Community engagement manager jobs in medway, kent

Policy and Public Affairs Officer - National Youth Agency

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Policy & Public Affairs Officer to join our Policy, Insights and External Affairs Team.

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week 
Salary: £29,000 - £33,000 per annum (depending on experience and qualifications)

Remote: NYA is a remote working organisation. However, its home is in Leicester which is available for staff to work or host meetings. There is also the option of a workspace in London up to 2 days per week. This role will require regular travel to meetings, events and conferences in London and throughout England.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

As Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the National Youth Agency, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of youth work in England. You’ll be part of influencing national policy and driving change that directly impacts young people’s lives. Working within a dynamic and supportive team, you’ll be at the forefront of monitoring and interpreting developments across Westminster - from government consultations to parliamentary debates. Your work will ensure NYA stays ahead of the curve, responding swiftly to emerging policy trends and helping to shape national conversations. You’ll work with the team to use these policy insights to develop our influencing and advocacy efforts. If you’re keen to develop your career in policy and public affairs and want to contribute to meaningful change for young people, this role offers the opportunity to do just that.

Key responsibilities for this role will include:

Policy and public affairs support

• Research and track policy developments, political landscape changes, and other relevant areas to identify opportunities to further NYA’s policy calls.
• Monitor and report on parliamentary activities, government announcements, and consultations relevant to youth work.
• Compile and analyse data from various sources to support policy briefs, reports, and other written materials.
• Draft policy briefings, research summaries, consultation responses, letters, reports, newsletters and stakeholder communications.
• Maintain and develop stakeholder relationships and record engagement on the CRM system.
• Work with the team with the preparation and delivery of youth participation activities to support our policy influencing objectives.

Event support

• Support the organisation, coordination and note-taking for meetings and events, including webinars, roundtables and political party conference activity. 
• Support with planning and executing of large events including attendee registration, youth participation, materials preparation and using the CRM system.

Other

• Represent the Policy Team at external and internal meetings, policy forums and events.
• Work collaboratively with other teams and directorates to help build an understanding of the work of the Policy and Public Affairs team and effective working relationships across the organisation.

Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.

Why Work for NYA?

NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.

NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.

A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.

NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.

We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Sunday 29th June 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section. 

A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section. 

We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer. 

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission. 

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power.  We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-221910

Job Title: Intensive Needs Support Coach

Location: Rochester, Medway (11 min walk from Rochester Station or buses 191, 133, 140, 700 to Star Hill Stop F)

Salary: £24,500

Shift Pattern: 12 month fixed term contract which is rolling dependent on contract extension. 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:00. You may be required to work outside these hours as per service requirements and these hours may be flexible as can be discussed.

About the role

We are seeking a dynamic and self motivated Intensive Needs Support Coach to join us on a fixed term rolling contract as part of the Rough Sleeper Initiative Project. You will provide effective practical and personal support and guidance to our residents during their stay in our accommodation to enable them to become more resilient and to live independently. The service supports residents who have a history of non-engagement and have a history of rough sleeping and complex needs. You will proactively support them to be more engaged in activities and support plans to overcome their personal barriers. You will run activities and complete safety plans, support plans, and other appropriate interventions to support our residents to achieve their goals.

About you

We are looking for someone who is dedicated and passionate to supporting those who face multiple disadvantages within society, and have a history of homelessness. You will be driven to help end the cycle, by providing personalised support to individuals for them to gain greater independence and have long term access to accommodation. You will have an understanding of the challenges they face and understand how different complex needs can vary. We're looking for someone who is resilient, a problem solver, and able to work in fast paced ever-changing environments. 

• Experience in working directly with people who have experienced homelessness
• Experience with supporting people with multiple complex needs which can further include substance use and mental health
• Ability to build rapport and develop positive working relationships with our resident groups including those who have challenging behaviour and substance use challenges
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment
• Proven ability to demonstrate compassionate and creative work practices with residents to address support needs and/or risks
• IT Proficiency, ability to learn new software programs, basic Microsoft experience
• Alignment with our values of Ambition, Empowerment, Inclusivity, and Transparency

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

What we offer

• 25 days (Full time equivalent) annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing at work
• Eligibility to register with Blue Light Discount Card
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards
• EDI Ambassador programme
• Be part of an organisation which believes good care and support improves lives.
• Join an organisation with a mission to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

We value and celebrate the unique backgrounds, perspectives and experiences of all of our employees. We have a team of staff ambassadors who volunteer to actively support us in fortifying our organisational value of Inclusivity. They embrace this unique opportunity to deliver awareness, events, and developments to our organisation to support us in ensuring our value of Inclusivity is embedded throughout the organisation. 

SIG actively encourages applications from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, particularly lived experience; Naturally, we approach any emerging issues with empathy and sensitivity. 

About Social Interest Group (SIG)

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings, probation settings, and hospitals. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, Kent and Liverpool. Our goal is to transform lives through empowering change. 
Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Please note that as part of our process, we complete an enhanced DBS check, some roles may require further vetting. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact us on the details below. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship, please ensure you have full right to work in the UK prior to applying to our positions. 

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.