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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
London - Hybrid working with 2 days a week from the London Bridge office
We are looking for an experienced Policy and Public Affairs Manager to lead our policy and campaigning work.
Whizz Kidz: the facts
Over 75,000 young people aren’t getting the wheelchair or support that fully meets their needs. Without the ability to be independent young wheelchair users are restricted in their ability to socialise and participate in society.
We’re here to change that.
As the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users (9 months - 25 years old), we empower young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society.
And we won’t stop until they are mobile, enabled and included.
Our vision
A society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.
Our values
We are young people focused, ambitious, collaborative and inclusive.
Job Summary
You will have a strong understanding of the UK political system and how to influence it, and will be confident in drafting reports, consultation responses and working with and disseminating data. Ideally, you will have worked within the youth policy or disability policy sector previously and will have strong knowledge of how to influence policy at local and national level (including devolved Governments).
The person
You must be pro-active in your approach to monitoring the external environment and seeking out opportunities for Whizz Kidz to have the most influence. You will be able to work in a small team and understand how we can make the most impact with our limited capacity.
You will be passionate about the rights of young wheelchair users and driving real change within the sector.
Key accountabilities
- Lead on determining how policy analysis, research and data are translated into campaign strategy, focussing on identified themes from Whizz Kidz beneficiary groups, particularly our Youth Board.
- Lead on external evidence gathering, surveys and data analysis including identifying priority campaign objectives, audiences and influencers, and ensuring campaigning effort is focused where it can have its greatest impact.
- Create a strategy and operational plan to widen our reach (including into devolved nations) including a full stakeholder engagement programme.
- Build compelling cases for change to drive national and local policy changes across the UK, and empower political and non-political stakeholders to engage in our campaigns to drive our policy goals.
- Proactively identify and review new research and policies in relation to relevant policy areas to help create a compelling case for change and investment from governments and other stakeholders
- Working alongside the Youth Board, you will ensure the voices of young wheelchair users are at the heart of all of our policy and campaign work. This will often include working with a variety of stakeholders including young people with lived experience, their families, Clinicians, and partners.
- Support the charity’s responses to government consultations and other relevant public consultations, policy developments and announcements
- You will support with ensuring the smooth running of the All-Party-Parliamentary Group on Access to Disability Equipment which Whizz Kidz is a co-partner Secretariat for.
- Ensure beneficiary led advocacy is at the heart of our policy work, including supporting wider team initiatives including the Collective, Family network and Research panel.
- Regularly review impact, ensuring funding requirements and reporting are met.
Please note: This post is subject to an enhanced level DBS Disclosure, which will be sought prior to the confirmation of a job offer.
Person specification
Skills and knowledge
- Acutely political aware.
- Able to think strategically with excellent attention to detail.
- Exceptional communicator
- Strong understanding of the operation of Central Government, Local Government and Devolution.
- Deep understanding of at least one policy area: disability, health, youth services
- An ability to work under tight deadlines
- A positive ‘can-do’ attitude and the ability to work on own initiative with limited supervision
- Able to work flexibly and creatively to respond to the emerging needs of Whizz Kidz
Experience
- Significant demonstrable experience of policy development for short, medium and long term impact
- Proven track record of interpreting national changes and developments into local and organisational context
- Provision of responsive and robust advice to leadership
- Experience of working within a policy / campaign environment
- Successful development and maintenance of policy frameworks and strategy
- Proven track record of maintaining appropriate networks and communities of practice for policy development best practice
- Degree or degree-equivalent qualification (desirable)
- Experience of working with young people / within the youth sector either in a policy or delivery capacity (desirable)
- Knowledge of how the health and care system works locally, regionally and nationally in all UK nations, and experience of how to influence these (desirable)
- Understanding of the barriers faced by young wheelchair users (desirable)
Personal qualities
- Alignment with our values – young people focused, ambitious, inclusive and collaborative
- Passionate about supporting young wheelchair users and creating societal change
- The ability to enthuse and engage others in the potential benefits of an engaging project
- Goals driven and creative problem solver
- We’re interested in you as much as your experience so we will welcome your application even if you don’t fully meet the ‘person specification’
A few perks
The wellbeing of our colleagues is of paramount importance to our success as an organisation, and we want to ensure that our benefits package provides something of value for everyone, whether it is our generous holiday entitlement, wellbeing days, Healthcare cash plan, long-service awards. We hope you agree!
Annual leave
25 days of annual leave per annum plus Bank Holiday (pro-rata for part time colleagues).
Christmas closure
In addition to annual leave, employees get three days of paid Christmas leave.
Pension
Automatic enrolment for all colleagues with the option to opt out. Contributions of 5% gross salary made by both Whizz Kidz and employees. We will match higher contributions of up to 6% of gross basic salary.
Simply health
Automatic enrolment in a fully paid for cash plan that assists you with everyday health costs. This scheme is also available to your families for an extra charge.
Season ticket loan
An interest free loan of up to £5,000 following the successful completion of the Probationary Period.
To apply, please visit our website via the Apply Button.
We create opportunities for young wheelchair users to get the equipment, skills, and confidence to go further.
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.
We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time
About the role
We’re looking for a Policy and Public Affairs Manager with experience in delivering high-impact, voice-led policy, public affairs and campaigning work to join our Policy and Influencing team.
We have a growing and ambitious commitment to creating positive change in the health and care system to achieve the change children and young people with cancer, and their families, need across the UK. This means amplifying the voices of young cancer patients and delivering evidence-based campaigns that make change happen.
The Policy and Public Affairs Manager is responsible for ensuring our policy and influencing work has maximum impact through our public affairs and campaigning across the UK. This work will be co-created with children and young people at every appropriate opportunity. Building relationships is a crucial part of your role and you will support the Head of Policy and Influencing to deliver Young Lives vs Cancer’s policy, influencing and voice work to be sector leading and develop a range of external relationships to inform our work in this area.
Our Policy, Influencing and Voice Team build the evidence base we need to develop sound policy positions, works to influence the system for children and young people with cancer and their families, so we can change experiences of having cancer and ensure children and young people’s voices are heard. The team is a part of the Innovation, Policy and Systems Change Directorate, which synthesises our policy, research, campaigning, voice, innovation and systems change work.
This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a basic criminal record check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description.
- Monitoring and analysing developments and trends in policy affecting children and young people with cancer, to identify relevant policy issues across the UK at an early stage and to advise on and help shape the charity’s response and public position.
- Working with colleagues across the team to develop policy positions that are relevant, up to date and can be used to support wider campaigning and influencing activities to engage our supporters, across health, social care, benefits and welfare reform, education issues and other relevant issues.
- Planning, managing and implementing public affairs plans and engagement based on policy priorities and effectiveness, liaising with external partners and coalitions, including designing and delivering our proactive engagement with elected representatives, monitoring the public affairs environment and co-ordinating reactive and proactive activities across the UK.
- Delivering a campaigns programme which builds on are previous successes, ensuring our campaigns and public affairs programmes work alongside with and alongside children, young people and families.
- Working with the Head of Policy and Influencing to support Young Lives vs Cancer’s engagement, communications and influence with policymakers, elected representatives and other key stakeholders.
- Developing external partnerships and networks to strengthen policy and public affairs activity
What do I need?
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
- Ability to deliver strategic policy and public affairs activity based on robust evidence, from development to evaluation.
- Successfully influence politicians and key decision-makers to achieve strategic goals at different levels of government, through managing the delivery of successful public affairs campaigns
- Overseeing work that involves beneficiaries in policy and influencing work, demonstrate effective influencing skills
- Awareness and understanding of and/or experience of working in the policy issues facing young people with cancer across all four UK nations, and the wider policy and influencing and/or campaigning landscape
- Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills at a variety of levels to a wide range of audiences, in particular a political audience
- Be an organised, systematic and a confident worker - managing a fast paced and reactive workload alongside longer-term strategic work whilst demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Wellbeing, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value AI adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible.Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) is a Charity and Company Limited by guarantee and is the representative body for Directors of Public Health (DPH) in the UK.
It seeks to improve and protect the health of the population through collating and presenting the views of DsPH; advising on public health policy and legislation at a local, regional, national and international level; facilitating a support network for DsPH; and providing opportunities for DsPH to develop professional practice.
The Association has a rich heritage, its origins dating back more than 160 years. It is a collaborative organisation working in partnership with others to maximise the voice for public health.
We are now looking to appoint to the role of Public Affairs Manager who, supporting the Head of External Affairs, will help to deliver the Associations External Affairs strategy, influencing through strong relationships with key external stakeholders.
The successful candidate will have experience of developing successful strategies to influence legislation or government policy, be politically astute and have a proven ability to tailor their briefings etc to influence different audiences.
They will have a knowledge of the UK political system and the mechanisms and tactics that can be used to secure change, have excellent organisational and prioritisation skills and be an enthusiastic and pro-active self-starter, with a flexible in approach that can adapt to changing circumstances.
The Association has offices in central London, but is currently operating a hybrid working model so welcomes candidates from across the UK, though attendance at ‘in person’ ADPH team meetings will be expected. Further details can be requested ahead of your application by contacting the Association
Your application must be accompanied by a covering letter that outlining why you would be suitable for the role, and the successful candidate will be required to provide evidence that they are entitled to work on a permanent basis in the UK.
Please note we will be interviewing throughout the term of the recruitment process and so reserve the right to close this opportunity ahead of its stated closing date should a suitable candidate be selected.
All applications must have an accompanying covering letter outlining why you would be suitable for the role to be considered for interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.