advocacy on the intersection of air pollution and mental health (15% of post)

• Developing our advocacy on the intersection of biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)

National level work (50% of post)

A key component of the current project will be to support national partners in a subset of countries globally (approximately 6 countries) to advocate for action on climate change and mental health. The final set of countries is yet to be defined but will likely include one country per WHO region and one country from the Small Islands Developing States. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Lead in the selection of national partners in each country. This will include supporting the running of a competitive process to select one civil-society organisation based in each country to conduct the work

• Strengthen the capacity of national partners to work on climate change and mental health (e.g., via training to national partners to be delivered by the Senior Officer), if required

• Support national partners in advocating for the integration of mental health into climate policies, including but not limited to Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, Heat Health Action Plans etc.

• Lead in cohort-building activities for this subset of countries (e.g., organising regular meetings, ensuring shared learnings etc.)

• With the support of our Operations team, support in the logistics of sub-contracting national partners and monitoring deliverables

Involvement of people with lived experience (25% of post)

The meaningful engagement of PWLE of mental health challenges is central to all work at United for Global Mental Health. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Leading on setting up and coordinating a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), which will meet every two months to provide guidance to UnitedGMH and national partners on their work on climate and health. The Senior Officer will be responsible for recruiting approximately 12 PWLE (2 x WHO region), organising regular meetings, and ensuring that the feedback of PWLE is integrated across different projects

• Support the attendance of PWLE to key global advocacy moments in a meaningful, safe, and impactful way

• Support national partners on the integration of lived experience considerations in their work on climate change and mental health 

Work on air pollution and mental health (15% of post)

The evidence on air pollution and mental health is a nascent, but rapidly growing, area of interest. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Scope what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into air pollution policies at the global, regional, and national levels 

• Build connections with organisations working on air pollution and clean air policies

• Refine our messaging on air pollution and mental health

• Lead on the production of one advocacy brief on air pollution and mental health

Work on biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)

There is emerging evidence on the association between biodiversity loss and mental health, but very little work has yet been done in the policy space. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Scoping what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into biodiversity policies at the global, regional, and national levels 

• Build connections with organisations working on biodiversity, conservation, and nature

• Refine our messaging on biodiversity and mental health

• Lead the production of one advocacy brief on pesticide use and suicide

• Lead on our engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (biodiversity COP)

Is this job for me?

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of experience working on global mental health policy, advocacy, research, or practice

• Expertise in managing and engaging with multiple different types of stakeholders (e.g., civil society, UN agencies, governments etc.) 

• Experience working on co-creation, patient and public involvement (PPI), or working with people with lived experience of mental health problems

• Excellent project management skills and strong planning skills including attention to detail, critical thinking, multi-tasking and problem-solving

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written

• Ability to work collaboratively in a team

• Expertise in the development of funding proposals and ability to track and report on grant deliverables

• Expertise in organising meetings, events, and small gatherings of partners and other stakeholders

• Ability to travel 2-3 times a year internationally

Desirable

• Expertise in climate change and mental health is desirable but not required

• Experience of working in low- and middle-income countries on mental health is desirable but not required

• Experience of working on influencing policy within a government is desirable but not required

• Fluency in English is essential, the ability to work in a second UN language would be an advantage (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)

Diversity and inclusion

Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to UnitedGMH’s core mission and values, and the organisation is dedicated to promoting this across our work and also within the workplace. We will ensure that this commitment is embedded in all operational aspects of the organisation and also implemented within our day-to-day working practices.

Reasonable adjustments statement

We aim to ensure that all applicants are provided with the same opportunities during the recruitment process. Should you have a disability and require a particular adjustment to be made to allow you to fully participate in the recruitment process, please ensure that this is made known to the person arranging your interview.

How can I apply?

To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter (800 words maximum) via Charity Job. 

Selection process

• A subset of candidates will be invited to:

  • Submit a short written assignment

  • Participate in at least 2 online interviews between the 1st of July and the 18th of July

Benefits

• 28 days of holiday a year plus national holidays in your country of residency 

• Possibility of being hired by Deel as a local employee (with local pension and social security benefits) or as a contractor (decision up to the employee based on personal preference)

• Up to 1000£ a year of allowance for office space

• Up to 500£ a year in personal development training allowance

• A minimum of 1 in-person team retreat a year

• Possibility to work from anywhere in the world (where you have the legal right to work from)

• Possibility to work compressed hours 

• Access to Employee Assistance Programme via HealthAssured

• [For UK-based staff] You contribute 5% of your salary and we pay for 3% (8% total)