Media And Public Affairs Assistant Jobs in Holborn, Greater London
Job Title: Policy and Public Affairs Assistant (UK/England)
Directorate: Strategy and Knowledge
Team/Department (if specific): Policy and Public Affairs
Salary range: £21,840 to £22,362 (starting at the bottom of the range) Plus £3,366 London weighting
Location: London (hybrid working, with at least one day- Tuesday- in the office). The post holder will occasionally be expected to travel to locations across the UK.
Working hours: 35 hours (flexible working may be considered)
Context and Background
The NSPCC's vision is that together, we can stop child abuse and neglect. Through the collective power of our staff, volunteers, supporters, partners, and over 100 years of experience we will move closer to achieving that vision.
We launched our ten-year strategy in 2021, which is centred around three impact goals. This is the difference we want to make by 2031:
1. Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse: we'll work together to make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect.
2. Every child is safe online: together, we'll transform the online world, so it's safe for every child to go online.
3. Children feel safe, listened to and supported: more children will be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and understood - and abuse doesn't shape their future.
The Policy and Public Affairs team works across the four nations of the UK to influence legislation, policy and practice to ensure they are as effective as possible in keeping children safe. We focus on policy priorities through our five core workstreams: the child protection system and children's social care; early years and health; child sexual abuse; online safety; and young victims and witnesses. You will have the opportunity to work across a range of different policy areas.
We are recruiting a Policy and Public Affairs Assistant to support the work of the Policy and Public Affairs team in delivering real change and reform in the best interests of children.
The post holder will work in the UK/England part of the Policy and Affairs Team focussed on influencing the Westminster Government. The role involves a variety of responsibilities including assisting the team with parliamentary monitoring, policy analysis, organising meetings and events including with parliamentarians. This is a great opportunity to develop policy and public affairs skills as part of a high-performing, award-winning team.
The post holder will also support colleagues from across the UK by collaborating on one or more of our workstreams. You will support with project delivery, research into specific policy issues, as well as communication with internal and external contacts.
Job purpose
The Policy and Public Affairs Assistant (UK/England) will be responsible for undertaking a range of advocacy work to achieve the NSPCC's strategic goals. This will include supporting policy analysis and development, policy research and public affairs and influencing activities. The postholder will use their skills and experience to strengthen the NSPCC's impact on public policy and legislation, and in doing so make a significant contribution to keeping children safe.
Key relationships - Internal
· Reports to Policy and Public Affairs Manager in England
· Colleagues in the wider Policy and Public Affairs team across the UK
· Colleagues in the Strategy and Knowledge Directorate including peers in the Assistants' Forum
· Colleagues in the Media and Campaigns teams
· Colleagues in the Services directorate (to ensure policy development is informed by experiences and learning from our frontline professionals/ volunteers)
· Colleagues in the Participation Unit (to ensure the involvement of young people in policy and influencing work)
Key relationships - External
· Key civil servants and policy advisers in the UK Government
· MPs and Peers in the UK Parliament
· Colleagues in relevant voluntary and statutory agencies
· Practitioner bodies
· Key academics, researchers and research networks
Main duties and responsibilities
· Conduct desk research to scope public policy positions on a range of key issues. Develop and maintain a good understanding of key policy developments and provide advice and/or information to colleagues about the possible impact of such developments
· Summarise policy documents, research reports and parliamentary debates for members of the Policy and Public Affairs team in England, across the UK and other relevant colleagues within the NSPCC.
· Support the drafting of responses to government consultations, policy briefings and other public policy initiatives.
· Monitor relevant parliamentary activity and ensure that Policy and Public Affairs colleagues are kept up to date with developments in the field of child protection.
· Provide the Policy and Public Affairs team with administrative support, including ensuring financial processes are completed in a timely way
· Support with the organisation and smooth running of meetings and events, including taking minutes
· Coordinate and support the work of one or more of the Policy and Public Affairs team workstreams to ensure maximum four nations collaboration.
· Represent the NSPCC with colleagues at meetings with external stakeholders. This may include deputising for more senior colleagues on occasion.
· Support the delivery of influencing campaigns, help organise our communication with key stakeholders in a well-planned, clear, and effective manner.
Responsibilities for all Staff within the Strategy and Knowledge Directorate
There is a set of responsibilities for all staff within each directorate.
· A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
· To carry out the responsibilities of the post in a manner consistent with promoting equality and diversity, and which demonstrates respect for children's rights.
· To participate actively in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions.
· To maintain an awareness of own and other's health and safety and comply with the NSPCC's Health and Safety policy and procedures.
· A willingness to take a flexible approach to work.
Person specification
1) Strong support for the NSPCC's mission and values.
2) Ability to collect data/ information from various sources, analyse findings and present them clearly and accurately in a way that meets desired outcomes.
3) Strong written skills, the ability to write clearly, concisely and persuasively in a variety of formats and for a variety of audiences.
4) Well-developed verbal communication skills to deal effectively, efficiently and appropriately with internal and external stakeholders.
5) Ability to work on own initiative and be proactive in developing and delivering projects.
6) Confidence in working as part of a team, with experience of working collaboratively with colleagues to help ensure the successful delivery of projects, being flexible where required.
7) Strong organisational and administrative skills, including maintaining information and contact systems.
8) Strong IT skills, with the ability to accurately proof-read and complete basic editing tasks on documents and materials prior to publication.
9) Experience or demonstrable interest in policy, public affairs, and political developments relevant to the NSPCC.
10) Some knowledge of UK parliamentary processes.
Safer Recruitment
As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.
Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.
The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.
Our principles:
Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.
• Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.
• We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.
• Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.
• As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18's joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.
• All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.