People policy officer jobs

The Trust is recruiting a creative and committed Research and Policy Officer to join our team. Reporting to one of the team’s Research and Policy Managers, the successful candidate will play a significant role in developing and preparing the Trust’s research and policy outputs, working across the core areas of the Sutton Trust’s work (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace). This will include helping to produce original, data rich and policy relevant research reports, along with contributing to other Trust research projects. They will also support the policy and advocacy work of the Trust, including performing background research on topics relevant to educational inequality and social mobility as required.

Main duties

• To contribute, with colleagues, to several data-rich research reports accessible to practitioners and policy makers, over the course of the year, as agreed with the Research, Communications and Policy leadership team

• To support the Sutton Trust's programme of research and policy work, including:

  • Providing staff with background research, analysis and data on relevant topics

  • Producing literature reviews

  • Supporting research funding bids

  • Providing administrative support

• Working with Communications colleagues to develop messaging and content for disseminating and publicising reports

• Supporting advocacy work, as required, with MPs' staff, civil servants, special advisers and other policy makers

• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent analytical skills and understanding of research methods, primarily quantitative research, as well as literature/evidence reviews. This should include significant experience of using data analysis software such as SPSS/Stata/R/Python or equivalent

• A qualification in a social science or other numerate discipline, including statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, data science or similar discipline in the social or natural sciences at undergraduate level, or comparable experience

• Two years' experience working in research in a professional or academic environment (e.g., PhD, post-doc)

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• High degree of initiative and the ability to take responsibility for projects

• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit into a busy, small team in a fast-paced policy environment

• Sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage

• Eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Desirable

• Experience of conducting research using adminstrative datasets (e.g., National Pupil Database) or longitudinal datasets (e.g., Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset, Understanding Society, Next Steps)

• Knowledge of one or more of our priority policy areas (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace), and the wider education policy environment in England

• Strong understanding of government and the public policy environment

• Experience working within or an understanding of the not-for-profit sector

• Experience in education (for example, as a teacher or in another front-line educational role), education policy or a closely related field

• A postgraduate qualification in a numerate discipline (see above)

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full-time, permanent

• Salary: £32,000 - £38,000 per annum

• Working location: Minimum of 2 office days per week

• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.

• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events/meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends

• A DBS check may be required

Interviews

Applications should reach us by 5pm, Friday 24th July, with first round interviews held over Zoom on Monday 10th August, and second round interviews held at our London offices on Monday 17th August.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.

Date posted: Monday 6 July 2026

Salary: £94,592 per annum with excellent benefits

Contract type: Permanent, full time or part time

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week. All staff are required to work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

About the Health Foundation

Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity and helps build a stronger society. Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK, and health and care services are struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care.

The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with a mission to build a healthier UK. We work to achieve this by generating high quality research and analysis; developing practical solutions to the biggest problems in health and health services; engaging, convening and building coalitions to build understanding, inform debate and drive action; and developing the long-term capability needed to transform health and care.

Our values

We expect everyone who works with us to be committed to our values and to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. Our values are impact, evidence, integrity, and collaboration. You can read more about them in our five-year strategy. We also expect everyone to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation and to help deliver our EDI Strategy.

About the role

This role is one of three key Deputy Directors in the Health and Care Policy team. The team focuses on shaping the future of the health and care system in the UK to ensure the best care for all, by supporting more evidence-informed policy and decision-making.

You will work alongside the Director of Policy and Research and other senior staff to oversee and manage our large portfolio of work on health and care policy. This will include leading high-quality research and analysis and using evidence to inform policy and decision-making – including through direct engagement with policymakers, events and convening. You will also be directly responsible for overseeing our thematic programme of work on health system reform and neighbourhood health, working with staff in the Health and Care Policy team and other teams across the Foundation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working with the Director of Policy and Research and other senior members of staff to oversee and lead the health and care policy team’s work
• Lead the development and delivery of high quality research and analysis, and communicate our messages to external audiences
• Lead the delivery of our thematic programme of work on health system reform and neighbourhood health
• Build and maintain strong networks with relevant health and social care policy stakeholders
• Be a visible and credible senior leader for our work on health and care policy, setting high standards for the quality, rigour, and impact of our work, and supporting others to meet them

How to apply

Our priority is to find the right individual for each opportunity. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity and invite you to find out more.

If you would like to apply, please submit your CV, and a supporting statement that answers the following application questions:

• Why are you well suited to this role? What leadership skills and experience would you bring to the Senior Leadership Team of the Health Foundation? (max. 300 words)
• What skills and experience do you have in generating and using high quality research and analysis to influence and inform national policy? What experience do you have in leading teams to do this effectively? (max. 400 words)
• Based on your experience, what are some of the key ingredients for effectively using research and analysis to influence policy decisions? (max. 400 words)

Our commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us.

We have identified three key areas to improving diversity. Our aim to achieve a more balanced representation across our organisation, with a particular focus on increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we strongly encourage applications from these groups.

Apply to join our team and let's work towards building a more diverse and inclusive workplace together.

If you require any support through this process, please contact us. Help us work together to make the recruitment process and potential future employment more accessible and enjoyable for you.
 

Closing date: Friday 24th July 2026

Interview date: Week commencing 17th August 2026

This is an exciting opportunity for a new Chief Executive Officer to lead our well-respected rare disease patient organisation through the next phase of growth and impact, in particular focussing on financial sustainability and influencing health policy for these rare diseases.These sit alongside the other grass-roots duties of a small charity CEO, including working with our Medical Advisory Team to develop new and maintain existing patient education resources, and overseeing our support services including volunteers and a professional psychological counselling service. Reporting to and working with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will be responsible for delivering our 2027-2030 Strategic Plan, ensuring robust governance, and driving forward our mission to improve the lives of people affected by rare diseases.The CEO manages the part-time Executive Administrator and works with up to 30 current volunteers (patients, carers, and health professionals) to deliver services with impact.This role includes occasional weekend work, as well as approximately 15 days travel (national and international) per year to represent and advocate for the charities’ beneficiaries. 

Do you believe in the power of communities to shape change?
OCVA is seeking a values-driven Chief Executive to inspire, connect and champion Oxfordshire’s community and voluntary sector.

This is an opportunity to lead a respected local infrastructure organisation at the heart of Oxfordshire’s voluntary and community sector. As Chief Executive of OCVA, you will work alongside a committed Board and a small, passionate team to support charities and community groups, promote and champion volunteering, influence local systems, and ensure the sector’s voice is heard.

You will balance strategic leadership with strong relationships. This includes working closely with local councils, funders and partners, while staying grounded in the realities faced by community organisations. 

We are looking for someone who shares our values, understands the voluntary and community sector, and is motivated by making a meaningful difference. The role is as much about listening, collaboration and trust as it is about income, sustainability and delivery. If our mission resonates and you bring curiosity, integrity and a commitment to inclusive leadership to all that you do then we would love to hear from you.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Yorkshire’s most respected community foundations and help shape the future of giving across Calderdale.

For over 35 years, Community Foundation for Calderdale (CFFC) has connected people who care with causes that matter. We believe local generosity has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities and create opportunities for everyone to thrive.

As an independent charitable funder, we work with individuals, families, businesses and organisations to invest in local charities and community groups tackling some of Calderdale’s biggest challenges. Every year, we distribute more than £2 million in grants to support people and places across the borough. At the same time, we are building our permanent endowment, creating a lasting legacy that will continue supporting local communities for generations to come.

This is what makes CFFC unique. We do not just make a difference today. We create a legacy that will benefit Calderdale in perpetuity.

Following many years of successful leadership from our current Chief Executive Officer, we are seeking an exceptional leader to build on this strong foundation and lead CFFC into its next chapter.

About the role

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring CFFC continues to grow its impact, strengthen partnerships and inspire philanthropy across Calderdale.

You will lead and develop a committed staff team, work closely with Trustees, build trusted relationships with donors, businesses, professional advisers, charities and public sector partners, and ensure the organisation remains financially sustainable, well-governed and ambitious for the future.

You will also act as CFFC’s public ambassador, representing the organisation across Calderdale and beyond, while championing the importance of local giving and community investment.

About you

We are looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader with significant senior leadership experience and the ability to build confidence and credibility with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will demonstrate:

Proven strategic leadership and organisational management experience.

Experience of developing successful partnerships, fundraising, income generation or business development.

Strong financial and governance awareness.

Excellent relationship-building, communication and influencing skills.

Experience of leading and developing high-performing teams.

A genuine commitment to community impact and the values of the voluntary sector.

You may come from a community foundation, charitable trust, grant-making organisation, charity, public sector, social enterprise or a commercial organisation with a strong social purpose.

What we offer

Salary in excess of £60,000, dependent on experience.

Permanent, full-time position.

Flexible and hybrid working, with a regular presence required in Calderdale.

20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, additional Easter Tuesday leave and office closure over the Christmas period, rising to 25 days after five years’ service.

Employer pension contribution, with details available in the candidate information pack.

The opportunity to lead a respected local foundation with a strong legacy, deep local relationships and ambitious plans for the future.

Closing date: 31 July 2026

First round interviews: Week commencing 17 August 2026

Second round interviews: Week commencing 24 August 2026

CFFC is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss any adjustments candidates may need during the recruitment process.

If you are an ambitious leader who wants to build on a strong legacy, inspire local philanthropy and help create lasting change for communities across Calderdale, we would love to hear from you.

Main Purpose of the Post

The Chief Executive will have overall responsibility for all aspects of the day to day running of the RLSS and all its services. This will include management of staff and ensuring the services are meeting the needs of those who require them, in addition to managing finances, membership and external relationships. The post holder will be accountable to and work closely with the Board Chair and its Directors to set the strategic direction and further develop the business model which will serve Religious Life Groups for the future.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership and Governance

· Provide visible, ambitious, and focused leadership of the RLSS.

· Be overall responsible for the management of the RLSS working in conjunction with the Chair and Directors to provide leadership.

· Lead and contribute to the Board’s overall development of the strategy and annual plans to ensure achievement of a One Church approach to applying the Church’s safeguarding standards.

· Ensure risks to the overall objectives of the RLSS are identified, mitigated, and reported to the Board.

· Develop a culture of resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning within the organization to navigate challenges and maintain trust among victims/survivors and members.

· Develop and promote services and practice improvements which are designed to mitigate risk and improve understanding within safeguarding.

· Effectively sustain a culture that consistently meets the needs of and engages with victim/survivors and with Religious.

· Foster and develop a climate of shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement.

· Ensure the RLSS meets it statutory, legal, and regulatory obligations.

· Ensure appropriate presentation and reporting to the Board (and any sub committees and advisory groups) on the progress of the RLSS and on all matters relevant to the discharge of the Board’s responsibilities.

· Oversee all promotional activities, press releases, digital presence, radio, and newspaper interviews.

Staffing & Management.

· Be accountable for the recruitment, retention, ongoing development, and wellbeing of RLSS staff.

· Enthusiastically and effectively, lead, shape, and influence teams to deliver the vision and goals of RLSS to ensure best practice in the delivery of all its safeguarding services. 

· Create a supportive working environment which promotes transparency and collaboration in safeguarding.

· Ensure that high quality people management is embedded across the service and foster a high performing culture with shared accountabilities and continuous improvement. 

· Ensure the effective management and implementation of robust performance management and appraisal processes.

· Provide direction, support, and set clear objectives to immediate line reports.

· Provide or arrange professional supervision to safeguarding case working staff.

· Produce, review and update plans relating to service areas.

· Establish and maintain effective and secure record keeping systems.

· Ensure the management and implementation of regular quality assurance, audit, performance management and reporting, using effective management information systems, ensuring this meets CSSA’s requirements.

Collaboration/Networks.

· Contribute to strategic level initiatives with key partners, particularly the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) and relevant statutory agencies, to ensure joint planning, access to resources and the development of interagency strategies.

· Build strong and dynamic relationships and networks within and outside the Church to deliver better outcomes for Religious in safeguarding.

Policy and Procedure

· Ensure a robust and up to date Policy & Procedure framework approved by the Board is in place including HR, Health and Safety, Data Protection and operational delivery.

· Ensure there is a system in place to review approved policies and procedures to ensure that substantial changes or additions are brought to the Board for decision.

· Undertake operating compliance exercises including annual risk assessments, health and safety checks and reporting on incidents and near misses.

· Ensure

Finance & Resources

· In conjunction with the Board of Directors, develop a long-term funding strategy, including gathering data, completing research, developing models to ensure the service is cost effective.

· Agree and deliver to budget maintaining a reserve level in line with policy and monitor all budgets and provide financial reports to the Board of Directors.

· Be responsible and accountable for all finances and resources within the teams, ensuring value for money, the avoidance of waste, and the efficient and effective use of all resources.

· Ensure the equitable and timely allocation of work, assuring the most appropriate interventions that timescales are being met and appropriate records maintained.

· Be responsible for all contracts, tenancy agreements and leases.

· Have overall responsibility for the security of confidential information, use of computers and database information.

· Well-developed database and Microsoft Office skills.

This a summary of the key activities of the post.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list and the post-holder may be required to perform other duties which are appropriate to the scale and nature of the job role.

Role Requirements

Essential Criteria you need to be able to demonstrate:

Strategic and system leadership

• Experience of working at Chief Executive level in similar size/larger organisation.

• A strong track record leading organisations, setting direction and delivering outcomes

• Resilience and the ability to work under pressure whilst showing consideration to others.

Culture and capability building

• motivating people, driving, and evaluating performance, and building a positive and inclusive culture

Commercial and professional judgement

• Professional knowledge and experience that evidence a strategic and operational understanding of safeguarding

• Management skills including finance, planning, project management and marketing.

• Strong commercial acumen.

• Experience of negotiating and managing contracts.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and competence in using digital technology for service delivery across the organisation.

• A creative thinker, proven leader with a ‘can do’ attitude which is results orientated.

Stakeholder engagement and influence

• Interpersonal and listening skills; an ability to deal sensitively with those in Religious Life, Victims/Survivors public, the vulnerable and their families/representatives.

• Skills in conflict resolution, negotiation and problem solving.

• Experience of reviewing evidence and taking appropriate action where necessary; applying sound judgement, with an attention to detail; maintaining confidentiality and building trust

• Ability to respond, sensitively and fully to complaints.

Desirable Criteria you need to be able to demonstrate:

· Understanding of the way in which faith-based organisations respond effectively/ dysfunctionally to safeguarding issues

· Senior management experience in the charitable sector

Due Diligence – Please note that as part of the safer recruitment process, due diligence including social media checks will be undertaken on appointable candidates.

SANE is a UK-wide mental health charity working to improve the quality of life of anyone affected by mental illness. It aims to raise awareness and understanding of all mental health conditions; fight to improve frontline mental health services for individuals and carers; provide support, information and guidance through SANEline, our Call Back service, email and text support; and promote and host research into causes, treatments and therapies through its Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE research.

We are looking for people interested in providing compassionate support to people affected by mental health problems. This includes supporting people with severe mental illness, and carers, families and friends. In this role you will provide confidential emotional support by telephone, email and text.

This role provides valuable practical experience in providing emotional support to vulnerable people. Working within SANE support services requires a high level of empathy and emotional resilience as well as excellent communication skills. SANE takes take pride in providing a nurturing and supportive environment for both our staff and volunteers. Applications are particularly welcome from individuals with counselling, psychology or therapy qualifications or any other therapeutic disciplines who are committed to providing compassionate mental health support.

Hours: 2-3 days per week which can include weekends, to cover a 7 day service. Shifts generally run from 12-6pm or 12-8pm (some flexibility is available). All work is conducted on-site at SANE’s London office.

Starting Salary: £15.46 per hour

About you:

-      You must have experience of working with people with mental health conditions/mental illnesses and families and carers.

- You are personable, highly compassionate, and genuinely interested in supporting people from all walks of life.

- You are a warm and confident communicator.

- You can collaborate with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service on our Call Back Service.

What can you expect?

- To work within SANE’s framework, including regular check-ins, debriefs, and caller meetings. To receive training specific to your role.

- To become part of an established and diverse team.

- To gain exposure to a wide range of mental health problems.

- To gain valuable practical experience in providing emotional support to vulnerable people.

- A culture where team members support and learn from each other.

- A warm supportive and encouraging environment.

- Access to our staff Employee Assistance programme.

Requirements: 

• To undergo an enhanced DBS check.
• Expected start date – late August 2026.
• For all applicants staff - availability of a minimum of 2 days every week.

Please note: This vacancy may close earlier than advertised if a suitable candidate is found as interviews are being conducted on an ongoing basis. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. 

Closing date: Friday 24th July at 12pm (midday). Interviews will take place in August, although they may begin earlier depending on number and quality of applications received.

To apply: Please read the full Job Description and Person Specification before completing application. Applicants must address all areas on the person specification (Downloadable below) and explain motivation for wanting to work for SANE. Applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

The marketing and communications team is small but mighty. We help people find the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), understand what we do and take the next step, whether that is applying for a programme, booking a workshop, coming to an event, becoming a partner or engaging with our work.

We lead programme recruitment across SSE. That includes campaign planning, email marketing, social media, web content, partner communications and applicant journeys. We also manage SSE’s outbound communications, making sure our messages are clear, timely and joined up across newsletters, press, stakeholder updates, programme promotion and wider brand activity.

It is a creative, varied team where the work moves quickly and no two days feel the same. You will work across the full communications mix, helping us turn ideas, stories and programme information into clear, engaging content that reaches the right people and encourages them to act.

The work is fast-paced, but it is also genuinely rewarding. Good marketing at SSE means more social entrepreneurs hear about the support available to them, more partners understand our impact and more people see the value of social enterprise. We are practical, collaborative and always looking for ways to improve. If you enjoy making things clearer, sharper and more engaging, and you want to see your work make a real difference, this is a brilliant team to be part of.

Join a Values-Led Charity Making a Difference

The Frank Parkinson Yorkshire Trust is a long-established almshouse charity providing high-quality independent living accommodation for older people in Guiseley. Home to 44 residents, our attractive and well-maintained site offers more than housing – it provides a safe, supportive community where people can live independently with dignity and confidence.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate Housing Officer to join our small, dedicated team. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a varied and rewarding role, combining housing management, resident engagement, estate management, and community development.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will lead the day-to-day housing management and estate services across our site. You will build positive relationships with residents, support their wellbeing and independence, ensure homes and communal areas are safe and well managed, and help create a vibrant community environment.

This is a hands-on role suited to someone who enjoys working closely with people, takes pride in delivering excellent services, and can balance resident support with professional housing management responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

· Manage housing applications, allocations, viewings, sign-ups, and empty homes.

· Carry out regular resident visits to support wellbeing, independence, and tenancy sustainability.

· Lead day-to-day estate management activities and property inspections.

· Monitor repairs, contractors, and compliance activities to ensure high standards are maintained.

· Respond effectively to resident enquiries, concerns, complaints, and safeguarding matters.

· Maintain accurate records and support housing, health and safety, and compliance requirements.

· Organise resident events, engagement activities, and community initiatives.

· Build positive relationships with residents, families, contractors, local organisations, and partner agencies.

· Contribute to service improvements and support reporting for senior management and Trustees.

· Provide occasional support outside normal working hours in emergency situations, with time off in lieu provided.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking someone who:

· Has experience in housing, property, community, support, or customer-focused services.

· Enjoys working directly with older people and supporting independent living.

· Has excellent communication, organisational, and problem-solving skills.

· Can work independently while contributing positively to a small team.

· Demonstrates empathy, professionalism, and sound judgement.

· Is confident managing competing priorities and maintaining accurate records.

· Understands the importance of safeguarding, health and safety, and resident wellbeing.

Why Join Us?

At The Frank Parkinson Yorkshire Trust, you’ll be part of a small organisation where your contribution is visible, valued, and genuinely makes a difference.

SANE is a UK-wide mental health charity working to improve the quality of life of anyone affected by mental illness. It aims to raise awareness and understanding of all mental health conditions; fight to improve frontline mental health services for individuals and carers; provide support, information and guidance through SANEline, our Call Back service, email and text support; and promote and host research into causes, treatments and therapies through its Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE research.

We are looking for people interested in providing compassionate support to people affected by mental health problems. This includes supporting people with severe mental illness, and carers, families and friends. In this role you will provide confidential emotional support by telephone, email and text, as well supporting our skilled volunteers through their development and during their weekly shifts.

This role provides valuable practical experience in providing emotional support to vulnerable people. Working within SANE support services requires a high level of empathy and emotional resilience as well as excellent communication skills. SANE takes take pride in providing a nurturing and supportive environment for both our staff and volunteers. Applications are particularly welcome from individuals with counselling, psychology or therapy qualifications or any other therapeutic disciplines who are committed to providing compassionate mental health support.

Hours: 2 to 3 days per week, a mix of afternoon-to-evening shifts & occasional weekend work to cover our 7-day service, with working hours of 2.30-10.30pm. All work is conducted on-site at SANE’s London office.

Starting Salary: £15.46 per hour

About you:

-      You must have experience of working with people with mental health conditions/mental illnesses and families and carers.

- You are personable, highly compassionate, and genuinely interested in supporting people from all walks of life.

- You are a warm and confident communicator.

- You can collaborate with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service on our SANEline Service.

What can you expect?

- To work within SANE’s framework, including regular check-ins, debriefs, and caller meetings. To receive training specific to your role.

- To become part of an established and diverse team.

- To gain exposure to a wide range of mental health problems.

- To gain valuable practical experience in providing emotional support to vulnerable people.

- A culture where team members support and learn from each other.

- A warm supportive and encouraging environment.

- Access to our staff Employee Assistance programme.

Requirements: 

• To undergo an enhanced DBS check.
• Expected start date – late August 2026.
• For all applicants staff - availability of a minimum of 2 days every week.

Please note: This vacancy may close earlier than advertised if a suitable candidate is found as interviews are being conducted on an ongoing basis. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. 

Closing date: Friday 24th July at 12pm (midday). Interviews will take place in August, although they may begin earlier depending on number and quality of applications received.

To apply: Please read the full Job Description and Person Specification before completing application. Applicants must address all areas on the person specification (Downloadable below) and explain motivation for wanting to work for SANE. Applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

Salary: £45000-£49000 p.a DOE

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Reports to: Senior Insight Manager

Direct reports: There is potential for line management responsibility for an Insight Officer to support their development, oversee elements of their work, and help to ensure high standards of research quality and delivery.

Location: Harlow, Essex. Easily commutable from London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale Station. We offer a free minibus service to/from Harlow Town Train Station as well as free parking and EV charging on site.

Extra Information: Open to conversation on hybrid, flexible and compressed working arrangements. The team works a minimum of two days a week from the office.

About the role:

At the Motability Foundation we fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to other charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all.

This role will support the Senior Insight Manager in delivering policy research and insight as part of the new insight function. This role sits at the intersection of research and policy, ensuring that evidence is not only generated, but interpreted and mobilised effectively to inform forward-looking organisational positioning.

What you will be doing:

As Policy Research Manager, you’ll play a central role in building and mobilising the evidence needed to influence policy and public debate on mobility, disability and welfare reform. Working closely with colleagues across Insight, Policy and Public Affairs, you’ll help to ensure that the Foundation has a robust, timely and compelling evidence base to support advocacy, engagement with decision-makers, and external partnerships.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing clear and persuasive evidence narratives that demonstrate the social value and impact of the Foundation’s work, drawing on research, evaluation findings and wider policy evidence
• Scoping, developing and oversight of rapid evidence reviews and insight summaries to inform policy positions, responses to consultations and support external engagement
• Delivering forward-looking policy analyses using futures and foresight approaches (including horizon scanning and trend synthesis), assessing potential implications for disabled people and organisational positioning.
• Acting as the lead for policy-relevant research on welfare reform and related priority areas, synthesising internal and external evidence to inform organisational responses
• Supporting coordination with Motability Operations on shared policy and research priorities
• Supporting relationships with external partners including Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), think tanks and public research bodies, including representing the Foundation to contribute an evidence-informed perspective
• Supporting dissemination and engagement activity, including roundtables, briefings, thought pieces and events that help shape debate and explore innovative policy solutions
• Working collaboratively across the organisation to move our evidence and insight from reactive to proactive, strengthening our influence over time

Your experience:

You’re curious, motivated and motivated by public impact. You enjoy turning complex evidence into clear messages that resonate with different audiences, and you’re keen to see research used to influence real-world decisions. You understand what makes for good enough evidence to influence policy making.

You’re comfortable working across organisational boundaries and with external partners, and you bring energy, judgement and confidence to conversations about policy, evidence and social value.

You’re likely to thrive in this role if you:

• Enjoy synthesising research and data into compelling, accessible insight
• Are motivated by social purpose and improving outcomes for disabled people
• Have a strong interest in public policy
• Have a strong understanding of how evidence can be used to influence decision-making
• Are proactive, organised and able to respond quickly to emerging issues
• Are confident representing an organisation externally and contributing to policy discussions
• Like working collaboratively and building trusted relationships across teams and sectors

If you’re interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience, we'd still encourage you to apply.

Requirements

We recognise that candidates may come from a range of backgrounds. We’re particularly interested in people with strong potential who are keen to develop their skills in a purpose-driven environment.

Must haves:

• Experience conducting or coordinating research, evidence reviews or analysis in a policy, public affairs, research or related setting
• Familiarity with government policy-making processes, consultations and/or parliamentary engagement
• Ability to synthesise complex information into clear, concise written outputs
• Understanding of how research and evidence can be packaged and used effectively to inform or influence public policy
• Experience working with or alongside external organisations such as think tanks, charities, DPOs, academic or public research bodies
• Strong written communication skills and confidence contributing to external briefings, reports or events
• A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification in a social science, public policy or related discipline, or equivalent work experience

Nice to haves:

• Experience working on disability, welfare, transport or social policy issues
• Experience supporting advocacy or public affairs activity using evidence
• Experience designing or managing rapid evidence reviews or insight products
• A recognised professional research qualification such as the MRS Advanced Certificate, or equivalent professional research training.

Benefits

Who are we?

We are building a future where all disabled people have the transport options to make the journeys they choose.

We fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all.

Why choose us?

We want working for the Motability Foundation to be the best career move you’ve ever made. When you join the Motability Foundation you will join a group of people who are supportive, innovative and motivated to improve the lives of our beneficiaries.

We value everyone’s unique qualities and celebrate having a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where everyone feels safe to be their authentic selves. This is embedded into our values, Collaborative, Respectful and Evolving.

We bring our people together through our People Forum, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Forum, Social Squad and our Wellbeing Champions and our employee Spotlight Awards help us recognise the excellence and dedication of our staff.

We are proud to be recognised as Disability Confident Leader, have attained Platinum Level Award for Investors in People and are members of the Business Disability Forum.

A career with Motability Foundation can offer you so much more than earning potential, we pride ourselves in offering some fantastic benefits. Some of these include:

• 26 days annual leave, plus the option to buy/ sell up to five days.
• One wellbeing day for extra flexibility.
• Pension scheme - Up to 20%, including a 10% non-contributory contribution and matched contributions up to 5%.
• Life Assurance of four times your salary.
• Private healthcare through BUPA for you and your family, along with a Medicash Health Plan.
• Employee assistance programme: GP appointments, eye tests, flu vaccinations, sick pay and free gym and yoga sessions.
• Enhanced Parental Leave, including Adoption Pay.
• Free parking, EV charge points and a minibus service to/from the town centre and train station.
• Fresh fruit, breakfast snacks, and a Dress for Your Day dress code.
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, and we aim to be an employer of choice for candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we have committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing and when working with us, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you.

To help us create an inclusive workplace we are committed to offering to interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and in some circumstances, we may need to limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled candidates. re

Martingale Foundation exists to fund and support the next generation of talented researchers. We believe that family income should not be a barrier to the pursuit of excellence, and our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive within world-leading postgraduate research.

Martingale’s flagship programme is the Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship, which supports students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue and excel in postgraduate degrees, by providing:

• A fully-funded Living Wage Scholarship to pursue a one-year masters degree or a four-year PhD.
• All tuition fees and research expenses, including a tax-free stipend for living costs.
• Tailored support to apply for Martingale courses at our partner universities.
• Access to Martingale programmes, including leadership training and connections with top academic and industry professionals.
• Membership of a pioneering community of talented researchers.

About Purposeful Ventures

Martingale Foundation is incubated by Purposeful Ventures who provide operational and strategic support. The Policy Manager will be employed by Purposeful Ventures.

Our vision is of a fairer society where all young people thrive. Purposeful Ventures partners with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to improve the education and well-being of young people from their earliest years.

We define and diagnose the issues affecting children and young people, analyse evidence and explore the most promising solutions. We then select, accelerate and, where we find a gap, incubate organisations which tackle those issues. We offer more than just funding to our charitable organisations. Our expertise, operational experience and networks enable us to deliver tailored, hands-on support with a relentless commitment to system change.

About the role

In the four years since Martingale launched, we have now supported over 200 Scholars to undertake postgraduate degrees across our thirteen partner universities.

As Martingale grows, we are building our policy and advocacy function to shape the future of postgraduate access, affordability and outcomes. We are seeking a rigorous, proactive and collaborative Policy Manager to drive the monitoring, insight and evaluation that underpin our influence, and to support the development and implementation of our policy positions and stakeholder engagement.

Reporting to the Head of Communications and External Engagement, you will lead Martingale’s policy tracking, political intelligence, evidence generation, and evaluation and learning. You will turn a fast-moving external landscape into clear, actionable insight, and produce the evidence, analysis and draft materials that enable the Head and CEO to position Martingale credibly with funders, universities, the sector and government.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role with significant autonomy. You will own workstreams end-to-end, build systems and processes where they do not yet exist, and influence more senior colleagues and stakeholders. You will sit at the centre of a landmark research and policy programme and help deliver a campaign to implement the recommendations from Martingale’s major HESA-based research partnership, making the case that talent, not background, should determine who progresses to and thrives in postgraduate study.

Please download the full job description on the Purposeful Ventures website.

Key Responsibilities:

You will lead on monitoring and insight, and on evaluation and learning. You will support the Head of Communications and External Engagement on policy position development; consultations, briefings and submissions; and policy and stakeholder engagement and convening.

Monitoring and Insight

• Lead Martingale’s policy tracking and horizon scanning across legislative and regulatory developments, research funding policy, labour market and skills policy, and higher education sector developments relevant to postgraduate access, affordability and outcomes.
• Gather and synthesise political insights to anticipate risks and opportunities, briefing the Head and CEO on what is changing, why it matters to Martingale, and how we should respond.
• Lead the generation of evidence - coordinating, analysing and interpreting data and research (including Martingale’s HESA-based research and partner analysis) to underpin our policy positions and external narrative.
• Build and maintain trackers, briefings and knowledge systems that make insights from across government and higher education accessible, timely and actionable across the team.

Evaluation and Learning

• Lead the monitoring and evaluation of Martingale’s policy and advocacy activity, defining what success looks like and setting clear measures to track progress against our objectives.
• Establish and run learning cycles that capture what is and is not working, feeding insight back into strategy, planning and delivery.
• Own evaluation tools and reporting, ensuring activity is measured against clear objectives and that impact is demonstrable to colleagues, the Board and funders.
• Coordinate with the Programmes Team to leverage lessons and insights from our engagement with scholars to shape our policy work.

Policy Position Development

• Support the Head in developing Martingale’s policy positions for both government and higher education stakeholders, translating evidence into clear, credible and mission-aligned policy asks.
• Draft and refine policy content, ensuring positions are intellectually rigorous, well-evidenced and consistent with Martingale’s voice and values.

Consultations, Briefings and Submissions

• Draft consultation responses, briefings, submissions and other policy materials for the Head and CEO to own and represent in external forums.
• Coordinate inputs across the team and with partners to deliver high-quality, accurate and timely products to deadline.
• Help ensure Martingale’s policy activity complies with charity law and Charity Commission guidance on campaigning and political activity, escalating issues as appropriate.

Policy and Stakeholder Engagement and Convening

• Manage the planning and delivery of Martingale’s stakeholder engagement, including roundtables and convenings.
• Maintain the stakeholder engagement register, tracking relationships, mapping sector and geographic coverage, and identifying gaps and opportunities.
• Build and steward day-to-day relationships with stakeholders across government, academia, research councils, funders, learned societies and partner organisations to advocate for our mission, escalating to the Head and CEO where appropriate.

Ways of working

• Work closely with the Head of Communications and External Engagement, providing the monitoring, insight, evidence, drafting and evaluation that underpin Martingale’s external positioning and influence.
• Collaborate across the communications, partnerships and programme teams, and with delivery and research partners, creating shared understanding of priorities, timelines and dependencies.
• Manage resources and any project budgets responsibly and use evidence and learning to improve practice over time.
• Carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the role as requested by the line manager.

Key Requirements:

Experience and skills

Essential

• Demonstrable experience in policy, public affairs, research or analysis, ideally within a mission-driven organisation.
• Strong understanding of the UK education, social mobility and/or research funding landscape, including the roles of bodies and organisations such as UKRI, Universities UK, Department for Education and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
• Excellent research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise complex policy and evidence into clear, accessible insight.
• Outstanding written communication, with the ability to produce high-quality briefings, consultation responses and policy materials for senior and external audiences.
• The ability to distil complex topics into compelling arguments for a range of audiences.
• Proven ability to own and deliver multiple workstreams to deadline, creating plans, systems and processes where they do not yet exist.
• Experience monitoring and evaluating activity and using evidence and learning to improve practice.
• Ability to build and manage relationships with external stakeholders, and to brief and influence more senior colleagues.
• Advanced IT proficiency: spreadsheets, word processing, CRM or databases such as Beacon, email, web-based applications.

Desirable

• Experience of horizon scanning, political monitoring or intelligence-gathering.
• Familiarity with higher education or research organisations, and/or with postgraduate, doctoral or research-focused study.
• Understanding of industrial strategy, labour market and skills policy
• Familiarity with Charity Commission guidance on campaigning and political activity for charities.
• Experience delivering policy or research work in a startup or scale-up environment.

Personal Characteristics

• Excellent interpersonal skills: able to build rapport and trusting relationships, and to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
• A commitment to Martingale’s mission to support postgraduate students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Comfortable working in a rapidly growing and changing organisation with a degree of ambiguity – confident to create processes and ways forward where they might not yet exist.
• Curious, rigorous and detail-oriented, with sound judgement about what matters and why.
• Resourceful, able to act on initiative, hardworking, and systematic.

Job purpose:

 The postholder will provide public affairs and policy support for the Association’s Advocacy and Campaigns programme as key elements in the Association’s strategic plan.

This role is based at our head office in 21 Portland Place, London. We offer a hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week.

Key responsibilities:

•  Assist the organisation with developing its external voice by responding to policy developments and parliamentary opportunities, bringing together members’ views, evidence and information.
• Monitor relevant parliamentary business and produce short summaries of events where appropriate.
• Track the progress of relevant legislation, committee inquiries and consultations.
• Develop briefings and position statements setting out the Association’s views on issues relevant to membership, that support the advocacy and campaigns work and topical issues.
• Prepare briefings in advance of, and attend, where appropriate, meetings with key stakeholders and organise meetings when required.
• Assist with the developing and updating of stakeholder maps and spreadsheets.
• Assist with the development of campaigns by carrying out research and producing supporting briefings.
• Support the Head of Public Affairs and Policy with producing responses to consultations and policy developments, following up on finalised responses and taking forward related actions.
• Produce statements, latest news updates and contributions to the Association’s publications that promote the policy, advocacy and campaigns work.
• Encourage member engagement on relevant policy issues and campaigns via the Association’s website and other online and offline communication tools.
• Build strategic relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external, to facilitate collaborative working on priority campaign areas.
• Work with the Digital Content Team to make sure the website and social media are kept up to date with current policy developments and announcements

Operational management

• To work on individual projects, reports, events and publications within the Association as directed by the Head of Public Affairs and Policy.
• Maintain and improve your own competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practice as described in the Staff Handbook.
• Support and promote the Association’s commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.

This job description is intended to reflect the main duties and responsibilities of the post and is not an exhaustive list of duties. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties which are commensurate with the role.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge and experience

Essential

Educated to degree level or equivalent (e.g. relevant professional qualifications and/or vocational training).

Excellent oral communication skills and written communications skills, with particular emphasis on attention to detail (spelling and grammar).

Experience of writing policy statements and briefings and articulating these clearly to decision-makers and stakeholders.

Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of people including staff, Board, Council, members, stakeholders from other organisations.

Strong time management skills including an ability to manage competing requests and an ability to prioritise.

Well-developed IT skills, including the Microsoft Office suite of products.

Demonstrable experience in parliamentary affairs and an excellent knowledge of the UK political landscape.

Desirable

An understanding of current policy issues affecting the health sector.

Experience of working in a membership organisation.

Experience of working in a political environment.

Strategic thinking and interest in contributing to innovation and change.

Experience of engaging with political monitoring organisations and database management.

Digital copywriting skills and experience of writing for web or social media, and content management systems.

Applications close on 31 July and interviews will take place on 11 August.

Charity People is delighted to be partnering once again with Maudsley Charity to recruit an External Affairs and Influencing Manager.

A hugely exciting new role within the Communications team at the charity, the postholder will work across media, external affairs and influencing to engage with key stakeholders, boost the charity's profile, and promote learning and adoption of the solutions the organisation funds. You will be responsible for sharing evidence and learning in order to influence the people who fund, adopt and commission mental health care and services, and will work closely with the CEO to increase engagement with policy work which the Maudsley Charity undertakes through it's work in coalitions.

External Affairs and Influencing Manager
Contract: Full time, permanent role
Salary: £48,000 per annum
Location: Hybrid role between home and London office, with two days per week in the Denmark Hill office
Closing date for applications: 9am on Tuesday 28th July

First round interviews will be held remotely on: Thursday 13th August
Second round interviews will be held in person on: Thursday 20th and Friday 21st August

About Maudsley Charity

Maudsley Charity funds and supports clinical, academic, and community partners to ensure that everyone experiencing mental illness can access the right care, while using insights from their work to drive wider improvements across the UK.

Recognising the profound impact of mental illness and the inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes - particularly those linked to social deprivation and racism - the organisation focusses on addressing gaps in care.

With an approach that combines evidence, lived experience, and a commitment to equity, the organisation backs impactful, evidence-based solutions, ensuring services are shaped by real-world insight, and prioritising support for those most underserved to drive improvements that benefit all.

About the role

This is a core role within the organisation's influencing strategy, and your primary responsibilities will include:

External Affairs & Influencing:

• Develop and deliver influencing plans to promote adoption of effective mental health care initiatives being funded by the charity
• Develop productive relationships with key stakeholders (journalists, NHS trust leaders, ICBs, ICSs, VCSE orgs) to gather intelligence and shape strategy to inform the charity's positioning
• Lead the charity's thought leadership development providing strategic advice to senior leadership on political, NHS and mental health policy developments
• Strengthen the charity's role in mental health policy and advocacy coalitions, by contributing to collaborative advocacy, media and communications outputs
• Lead the charity's response to government mental health care consultations and calls for evidence
• Monitor funder sector trends and conversations, and actively seek out opportunities for the charity to strategically engage and influence by sharing learning from its grant making practice

Media management

• Develop and implement integrated external affairs campaigns that support the charity's influencing work
• Create persuasive materials, including press releases, op-eds, spokespeople briefings, comment pieces, and digital content and pitch to relevant outlets
• Maintain and grow relationships with journalists, broadcasters and sector media to secure relevant high-quality coverage of the charity's activities, grant holders and their projects
• Act as first point of contact for media enquiries, managing proactive and reactive press activity
• This role is expected to grow and develop and the postholder will be fully supported from across the organisation as the position evolves, within an organisation that offers a friendly, values led culture.

We would love to hear from individuals with the following skills and experience:

• Demonstrable track record of developing and implementing successful influencing strategies in the mental health sector
• Experience of stakeholder management within mental health care, including NHS Trust leaders, Integrated Care Boards, commissioners and senior clinicians, and with academics and researchers
• Strong experience in media relations, including briefing senior spokespeople, drafting press releases, media handling, and securing media coverage with a good understanding of the needs and expectations of different outlets and publications
• Keen understanding of the NHS, mental health policy landscape, and the related environment, key stakeholders and sector drivers
• Understanding of the key components and considerations of successful external affairs media and influencing
• Understanding of the sensitivities around mental illness, including working in an empathetic manner with people with lived experience
• Understanding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles and a commitment to apply them in your work and as an organisation
• Influencing skills including confidence and credibility in working with stakeholders,
• Communication skills and the ability to produce clear and effective communications and the ability to confidently and accurately represent the organisation externally
• Written and editorial skills including the ability to craft narratives for different external audiences and communicate the charity's work in press releases, articles, policy briefs

How to apply

Maudsley Charity is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourages applications from underrepresented backgrounds. We welcome applications from non-graduates.

Applications are managed via Charity People and involve a structured, anonymised process focusing on your experience and potential. Please send your CV to Alice at Charity People in the first instance.

Please see full job pack and job description attached.

There is also an optional 'Ask Us Anything' Webinar via Zoom on Thursday 16th July at 12.30pm where the Maudsley staff will answer questions. Please get in touch with Reception at Charity People if you'd like to register for this and they will send you the link. Please submit questions in advance to reception at Charity People before 9am on Wednesday 15th July 2026 in order that we can ensure all of your queries are answered.

Equal Opportunities monitoring

We ask that applicants complete our DEI monitoring form when submitting their CV for this role.

Maudsley Charity is an equal opportunities employer, and makes no discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex. Specifically, we will also oppose unfair discrimination of those with mental health issues.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.