Are you interested in improving the lives of people with a learning disability? Can you turn complex ideas into evidence-based policy? Are you a skilled communicator able to influence decision-makers? If so, we would love to hear from you!
We are currently looking for a Policy Specialist to join Mencap. This position sits within the Policy and Public Affairs teams of Mencap’s Campaigns, Advocacy and Activism Directorate (CAA). You will work closely with our influencing, information and advice, campaigning, and research work, as well as sector partners.
This is an exciting new role to deliver policy change and enhance the rights of people with a learning disability. At a key time to influence health reform, we are seeking a policy specialist to shape policy work that reflects the needs and experiences of people with a learning disability and their families. Working within the policy team, you will be responsible for developing evidence-based policy work and influencing decision-makers.
This is a 4-day a week position (30 hours per week). We are flexible with your work location, but there may be some occasional travel needed to our London office or Westminster.
You will:
You will bring to this role:
If you're passionate about driving meaningful change for people with a learning disability and you're ready to use your policy expertise to make a real impact, please apply now with an up-to-date CV. Applications close on Tuesday 1st September, 2026. Interviews are scheduled to take place via Microsoft Teams during the week commencing 7th September 2026.
- Translate complex work into clear and persuasive policy briefings, consultation responses and reports.
- Work within wider coalitions of charities, building collaborative relationships and ensuring that the needs and priorities of our community are addressed.
- Develop and expand Mencap’s ‘Policy Shapers’ work, ensuring our work reflects the health needs and experiences of people with a learning disability and their families.
- Support our information and advice team, briefing them on important developments, inputting into casework discussions relevant to your areas of work, and supporting the creation of public information resources.
- Represent Mencap at meetings and events, with MPs, civil servants, and sector partners.
- Identify and analyse relevant research to develop evidence-based policy recommendations.
- Experience of working on health policy issues.
- Strong communication skills: experience tailoring your messaging to a variety of different audiences and representing an organisation.
- Experience building positive relationships and working collaboratively to achieve outcomes; able to positively challenge, negotiate and compromise.
- The ability to work on your own initiative while contributing to team priorities and sustain enthusiasm under pressure.
- Experience analysing evidence to develop recommendations.
- Knowledge of the health issues facing people with a learning disability, as well as the health and wider parliamentary system.
- Passion about making the world a better place for people with a learning disability.
Benefits
Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.
Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.
For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!
About Mencap
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.
We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.
At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.
Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.
· Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.
We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.
We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Empower individuals with learning disabilities and autism to reach their full potential and lead the lives they choose.
Thank you!
Introduction
Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants.
IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.
IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration
Applications are welcome from internal and external candidates. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process. For the purpose of this vacancy, internal and internal-equivalent candidates are considered as first-tier candidates.
Organizational Context and Scope
Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM) and direct supervision of Head of Liaison and Project Support Unit, and working collaboratively with colleagues across the Country Office and the wider organisation, the Senior External Relations Associate will be responsible and accountable for supporting the implementation of engagement activities with governmental and parliamentary stakeholders, international financial institutions, think tanks, as well as other key counterparts. This includes assisting with information gathering, preparation of materials, logistical arrangements, and follow-up to help the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a trusted advisor on migration-related issues and to contribute to building understanding and support for IOM’s work.
For more details about the role and how to apply, please vist our website: https://unitedkingdom.iom.int/careers
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Thank you!
Citizens UK
Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.
Living Wage Foundation
The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which saw the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.
Still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to make sure the voices of both workers and businesses are part of the Living Wage movement. We now work with over 16,000 employers, benefitting over 475,000 people and winning over £3bn of better wages for people who need it most.
Citizens UK works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take the same deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty. As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions in order to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies.
Purpose
At Citizens UK, our organisers and project staff work within communities to develop leaders, strengthen organisations, campaign for change and organise across difference. There are various project roles and operational, communication, finance and HR roles that support the organisation and project staff and organisers to deliver on this mission and work. This work is rewarding and can be challenging; it requires a personal commitment to inclusion, a willingness to listen and disagree respectfully, and an interest in working in an organisation where our staff, member institutions and leaders will come from a diversity of backgrounds and often hold views that may be very different from our own. More information about how we operate within this context and build trusted relationships across difference can be found on our website and is covered in induction. Onboarding and navigating this relational culture, and type of work, is supported by line managers and further training.
Main Responsibilities
We are looking for highly motivated and organised individual to coordinate our accreditation scheme. The role will work with our network of employers, and support new organisations through the accreditation process.
The Programme Officer will lead our work across the South West and support our managers to grow and deepen engagement with Living Wage Employers through our associated schemes. You will help to ensure our resources and publicity materials are well written and up-to-date, and to coordinate events to grow our employer network.
Working as the Programme Officer for Citizens UK, reporting to a Programme Manager, your main responsibilities will include:
Contribute towards the achievement of CUK and LWF’s strategic objectives
Understand how the role contributes to LWF’s purpose and the core mission of CUK
Reliably implement CUK’s and LWF’s policies, procedures, and values in own work
Work with CUK community organisers and leaders to promote civic engagement with and ownership of the Living Wage campaign
Feed into the LWF strategy and objectives development
Living Wage Accreditation
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Support key contacts at potential LW Employers through the accreditation process, from dealing with initial enquiries to guiding them through the employer journey, to checking and processing their accreditation
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Develop rewarding relationships with key employers, industry, and campaign partners within our networks to build interest in the Living Wage and deliver a high-quality experience to our accredited employers
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With support from the wider team, develop plans and strategies to grow the number of accreditations in specific regions or industries
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Collate and disseminate Living Wage criteria and policy issues through both internal and external facing guidance, whilst reviewing and monitoring its suitability
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Support the development and implementation of projects to promote and grow Living Wage accreditations and develop the quality of service offered
Build and manage projects and achieve work targets effectively
Successfully progress projects and tasks incl. tracking performance and expenditure
Deliver agreed areas of the LWF’s work plan and leading on agenda items to report into team meetings.
Support the growth and development of new and existing Living Wage schemes incl. Recognised Service Providers, LW Funders, LW Places, Living Hours, Global Living Wage and Living Work Consultancy
Deliver personal work targets on time and to standard:
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Respond to telephone and web-based enquiries by providing advice and support to employers and supporters
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Provide administrative support for all aspects of the accreditation journey, incl. processing accreditations, recognitions, and renewals
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Maintain LWF data on systems, incl. Salesforce employer database
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Support the maintenance of our systems to ensure efficient processes and develop reporting mechanisms for effective monitoring and evaluation of our impact and progress against plans
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Coordinate and administrate Steering, Advisory or Leadership Groups as required, incl. coordinating agendas, sending out timely papers, taking minutes and following up on actions
Learning & expertise
Keep abreast of new developments in the accreditation space
Apply new learning to work and respond effectively to feedback
Work collaboratively with the LWF and franchise teams to share learnings and experience and ensure that we are meeting the expectations of our network and stakeholders
Develop and manage external relationships
Effectively develop and support a range of external relationships
Respond effectively to queries or requests from stakeholders
Engage with a diverse range of external stakeholders to support and develop projects as required
Communications
Communicate effectively within the LWF; ensuring that messages are reliably passed to those who need to know
Represent the LWF coherently in writing and verbally
Events and Communications
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Plan and organise events to celebrate and grow our network of LW Employers, incl. playing an active role in the delivery of LW Week and assisting colleagues with event logistics
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Represent and speak on behalf of the LWF at internal and external meetings and events
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Develop or feed into employer resources incl. marketing materials, blogs, reports, templates, and guides
Develop and manage internal relationships
Work effectively with colleagues across Citizens UK
Work collaboratively within the LWF team and actively participate in the team to ensure we meet the expectations of our network and stakeholders
Generate income and resources
Contribute to plans and proposals to grow sources of income/resource.
Take personal responsibility for the careful stewardship of LWF’s resources
Personal Specification
(D) Desirable, (E) Essential
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in any subject (D)
Subject of relevance to community work or community organising (D)
Experience
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Comprehensive experience in an administrative role (E)
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Experience of building positive relationships (E)
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Experience of managing and updating Salesforce or similar databases (D)
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Experience of delivering a range of high quality communications materials, including websites, reports, newsletters (D)
Key skills and knowledge
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Excellent time management skills with the ability to juggle a wide range of competing demands (E)
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Understanding of database and systems management (E)
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Ability to take in and interpret information and present in a succinct manner(E)
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Excellent communication skills, both verbally and written, combined with the ability to liaise with senior stakeholders, both online and in-person (E)
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Ability to act on own initiative to introduce and develop new systems as appropriate (E)
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Strong attention to detail (E)
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Strong IT skills to include MS Office and database software (E)
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Understanding of the policy and campaign landscape in the UK (D)
Personal qualities & values
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A proactive approach to all areas of work with a ‘can do’ attitude and a flexible approach to work demands (E)
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A strong commitment to the Living Wage campaign and principles of Citizens UK (E)
About the application process
We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.
For questions and reasonable adjustments regarding your application including information in a different format, or our recruitment process, please email us.
Interviews will be in person in the South West region, week commencing 28th September 2026.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We’re the movement at the heart of fairer, better work. Fair pay, secure hours & enough to live on in retirement.
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