Policy advisor jobs in wembley, greater london

Purpose of the job

 We are seeking a passionate and skilled Communications Officer to play a key role in enhancing both our internal communications and engagement with our network of youth organisations. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, has a talent for storytelling, and understands the importance of clear, effective messaging.

Key responsibilities

Network Communications

• Develop and deliver engaging content for newsletters, emails, and online platforms to keep our network of youth organisations informed and engaged 

• Develop and deliver engaging communications of our programmatic work, along with the creation of communication plans in partnership with our Network Delivery team

• Create compelling stories and case studies that highlight the impact of our work and the achievements of our partners 

• Manage and update communication materials and resources for youth organisations 

• Support in the planning and execution of events, webinars, and campaigns that connect and inspire our network 

• Work with the Communications Manager and Marketing Manager to identify opportunities and case studies for other external audiences

• Understanding of the use various communication methods and channels

• Excellent copy writing skills, ensuring brand guidelines and tone of voice are consistent across all messaging

Internal Communications

• Support the development and delivery of internal communications strategies to ensure staff and key stakeholders are informed and aligned 

• Support CEO with all across organisation communications

• Write and edit internal newsletters, updates, and key messages

• Work closely with different teams to gather and share insights, success stories, and key initiatives

• Develop and manage internal communication platforms and explore innovative ways to enhance engagement. 

Experience

•  At least two years’ experience in communications, marketing, PR, or a related field, ideally within a charity, non-profit, or purpose-driven organisation.

• Experience in writing and creating engaging content for different audiences across newsletters, emails, websites, and social media.

• Familiarity with both internal and external communications, including staff engagement, stakeholder messaging, and storytelling.

• Experience using digital communication tools such as email marketing platforms, CMS, or social media scheduling tools.

• Exposure to event coordination, campaign support, or content creation for events/webinars.

• Experience managing communication materials and ensuring consistency in messaging and branding.

Who we are

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes.

UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. To find more about us and how we make an impact, please visit UK Youth Website.

Why work at UK Youth?

 UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We have influence as a sector-supporting infrastructure body, a direct delivery partner and a campaigner for social change. As outlined in our 2025 #unlockingyouthwork strategy, we believe youth work is a catalyst for change that young people need now more than ever. We play a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment into the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding of how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions.

 We are building a movement of change; galvanising likeminded individuals, organisations, government, and businesses from all sectors, to work together and deliver system change for all young people. Together we will create a society that understands, champions, and delivers effective youth work for all.

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• CycleScheme and TechScheme

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.

Closing date: Wednesday 14th May at 11:59pm (midnight)

Provisional Interview Dates: TBC

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.

Our Adventure Playground Manager plays an integral role within our Children, Young People and Families team, supporting our Head of Service to create inspiring, high quality and child focused youth and play services. The work of the Children, Young People and Families team is diverse, and service includes after-school and weekend adventure play, school play sessions, mentoring, holiday activities and youth leadership programmes.

Tulse Hill Adventure Playground is at the centre of our Children, Young People and Families service, and you will have solid experience working in an Adventure Playground, or similar outdoor setting, as you will hold managerial responsibility of the site and resources ensuring that the environment meets the needs of all the children who use it and to enable children to obtain the full benefit of the playground and its facilities.

As a strong and inspiring manager you will lead a team of play practitioners to deliver a range of dynamic, exciting, and meaningful services, ensuring the children who need them most are supported to play, develop, and thrive. You will take both an ambitious, organised, yet hands on approach to your management of the service - we are a small but dynamic team and truly believe services are best when all are involved, from management to practitioners. You will bring enthusiasm and passion to ensure an exceptional service for the children and young people we work with.

You will champion the role that adventure play services play in supporting children and young people to thrive and be an advocate for partnership working, building relationships with parents, schools and other local organisations, to maximise use of the Adventure Playground and the range of services we provide. A strong understanding of how the service sits within the wider work of the organisation and building strong relationships internally and externally is essential to the role.

You will be joining the organisation at a very exciting time as we are just about to undertake a large scale rebuild of the outdoor adventure play structures which will be completed this summer - creating a new and exciting environment for children and young people to play. This will include a range of challenging play structures, a wildlife garden, growing area and outdoor kitchen, along with a small animal enclosure.

Employee Benefits
• 35 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays and 3 Christmas days) rising by 1 day each year
after 2 years’ service (capped at an additional 8 days)
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave after 2 years’ service
• Save money off a new bike with the Cycle to Work scheme
• Up to 7% contribution to the staff pension scheme
• 24/7 Employee Support Line
• Clear pay structure with yearly increments (based on performance)
• Annual Staff away day
• Premium eye-care vouchers through Specsavers and season ticket loans

Project Background

Come and join our award-winning place-based volunteering programme that works with residents living across Hackney and the City of London.

You will be based out in the community - the programme is based at GP practices - to engage, support and enable local residents and patients to deliver local services for themselves, to meet local needs. We support residents to come together, to share their skills and experience for the benefit of each other, to deliver local groups and activities such as a book group, film club, exercise classes or cooking group. Residents from diverse backgrounds and demographics attend these activities together and make new connections, building strong local communities, all working together to make their area a better place to live. People, many of whom are isolated across all ages, and who have difficult life circumstances, are brought together, providing each other with mutual support and encouragement to develop new skills and pursue life goals, and to feel better able to voice their concerns to services.

You will be joining a nationally recognised project - having won an award from the Royal Society of Public Health in November 2024 - to support residents to fulfil their personal goals, make connections with others, and design activities and services that meet local needs. You will also be supporting people to improve their mental and physical health through signposting them to appropriate services and encouraging them to talk to their GP if they have concerns; and will be working in partnership with GP practice staff to co-create volunteer roles to make the practice more efficient and a better place to visit.

Who are we?

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a medium sized charity (currently 30 staff) based in the London borough of Hackney, working to support local residents to realise their skills and passions through volunteering and social action, and to share these for the benefit of others.

Our mission is to build and strengthen communities across Hackney through supporting residents of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer and build projects together.

In 2021, we were awarded the Freedom of the Borough Award by Hackney Council for our efforts to support residents during COVID, which included mobilising over 2000 volunteers to deliver food, prescriptions and essential items, provide emotional support to isolated residents and support the vaccine rollout. 

We work with hundreds of diverse community organisations and deliver various programmes to help residents share their skills and deliver their own social action projects to improve people’s lives. These include a befriending programme, volunteering brokerage matching local people to volunteer roles based on their skills, interests and goals, a specialist mental health programme, peer research and multiple resident engagement programmes at GP surgeries and estates across Hackney.

Post holders need to be enthusiastic and engaging, bringing energy to the role, be self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, albeit with some support from the team members based at other sites.

LMK (Let Me Know) Youth Leader (Freelance Educator / Youth Worker) 

• Across London boroughs, occasional travel outside London optional 
• £200 per 2 hour workshop 
• Sessional 
• Available for a minimum of one delivery per month, pending workshop demands

About LMK

Good relationships shape our health and happiness, yet we are taught so little about them. LMK is a registered education charity on a mission to change that. We run workshops educating young people about healthy and unhealthy behaviours, so that they can avoid abuse and thrive in relationships. 

Using film and guided discussions, our workshop Leaders support children and young people in honest conversations about relationships and leave them better equipped to spot the early warning signs of abuse, inspiring them to enjoy healthy, fulfilling relationships.  We explore the 10 signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and include practical lessons young people want to learn about (like consent) and practice scenarios in a safe, supportive and non-judgmental environment. 

LMK is a learning organisation and prides itself in supporting leaders to develop their skills. We offer training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, as well as peer-to-peer learning and reflective practice sessions.

About LMK Leaders

LMK Leaders are passionate and organised educators who run community workshops, aimed at young people aged between 11 and 24. Through engaging, relatable workshops, Leaders help young people identify signs of healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours, provide strategies for them to recognise the early warning signs of abuse and give them tools to keep themselves and their friends safe. 

Expectations of LMK Leaders

• Always adhere to LMK and host organisations health & safety and safeguarding practices and procedures. 
• Capable of maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries with young people, peers, and professionals.
• Respond to comms (emails/WhatsApp) sent out by LMK team members in a timely manner, to support planning and organising of sessions.
• Plan and deliver interactive LMK workshops in educational and community settings in line with LMK delivery style and ethos. 
• Meet with co-facilitators to carry out pre-session planning, minimum three working days before delivery.
• Use your experience and knowledge of the issues affecting young people to tailor the workshops accordingly. 
• Ensure all youth participants and the adults in school/community organisations who attend a LMK workshop complete the post session feedback surveys.
• Complete a reflective post session Leader survey after each workshop to support practice and programme development.
• Debrief with LMK’s Programme Development Manager and provide ongoing feedback about your sessions through LMK’s reflective practice processes.
• Accommodate a maximum of two workshop observations by LMK staff/supporters per academic year, designed to bolster our funding and thought leadership strategy.
• Undertake relevant training associated with LMK’s work, including but not restricted to diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, violence against women and girls (VAWG).
• Undertake at least one quality assurance observation per year, completed by an LMK Programme Development Manager, and enhance practice via developmental feedback.
• Continue to learn about and develop your skills on the issues affecting young people’s relationships including domestic violence, abuse, adverse childhood experiences, trauma informed practice, gang culture and grooming, mental health, sexual exploitation, consent, sharing of nudes /sexting, bullying in person and online, tech and online safety, pornography.
• Share your knowledge and expertise by providing feedback and, where requested, co-designing training and educational resources on issues affecting young people and their relationships.
• Mandatory attendance of termly virtual Leader huddles and reflective sessions to remain connected to peers and organisational values, mission, purpose and operational matters.
• Contribute towards and keep up to date with LMK internal/external communications platforms, such as LMK newsletters and social media.
• Engage with LMK’s Youth Advisory Board Members, if and when invited to do so.
• Lead by example and promote healthy relationship behaviours in your own lives/communities and within LMK (team player; acknowledging and working with diversity; being receptive to new ideas and developmental feedback, etc)
• Use your own networks to recruit new schools and youth groups into the programme.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required

• Extensive experience of teaching or working with young people (10 to 24 yrs old) in educational or community settings.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience co-designing, delivering and evaluating group sessions, consisting of minimum of 12 and maximum of 30 participants.
• Experience or co-designing session plans and co-facilitating with others; able to collaborate equally with others.
• A strong commitment to young people and knowledge and understanding of issues affecting their relationships.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills with the ability to create a safe and non-judgmental space, that allows young people to speak freely about their relationships and experience.
• Able to adapt and be flexible in workshops to get the best engagement from a range of participants. 

Must also:

• Be entitled to work in the UK.
• Hold a DBS certificate or be willing to let LMK undertake a check on your behalf. 
• Have a recent safeguarding qualification from a recognised provider or be willing to undertake additional training in this area.
• Be flexible to work non-traditional, after-school and occasional weekend / holiday hours.
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, confidentiality, data protection and reporting concerns to an appropriate person.

LMK values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity. We welcome all applicants from any race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or any other protected characteristic.

We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. Please let us know, by contacting us separately if you need any adjustments or changes to be made during the recruitment process because of a disability or long-term health condition.

You can learn more about how we handle your personal data and your rights by reviewing our privacy notice (see attachements).

Please note:

In-person interviews for this role will take place on 3rd June and a mandatory (paid) 2 day, in-person training will take place on 26th and 27th June. (Both will be held at Central London locations).