Education policy specialist jobs

DFN Project SEARCH offer an evidence-based supported internship model which takes place entirely in the workplace.  The programmes provide continuous support to young adults with a learning disability, and autistic people who are aged between 16 – 24 with an Education Health and Care Plan, or equivalent, in their final year of education.

You will be required to identify opportunities to develop and grow DFN Project SEARCH programmes across a geographical area with the aim of supporting the organisation to ensure that as many people as need it have access to DFN Project SEARCH programmes.

In addition, you will be required to develop strategies to ensure that the operational programmes in your area are achieving at least the average outcomes expected for young people in our programmes and so you must be committed to continuous improvement.

You will be specifically required to develop strong partnerships and train and support colleagues within your area. You may also be required to support colleagues promoting DFN Project SEARCH in other areas, further European projects as required and contribute to the development of relevant UK focussed materials.

As a Programme Specialist you will be expected to:

• Demonstrate effective project planning and preparation so that each project delivers achieves the highest quality programme possible and outstanding employment outcomes for the interns.
• Establish effective working relationships with schools, colleges, local authorities, employers and the project professional staff to promote the building of excellent, high quality partnerships at each site to ensure the effective running of programmes and promote sustainability in a volatile environment.
• Take an active part in decision making, planning and audit processes of each project
• Ensure that you implement DFN Project SEARCH policy and have a clear understanding of required quality standards and criteria which constitute effective teaching and learning
   

Package Description:

Together we make a difference, develop and learn, and support each other. Every day with us is different, but our mission remains the same: To champion the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support - they are at the heart of everything we do. We stand by them and we work together for change.

Are you creative and passionate about helping individuals develop their skills?

Are you personable and able to coach and develop staff confidence?

Are you driven to help someone reach their potential?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you! Join our therapy team at Inscape House School as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. Our specialist school supports children and young people aged 5 to 19 years with autism spectrum conditions and related social communication difficulties.

Position Details:

Hours: 37.5 per week over 41 weeks (term time)

Salary: £43,753 (Pro-rated from £48,022 FTE)

Location: Inscape House School, Cheadle, Stockport

Reports to: Internal Therapy Lead

Role Overview: Work within a multi-disciplinary team of experienced therapists, advisory teachers, positive behaviour support colleagues, psychologists, and other support team members. Engage in varied activities including assessment, intervention, and monitoring for pupils with autism spectrum conditions, delivering high-quality services to children, young people, and their families.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead clinical supervision and management within the Speech and Language Therapy Team.
• Develop policies and procedures in your area of clinical specialism.
• Manage a caseload of pupils with complex needs, supporting families and carers.
• Conduct initial assessments of pupils' speech, language, and communication skills.
• Develop therapy recommendations at universal, targeted, and specialist levels.
• Provide advice, consultation, and training to pupils, school staff, and families.
• Deliver bespoke support for pupils requiring specialist input.
• Make clinical decisions regarding therapy input and deliver or support others in delivering it.
• Complete referrals to internal and external services as needed.
• Contribute to termly appraisal meetings and service reviews.
• Use data to monitor progress and implement evidence-based intervention strategies.

About You:

• Degree (or equivalent) in Speech & Language Therapy.
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant area.
• Member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists with completion of NQP Goals and Competencies Framework.
• Current registration with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of relevant postgraduate training (e.g., AAC, dysphagia, TEACCH).
• Significant post-qualification experience in various clinical settings.
• Experience working with young people and/or adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision.
• Experience in devising and delivering training and working in a multidisciplinary manner.
• Ability to manage and prioritise your caseload and work autonomously.

Benefits

• Annual Leave 27 day holiday plus 8 days bank holidays rising to 30 after 5 years, 33 days after 10 years
• Generous pension scheme and death in service benefit, up to 7% company pension contributions initially rising with length of service and up to 6 x basic salary death in service benefit.
• Occupational sick pay and family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
• Reward and Discount platform offering discounts at high street shops, travel, insurances etc.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Eligibility to apply for Blue Light card
• Proud to be a real living wage employer
• Refer a friend scheme, be rewarded for recommending a friend to work with us
• Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including apprenticeship qualifications
• Long service awards including cash gifts and extra holiday.
• Promotion of Wellbeing across the organisation including Mental Health First Aiders offering wellbeing support from trained colleague and free weekly yoga session  in person or online
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for you and adults at your home.

Alongside an incredible team of like-minded peers, you’ll be working behind-the-scenes to support our staff, volunteers, families, and supporters. You will be helping our work happen across the charity; enabling us to care for and champion the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support.

Discover the full details of this rewarding role by taking a look at our Job Description. Join us and make a difference!

Applications are very welcome from all regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socio-economic background. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments for disabled people. We positively encourage applications from those with lived experience. 

If there is any part of your lived experience you want to keep confidential in some way please talk to the Recruitment or HR shared service teams and we will do what we can to support you

Flexible home working, with requirement for travel to BDA Office Birmingham twice a month.

Salary £50,755 per annum - full time 36 hours per week (job share will be considered)

Benefits include: 30 days holiday, working flexibly policy, non-contributory healthcare benefits and a company pension scheme.

Deadline for applications:    Friday 23rd May 2025

Interview Date:  Thursday 5th June 2025

We are the British Dietetic Association (BDA). We are an award-winning not-for-profit organisation, based in Birmingham, employing dedicated, dynamic and professional staff who deliver services for our membership of more than 12,000 dietetic professionals.

We are the leading organisation of nutrition professionals in the UK; representing the entire nutrition and dietetic workforce across all sectors. Our vision is to improve the health of the UK population by protecting and improving health and care services, developing health and social care policy, improving the impact of dietetics and promoting positive discussion on food, nutrition, wellbeing and health.

Role details:

The BDA is seeking a new Research Manager to work as part of the Education and Professional Practice Team, leading on the research and impact activities of professional dietetic practice. The role will also provide line management within the team.

The role will support the BDA’s Strategic Plan 2024-34 and lead the growth and delivery of the annual Research Symposium. The role will suit a candidate with a sound understanding and experience of the breadth of dietetic practice and research, and the factors that influence it. Working innovatively the post holder will develop and progress research within dietetic practice, building confidence in the dietetic workforce to be research active.  

 Ideal candidate:

We are looking for somebody who is an expert in research methodologies, and appraisal and is comfortable setting and influencing research strategy.  Ideally we would like somebody who has or is studying for their doctorate in dietetics and experience working in a practice setting would be advantageous. This is a senior internal and external facing role working alongside the Director of Education Practice and Research, and the Education and Practice Managers. The candidate will enjoy supporting colleagues and members to engage and deliver research related projects, and demonstrate impact through evidence-based practice.

In return, we offer exciting opportunities to raise the profile of research, innovate, and build purposeful external stakeholder relationships. The BDA have a collection of small departments who all work closely together and have a ‘one team’ ethos. The role will require somebody who enjoys the challenges that come with delivering and reporting on strategic targets and measuring impact.

For full details of the role, please download and refer to the Job Description.

We would strongly encourage any dietitian interested in the role to contact the BDA for an informal, confidential discussion about this post and opportunities for flexible working. Please refer to our website for contact details.

The job advert is shown on the BDA website, and for discussion about the role, please telephone the Birmingham office number and ask for Najia.

Please note: Only applicants who submit a covering letter will be shortlisted for interview.

TreeHouse School is an Ofsted “Outstanding” SEN School for children and young adults aged 3-19 with a primary diagnosis of autism (most of whom have additional learning, social, emotional, communication, health and care needs). 

Our Ambitious approach ensures that, through our curriculum and delivery, we focus on delivering quality of life outcomes for our children and young people.

We are proud to announce that we have retained Ofsted "Outstanding" (June 2024) in all areas. Please do read our Ofsted reports on our website.

We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate, qualified SEND Teacher to join us on our ambitious journey. Your day to day role will include delivering creative and person-centred lessons to up to 8 learners in a pre-formal class.

We will consider ECT's for this role and welcome both Primary and Secondary teachers to apply.

Why join us?

• Term time only role
• Free healthy breakfast available every day
• Working with Autism/learning disability industry experts across our school and our charity
• Autonomy in your role – You have the freedom to be creativity and get to see first hand our learners progress and achieve their goals and aspirations (as well as your ideas coming to life in the classroom).
• Mental health and wellbeing are at the core of everything we do; The SLT practise “compassionate leadership”.
• Continued professional development and training including a wide range of in house and external training courses.
• Annual staff recognition awards.
• Eye test vouchers, season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme (plus a bike shed outside the school).
• Employee Assistance Programme: to help you balance your work, family, and personal life.
• Access to physiotherapy.
• On-site parking is available

Your role:

• Provide excellent delivery, teaching and course leadership to learners across TreeHouse School.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and young people we support.
• Work with pupils to ensure they receive a service that delivers the outcomes specified in their individualised learning, person-centred plans.
• Prepare and deliver schemes of work, lesson plans, assignments and assessments in line with departmental and awarding body requirements.
• Work collaboratively with allied health professionals as part of a trans-disciplinary team.

Our learners are mostly pre-verbal or use assistive communication systems to make their needs understood and follow different pathways depending on their needs and strengths, these are pre, semi and formal and you can read more on our website.

(Please refer to our JD and FAQ document attached to our website for more details).

Closing date: Sunday 11th of May

Shortlisting date: Monday 12th of May

Interviews date: Monday 19th of May and Friday 23rd of May

Start date: September 2025

Assessment: You will be asked to attend a formal interview (45 minutes - 1 hour) and you will conduct a Micro Teach (20-30 minutes) with a group of pupils. 

Ambitious about Autism is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity andwe warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion

or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification. Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Are you looking for an engaging, fulfilling, and varied role? Young Enterprise is looking for a new Project Manager for a key project running throughout the South West of England on a fixed-term contract until October 2027.

About us

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 90 employees and over 2000 volunteers united by our goal to empower young people to discover, develop, and succeed by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive in work and life.

Through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes, Young Enterprise helps young people build essential skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and financial literacy—preparing them for the modern world.

Since we set up in 1962, we have ensured over 7 million young people had the opportunity to prepare for the world of work and over 1 million young people set up and run their own business.

Why Work for Us?

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. Here’s what you can expect from us:

· People-Focused Culture: A friendly and supportive workplace where we work together to achieve our mission.

· Commitment to Equality and Diversity: We actively promote an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

· Generous Benefits Package: Enjoy a generous holiday allowance, access to an NHS top-up scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, cycle-to-work scheme, and more.

· Mentorship Opportunities: Access to a mentoring scheme with a corporate partner to support your personal and professional development.

· Life Assurance: Group Life Assurance for added peace of mind.

· Pension scheme

We are looking for:

The Project Manager will have strong organisation and project management skills, including budget management and KPI monitoring and reporting. They need to maintain regular communications with stakeholders and be confident in reporting progress, both face to face and in written report form. The ability to develop and maintain extensive positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders is essential to the role.

We are seeking an individual with a solution focussed attitude to problem solving and the ability to balance and prioritise competing demands in a busy function. A successful track record of managing complex projects is essential. An understanding of education and school centred programmes would be a distinct advantage.

Reporting to the South West and South and Mid-Wales Educational Partnerships Regional Manager, this role provides a real opportunity to help drive social mobility in the south west, and to ensure that young people across the region have access to vital skills and attributes for future life and work.

This project has a particular focus on enhancing career readiness for underserved communities across the South West.

The successful applicant will be required to undertake safeguarding training and ensure YE’s safeguarding policy is adhered to at all times.

This is a home-based role which requires the individual to be based within the South West of England.

Keeping Young People Safe:

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment.  In most cases a previous conviction will not prevent you from being great at this role - to find out more please refer to the job description.

At YE we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice.

How to Apply:

If you’re ready to make a real difference to the future of young people in South West of England, we want to hear from you! Please send your CV and a cover letter (no more than two pages) outlining why you are the ideal candidate for this role. Applications must be submitted by 23:30 on 28 May 2025. Please note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Interviews will be conducted via Teams, and we may shortlist and invite candidates to interview before the closing date. While we aim to respond to all applicants, if you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Join us and be part of an organisation that’s shaping the future of young people across the country. Apply today!

We are seeking a proactive and experienced Temporary HR Advisor to support our dynamic and growing organisation. This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity making a genuine impact on the lives of people living with allergic conditions.

In this role, you will play a key part in strengthening our HR foundations during a period of growth and change. Your primary focus will be:

• Recruitment: Managing end-to-end recruitment processes, from drafting job descriptions and advertising roles to shortlisting, interviewing, and onboarding new team members. You’ll ensure an excellent candidate experience and help us attract passionate, talented individuals who share our mission.

• Policy Review: Conducting a comprehensive review of our HR policies and procedures to ensure they are compliant, up-to-date, and aligned with best practice. You’ll work closely with senior managers to recommend updates and support the embedding of refreshed policies across the organisation.

About you:

• You are CIPD-qualified (or equivalent) and have solid experience in recruitment and policy development.

• You have a strong understanding of current UK employment legislation.

• You are highly organised, with excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

• You are confident working independently and can manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Experience within the charity sector would be an advantage, but is not essential.

At Allergy UK, we pride ourselves on creating a positive, inclusive, and supportive working environment. This is your chance to contribute to an organisation that’s transforming awareness, understanding, and care for millions of people across the UK.

Ready to bring your expertise to a cause that matters?
Apply now and join us in making a lasting difference.

We are currently looking for dedicated Immigration Advisers (IAA Level 2) to join our growing team to provide immigration advice and casework to destitute migrants. We will be recruiting on a rolling basis for a number of upcoming roles, one of which is a woman only role, so we welcome applications from women. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss this further.

Praxis Community Projects is a dynamic, award-winning human rights charity supporting migrants in crisis or at- risk, ensuring that their essential human needs are met and that they are able to overcome the barriers they face. We provide legal advice and a range of welfare support including group work. We build community, challenge exclusion and discrimination, influence policy, improve services and inspire solidarity with migrants.

The ideal candidates will have an in-depth knowledge of immigration and asylum law, as well as have a good understanding of the challenges faced by migrants with NRPF and those at risk of homelessness. They will be able to step immediately into a busy advice environment that includes independent outreach.

At Praxis, we work to build community, challenge exclusion and discrimination, influence policy and improve services. We played a leading role in exposing the Windrush scandal and advocate and campaign for lasting changes to policy and practice to address the root causes of the issues faced by at-risk migrants.

Praxis is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourage applications from those with lived experience of migration, and from diverse applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital/civil partnership status, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy/maternity leave status.

Please see our website to find out more about our work.

Our Attractive Benefits Package Includes 

· A 35 hour working week including flexible working hours

· A hybrid work model 

· 25 days annual leave, increasing annually to the maximum 30 days (plus paid Bank Holidays) 

· You can buy up to 5 days annual leave each year 

· A defined contribution pension scheme 

· Our employee assistance programme offers counselling and support for you 24/7. 

· A season ticket loan to help you spread the cost of your commute 

If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Recruitment team who will contact you to discuss how we can help.

For further details, please contact Maria Iglesias Head of Operations and Business Development

To apply, send us your CV and cover letter demonstrating your capabilities in relation to each of the points of the job description marked ‘A’. Where relevant use your answers to illustrate how your competencies have helped you to achieve positive results. This will give you the best possible chance to be shortlisted. Applications will only be accepted with a cover letter.

Interviews: Offered on a rolling basis

Start date: Ranging from immediate to TBD.

Purpose of the role

To develop and deliver Brook’s Education and Wellbeing work with young people, to support and facilitate online training sessions for professionals and Parents, ensuring effective delivery against commissioned contracts as well as programmes that generate additional income for Brook. Bank Staff will facilitate training for adults, parents and carers and may be required to liaise with Social Care and Police, work within multi agency teams and coordinate Safeguarding concerns and referrals.

Essential criteria

• Candidate must have fluent Welsh language skills

• Willingness to travel, including overnight stays and be based in or near Wales. 

• Possession of a UK driving license and access to a car are strongly preferred. 

To learn more about the role and person specification please read the attached 'role specification' which can be found on the application form.

Hours: Part-Time, 0 Hour Contract 

Contract: BANK

Location: Wales

Salary: £12.56 per hour

Closing date: 31/05/2025

Application Tip: Ensure your supporting statement refers to the person specification as this will assist in a successful sift through to the interview stage.
 

About Brook:

Brook is the UK’s leading sexual health and wellbeing charity. We are committed to changing attitudes, challenging prejudice and championing equality. 

Our unique combination of clinical services and education programmes are designed to meet individual needs and instill positive behaviours that influence their whole lives. Our digital solutions help us reach even greater numbers of young people and professionals, and our expansion into all-age services ensures that whole communities can benefit from our inclusive, non-judgmental approach to sexual and reproductive health. 

We are continuously listening to and learning from our service users and the communities we support. We amplify the voices of those who face barriers to access, ensuring that sexual health remains high on the political agenda and that law, policy and practice is aligned with what they need. 

Benefits of working for Brook:

• Annual leave – 28 days per annum, increasing up to 33 days plus 8 bank holidays 
• Sick pay (from 3 up to 12 weeks fully paid) 
• Flexible working 
• Gratitude scheme 
• Assisted purchase scheme 
• Cycle to Work up to £1k 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) 
• Long service awards 
• Maternity and paternity pay 
• Pension scheme – with contributions matched up to a maximum of 4% 
• Training and development opportunities 
• Coaching

Please note - this role requires the successful applicant to undertake an enhanced DBS check. Candidates must be able to provide paperwork demonstrating their right to work in the UK.

Please note: internal applicants with live sanctions will not be considered for this role. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy when we are in receipt of sufficient applications. Should you wish to apply for this post you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible. 

Due to the high number of applications for this post, it will not be possible to respond to every application. We will contact you within 4 weeks of the closing date if you have been shortlisted for the role. 

Thank you for your interest in working for Brook.
 

Brook Safeguarding with Purpose

Working with People Safely. Safe Place, Safe People.

Your new company
You will be joining a dynamic and supportive Education Team dedicated to providing exceptional service to students and staff. The team works collaboratively to ensure smooth processes and high standards in all educational activities.

Your new role
As an Education Assistant, you will provide external-facing support for students and internal support services for other staff. Your responsibilities will include handling emails and phone calls, processing student registrations, assisting with exam preparations, and maintaining accurate database entries. You will play a crucial role in ensuring a high level of customer service and efficient administration throughout the exam cycles. This role is 21 hours, and you can work from home for the role, but the working days will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

What you'll need to succeed
To excel in this role, you will need strong communication and interpersonal skills, excellent time management, and organisational abilities. Proficiency in MS Office packages and other office IT programs is essential. You should be proactive in improving systems, solving problems, and maintaining attention to detail. Previous experience working in exams or education is required. A collaborative and inclusive approach, along with the ability to work accurately under pressure, will be key to your success.

What you'll get in return
You will be part of a committed team that values ethical standards, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The role offers an opportunity to contribute to high-quality educational services and to develop your skills in a supportive environment. You will have the chance to make a real impact on the student experience and work with a diverse group of colleagues.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

About us: Tender works with children and young people to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence through creative projects. Since 2003, Tender’s work has grown and diversified from a single workshop programme delivered to schools, into a broader range of programmes reaching both children and young people and professionals with a safeguarding responsibility such as teachers, youth workers, social care workers and foster carers. Tender’s programmes include Healthy Relationships projects delivered across England, projects delivered using online resources and technology, specialist projects for vulnerable children and young people, whole school and whole setting approaches, and training for professionals with safeguarding responsibility and in workplaces.

About the role: The main purposes of the Projects Coordinator role are:

• Coordinating the administration of all aspects of Tender’s training programmes for adults across the organisation, with a focus on the coordination of our INSET work with schools.
• Supporting the Head of Adult Services and Service Delivery Lead (Adult Services) to manage relationships with Tender’s internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues, workshop leaders, teachers/carers, delivery partners and other service professionals
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of Tender’s training sessions

Success in this role would mean that, after six months, you will have:

• Successfully coordinated the delivery of our adult training sessions in schools and youth settings
• Built good working relationships with the schools and settings we work in, and the facilitators who deliver our work
• Supported and worked flexibly with the Head of Adult Services and other colleagues to ensure the high quality and continued improvement of our work
• Use Tender’s data management systems, such as Microsoft 365 and Salesforce, confidently and in line with Tender’s policies

Essential requirements:

• Level 3 qualification in developing and delivering domestic violence training, or equivalent experience and a willingness to undertake the Level 3 training
• Proficiency in office software, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• Ability to coordinate complex projects involving a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding and equal opportunities
• Ability to manage your own time and priorities to meet the agreed objectives
• Ability to work with colleagues across departments and organisations
• Ability to solve problems, working flexibly and collaboratively

35 hours per week
Remote
£55,000-£60,000 per year
Permanent

Lead the future of inclusive education with RNIB - Apply today to make a difference for children and young people with visual impairment.

RNIB are seeking an Education lead with teacher and QTVI qualifications along with Head of Service experience.

What you'll be doing:
Leading RNIB's education engagement strategy and furthering development in the specialist support to the education sector, through development of training, resources, engagement with Local Authorities and national education bodies.

What you'll need to succeed in this role:
- You'll have experience of managing high-performing, specialist teams

- You'll be comfortable with influencing policy to enhance services for children and young people with vision impairment.

- You'll understand the VI sector, possessing deep knowledge of educational provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) up to age 25, including current practice standards and relevant research

- You'll be able to evidence the full range of aspects of a QTVI role e.g. Braille, exams, 11+ etc

What We Offer
RNIB prides itself on being a great place to work with a positive, progressive culture. We offer a wide range of benefits including 26 days of holiday per year (plus bank holidays) which rises with service, enhanced family friendly benefits, a contributory pension scheme with an employer contribution of up to 11% and a rewards platform with employee discounts across over 800 retailers.

For more information on our available benefits, please visit our .

How to Apply
If you'd like to apply for this opportunity, please apply online, uploading your CV and supporting statement, telling us how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification.

Reporting to: Director of Policy and Engagement 

Direct reports: 1 x Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager and Legislative Lead, 2 x Policy and Public Affairs Officers, 1 x England Policy and Public Affairs Manager 

Location of work: Home-based. The post holder must be easily and quickly commutable to London and will require frequent meetings in London. The role may involve some irregular travel throughout England and Scotland to attend events and meetings.

Contract type: Full-time, 35 hours per week,  flexible hours may be considered. The role may require occasional evening and weekend work 

Contract Length: Permanent 

Salary: £54,500 - £56,500 

BACKGROUND

Our work has never been more needed. The latest research suggesting that the number of children and young people at risk of hunger has rocketed to 2.6 million* means that one in five children don't have enough to eat.When a child is too hungry to learn, when they’re aching for something to eat, they can’t concentrate. They can’t absorb information. Big feelings and worries can be impossible to control. They fall behind in their studies.

Magic Breakfast provide a nutritious and filling breakfast to over 300,000 children and young people every school day. We work with schools in areas of high disadvantage, helping staff target the children most in need without barrier or stigma.  Magic Breakfast are ambitious to grow our impact to remove hunger as a barrier to learning for all children and young people in the UK.

 This is an exciting time to join Magic Breakfast if you wish to make a difference to the lives of children as we work to influence both policy implementation, with the national rollout of primary-aged universal school breakfast, and legislative change, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. There has also been commitment from the Scottish Government for a national breakfast scheme and we are seeking to expand our advocacy work into Wales. Magic Breakfast’s influence will be instrumental to ensuring school breakfasts are implemented in a way that is hunger-focused and barrier free.

In addition, thousands of secondary school children are at risk of losing their free school breakfasts from September next year. For many of these students, this is their only opportunity to have a nutritious meal before facing a demanding school day, including taking exams.  And for the very youngest, we know that the disadvantage gap begins before they even reach reception. With the Government commitment to another 100,000 places in school-based nurseries, early years is also a critical part of our advocacy work.

 Being part of the work of Magic Breakfast is your chance, together with parents, teachers and people across the UK, to demonstrate the power of school breakfasts and to shape the way forward to end morning hunger for good.

*Food Foundation Insecurity Tracker Jan 2025

JOB PURPOSE

The Head of Policy & Public Affairs will review, develop and implement our advocacy strategy and lead a team to influence the devolved legislatures across the UK to address child morning hunger, with a view to the underlying systemic causes of child poverty and hunger, by driving change through policy and legislation. The role operates at our ‘Head of level’ which is the most senior operational specialist level and provides both operational and strategic leadership.

This role will also provide wider leadership across the charity and input into organisational strategy development and planning as part of the Core Management Group. This role will ensure that the Policy and Public Affairs function is aligned to the wider strategic aims and outcomes of Magic Breakfast as well as the internal operational systems and delivery.

The strategic leadership will ensure an external and long term view, with an outward looking and forward thinking approach that builds thought leadership, relationships and partnerships, with positioning to anticipate and build on new opportunities to end child morning hunger for good.

It will require an experienced Policy and Public Affairs professional, with significant experience of high impact and demonstrable outcomes at a senior level in the field. The postholder will lead the policy and public affairs team to influence the Early Adopters Scheme, the national rollout of primary school breakfast provision in England and breakfast legislation in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill (CWB).

They will also develop, guide and lead plans to influence the Scottish government, particularly in the run up to the election in May 2026 and the influencing of manifestos; and will lead Magic Breakfast’s upcoming influencing work in Wales. 

In the external leadership that the role provides they will build relationships with politicians, political influencers, special advisors and civil servants to establish long-term, sustainable solutions to child morning hunger in the UK.

As a compassionate, people centric and inspiring leader they will work to enable their team to grow and develop in their skills ensuring they can step away from the detail whilst retaining accountability, build effective resource management and progression pathways. This role may manage external consultants where necessary, and work collaboratively with external organisations to amplify our voice and asks and strengthen our position as a thought leader. 

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Review and define the advocacy strategy for 25/26 in line both with moving political environment and Magic Breakfast’s influencing agenda, considering the systemic barriers to ending child morning hunger for good.

· Develop and maintain close relationships with the Department for Education and other key departments including Department for Health and Social Care and Treasury, to secure hunger and child focus as key priorities for breakfast provision.

· Develop, monitor and evaluate influencing plans for each devolved nation

· Support the development of influencing plans with coalition groups and organisations to influence school breakfast policy, commitments and implementation

· Review policy positions in Wales and Northern Ireland and define our advocacy approach, gaining external insights and analysing available research and data to shape the plan

· Develop a vision for advocacy beyond current demands, considering political appetite and gaining insight from lived experience communities and relevant sectors, to ensure that we are clear on future asks, and can build the foundation towards them.

· Work with Impact and Insights team to define future research needs to meet our longer-term advocacy plans

· Enhance and establish internal processes and ensure good internal information dissemination 

· Work closely with key internal stakeholders to shape advocacy work and support broader organisational objectives

· Embed learnings and develop a fail fast, learn fast culture in the team

· Coach, support and lead direct reports enabling increased professional development, strategic decision making, proactive project management and robust political influencing

· Contribute to and help shape the work of the Core Management Group to ensure ongoing alignment for in year implementation of the strategic plan and create integrated future year plans which meet organisational goals

· Monitor and review KPIs to monitor and measure both team and cross organisational performance, using the results to guide teams and surface learnings

· Assess areas of risk and escalate where necessary and according to policy

· Develop and monitor annual team budgets

General

• Work collaboratively across the organisation, building good working relations and providing ad-hoc support to other teams and members of staff

• Passion and commitment to Magic Breakfast’s aim of alleviating morning hunger as a barrier to learning for children in the UK.

• Help to maintain a positive working environment; keeping the vision of Magic Breakfast at the heart of everything we do. 

• Share Magic Breakfast’s commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

• Establish and ensure existing Ways of Working are adhered to across team

• Adhere to all Magic Breakfast policies and procedures and ensure that all activity is compliant with current legislation, GDPR, data protection and child safeguarding requirements

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role

 PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

· Strategy development, demonstrating a deep understanding of how to craft, implement, and evolve strategies that align to operational outcomes for the Policy and Advocacy function as well as enabling our organisation strategy in our aim to end child morning for good.

· Stakeholder management and partnership building with extensive experience of engaging, influencing, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including senior political figures, policymakers, funders and sector leaders.

· Ability to confidently and flexibly deal with volatile political environment, anticipating potential developments and adapting to emerging situations to meet aims

· Highly experienced in developing and shaping policy positions, using insights, research and data sets to inform and guide decision-making

· Understanding and experience of the role of the broader external environment to shape policy asks and political influencing, including the implications of a policy ask in one sector on another.

· Experience of influencing key political events such as budgets, national elections and the legislative process.

· Significant experience of coaching, supporting and managing the development of a team, with the ability to make difficult decisions and challenge where needed to deliver the organisational strategy.

Desirable

· Experience of education, food insecurity, child poverty or childcare sectors

Skills and Abilities

• Effective leadership mentality with confidence to step away from the detail and delegate responsibility, enabling others to use judgements, make decisions, learn from failures and continuously improve.

• Analytical and evidence based decision making, with the ability to turn data and analysis into policy and advocacy related recommendations or outcomes for action.

• Effective planning, prioritisation and project management skills. Able to organise self and team to meet planned objectives and strategic direction with the ability to pivot and manage the unexpected.

• Strong, influential and impactful interpersonal and communication skills and to advocate for own specialism, department and Magic Breakfast's mission, effectively conveying the organisation's impact and needs to a wide range of audiences.

• Operational and financial acumen and analysis: understanding and practical application of knowledge as required around funding considerations, budget development and management, risk management, and ensuring systems in place for efficiency by setting and maintaining policy and procedural frameworks.

• An outward looking and forward thinking approach that drives a sense of curiosity, innovation and continuous improvement. Always thinking what can we learn from others, what new developments can be explored and what are the opportunities for the function to improve and grow with others too.

WHAT WE OFFER

At Magic Breakfast we value our employees and work hard to develop offer a supportive, respectful culture which enables everyone to bring their whole self to work.

Please find attached our job pack

APPLICATION PROCCESS

Should you wish to discuss the role before applying please email our People and Culture Team, recruitment @ magicbreakfast. com

Shortlisting - w/c 5th May

Interview 1 - 15th and 16th May

Interview 2 - w/c 21st May

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

Are you an established Policy and Public Affairs Manager, with knowledge of health policy, who enjoys both strategic and hands-on work? If yes, I’d love to hear from you! As Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager you will play a pivotal role in positioning the charity as a key voice in influencing policies to improve cancer education, awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of young people. 

As Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager you’ll have the opportunity to lead the function, and set the future direction, ensuring that the charity’s policy and public affairs activities are data- and insight-driven, centring the voices and experiences of young people, those who have had a cancer diagnosis, and healthcare professionals. A key focus of this work will be to highlight the health inequities and unique challenges faced by young people—particularly those from underserved groups—and ensure these are reflected in policy development.

Your experience:

- In-depth experience in a policy and public affairs related environment, delivering impact and notable change

- Experience working in health policy

- Experience of undertaking research and analysing complex data to support policy development

- Experience of leading projects, including producing plans and working across teams to lead their implementation

You’ll join a fantastic team, with a bright, innovative brand! The team are supportive and go the extra mile to affect change. They are proud to foster an inclusive working environment that champions and uplifts marginalised communities.

- This is a full-time, permanent role

- Flexible working- Core hours between 10am and 4pm.

- Hybrid, London office 2 days a week, 3 days from home.

- Salary £45,000- £50,000

Please apply now for more information! Apply now to avoid disappointment, the organisation will review applications on a rolling basis.

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

Band 7 Counselling / Clinical Psychologist

Reports to: Clinical Lead, Dose of Nature

Job Overview:

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and innovative psychologist to join our warm and friendly team at our Dose of Nature hub in Surrey. Dose of Nature is in an exciting phase as we continue to receive funding to expand our reach, particularly increasing accessibility to our service for clients living in the Waverley area.

We are seeking a psychologist with passion for the natural world and there is great potential for the psychologist to lead on areas in which we seek to develop and expand. The post-holder would be closely supported by the psychology team, as well as the wider team, to do so.

Dose of Nature is a mental health charity whose objective is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of individuals through increased engagement with the natural world. Our work is rooted in a wealth of scientific evidence that demonstrates the physiological and psychological benefits of spending time in nature.  We deliver ‘Nature Prescriptions’ to adults (aged 18+) referred by their GP with a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction.

Our Dose of Nature Prescription is overseen by psychologists and is a genuine alternative to both medication and more traditional psychological interventions. Through a combination of education, first-hand experience, and practical and motivational support, we aim to encourage a greater connection with nature and inspire lifestyle changes that will have a significant and lasting impact on mental wellbeing.  Dose of Nature is a fun, supportive and lively organisation that encourages creativity and independence, as well as a strong sense of working together as a team.

The nature of the role requires occasional evenings and weekends to cover monthly volunteer training evenings and social events as necessitated by the needs of the charity.

Key Responsibilities 

Clinical 

• To carry out psychological assessments of clients referred to the service, to reach a psychological formulation of the client’s difficulties and understand their wider contextual needs, and to support those clients throughout their journey with Dose of Nature, offering ad-hoc support where needed.
• To subsequently pair clients with an appropriate volunteer Nature Guide who then delivers the Dose of Nature Prescription.
• To review clients at the end of their Dose of Nature Prescription and ensure that those clients who would like to and / or need to, maintain connection with Dose of Nature by attending groups, social events, and through ad-hoc support.
• To maintain relationships with GP practices and other referrers, and to inform them of client progress.
• To support the Clinical Lead to offer workshops and presentations to other agencies, professional colleagues and in the wider community.
• To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, staff members and volunteers contributing to a client’s recovery.
• To undertake risk assessment, formulation, and management of clients and to provide advice to the Dose of Nature team on psychological aspects of risk assessment, formulation, and management.
• To actively promote client involvement in their recovery and service development.

Teaching, Training, and Supervision

• To receive and provide regular clinical supervision.
• To gain additional experience and skills relevant to the Dose of Nature model.
• To provide clinical placements for trainee counsellors and / or trainee psychologists where needed and if appropriate, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills and experience to contribute effectively to client recovery, utilising the Dose of Nature model.
• To provide advice, consultation and training to staff and volunteers.

Management, Leadership, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development

• To participate in identifying and implementing the development of a high quality, responsible and accessible service.
• To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit
• To participate in the management of psychological resources available to the team.
• To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee applied psychologists.
• To be involved, as appropriate, in the short listing and interviewing of assistant psychologists
  and other staff.
• To provide effective leadership and management to staff which promotes high performance
  standards both individually and as a team. 

Research and Service Evaluation

• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support practice.
• To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research
• To undertake project management, including service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

This job description sets out the main responsibilities and duties of the post, but is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and the postholder may be required to undertake such other duties and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected of an employee of this grade.