The Role
Policy Development Lead
We are looking for a Policy Development Lead to provide strategic leadership, coordination and expertise in proactive policy development across NDCS. This exciting new role will help us think beyond immediate policy activity, identify where system change is needed, and develop longer-term policy positions that are informed by evidence, specialist insight, lived experience and external practice.
The role will initially focus on Education, while retaining the flexibility to support wider policy development across areas such as early years, social care, health, benefits, sign language and other emerging priorities. Working closely with Platform Leads, Policy and Nation Leads, and colleagues across the organisation, you will help ensure NDCS develops strong, evidence-based policy positions that create meaningful change for deaf children and their families.
What you'll do
- Lead and coordinate proactive policy development activity across NDCS, identifying opportunities for deeper policy thinking and systems change.
- Apply systems thinking to identify complex challenges, explore interdependencies and develop practical solutions
- Identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities, using systems thinking and horizon-scanning approaches to inform future organisational priorities.
- Translate complex evidence, research and lived experience into clear recommendations that support organisational decision-making and influence.
- Influence senior leaders and key stakeholders by providing strategic policy advice, insight and recommendations.
- Lead and coordinate policy development activity across multiple teams, ensuring expertise, insight and activity are aligned.
- Build productive relationships with external researchers, policy networks and sector experts to bring innovative thinking into NDCS.
- Identify cross-cutting themes and opportunities for change by bringing together insight from local, regional and national sources.
- Facilitate strategic conversations that help colleagues explore complex issues, understand system interdependencies and develop long-term solutions.
- Champion a proactive, evidence-informed approach to policy development across the organisation.
What you'll need
- Significant experience in policy analysis, development or strategy within a complex organisation, sector or policy environment.
- Proven ability to translate complex evidence, research and lived experience into recommendations that drive organisational action and influence.
- Experience influencing senior decision-makers and shaping organisational, sector-wide or public policy direction.
- A track record of leading and coordinating complex work across multiple teams, functions or stakeholders.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefings, policy positions and strategic recommendations.
- Experience bringing together evidence and insight from multiple sources to identify emerging issues, trends and opportunities for change.
- Strong systems-thinking skills and experience developing long-term solutions to complex challenges.
- The ability to lead through collaboration, credibility and specialist expertise, building alignment across diverse teams and stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of the policy, practice and systemic issues affecting deaf children and families, and the ability to apply this knowledge to strategic policy development.
- Strong digital skills and a sound understanding of agile values & principles.
- Acriminal record check / DBS disclosure (if offered the position).
What you'll get
- Home-based working with flexible hours.
- 25 days holiday - plus an additional 3 days at Christmas (& bank holidays).
- Pension (5.5% employer contribution).
- Healthcare Cashplan.
- Annual performance-based salary increase.
- Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programmes.
What we do
The National Deaf Children's Society are the leading charity for deaf children. We give expert support on childhood deafness, raise awareness and campaign for deaf children's rights, so they have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Pre-employment checks
As part of our commitment to creating a safe and trusted environment for the children, young people and families we support, all offers of employment are subject to background checks. These include Right to Work verification, Criminal Record Disclosure, and ID and address verification.
To complete an online Right to Work check, you will need a valid UK or Irish passport, or a government share code if you are not a British citizen. If an online check is not possible, we’ll need to verify your documents in person at our London office. Please be aware that travel time and expenses for this appointment cannot be reimbursed.
Disability Confidence
We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to offering interviews to candidates who request to be considered under the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum requirements for the role.
The National Deaf Children’s Society is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 1016532 and in Scotland no. SC040779.
Thank you!
Are you an experienced auditor with a strong understanding of care quality, compliance and continuous improvement?
We are looking for a Compliance Assurance Auditor to support the delivery of our Quality Assurance Framework and internal audit schedule across our care homes. In this important role, you will undertake planned, focused and ad hoc assurance activity, helping to provide clear, evidence-based insight into compliance, care quality and safety standards.
Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.
As Compliance Assurance Auditor, you will carry out audit, monitoring and reporting activity across care quality, regulatory compliance, health and safety, environmental safety and associated care home systems. You will identify good practice, areas for improvement, themes, trends and emerging risks, supporting our care homes to evidence continuous improvement and maintain safe, effective and compliant services.
You’ll work closely with colleagues across Quality, Operations and SHEQ to support care homes to meet standards, evidence improvements and provide clear assurance through accurate audit reporting.
This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the quality, safety and effectiveness of care services across RBL. You will play a key part in strengthening assurance, supporting improvement and helping teams deliver consistently high standards for the people we support.
This role is homebased with regular travel to RBL care homes and other locations as required.
You will need:
- A recognised Health and Safety qualification.
- A full driving licence, access to a car and the ability to travel nationally on a regular basis.
- A minimum of three years’ experience working within an adult social care setting undertaking audit activity.
Employee benefits include -
- 28 day’s paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
- Enhanced paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Generous pension scheme with employer contributions ranging from 6% to 14%, depending on length of service
- Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!
For more detailed information about the role, please see the Job Description attached to our direct advert. Our teams take a personalised approach to shortlisting, which is carried out without the use of AI and is based on the evidence provided in your application against the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification.
RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics.
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer interview schemes for candidates who declare an Armed Forces connection and/or a disability. However, candidates are only eligible for this scheme if their application clearly demonstrates that they meet all of the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification for the role.
We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
About The Company
Since 1921, the Royal British Legion has been dedicated to supporting members of the Armed Forces community, and we will continue to be there for as long as we are needed, ensuring their unique contribution is never forgotten.
As the UK's largest Armed Forces charity, we are proud to have over 180,000 members, 110,000 volunteers, 1,900 employees, and a wide network of partners and charities working together to provide lifelong support, whatever the need and whenever it is required.
We are committed to supporting our people through flexible and hybrid working where possible, a strong focus on wellbeing, and opportunities to develop skills and grow careers while making a meaningful impact.
Visit ourCareers Pageto discover more about the Royal British Legion, including our departments, employee benefits, values, candidate guidance, and the strategy that underpins our work and impact.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
We provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. Our support starts after one day of service and continues through
Thank you!
Location: Bristol Office
Salary: £27,950 per annum (Band C), rising to £29,095 per annum after successful completion of a 5-month probationary period
Job Type: Fixed Term (12 months, with possibility of extension), Full time (37.5 hours per week), part time considered (minimum 30 hours per week)
The role:
Working within our Household Energy Services (HES) team, the Trainee Energy Advisor role is for those who would like to learn the skills and gain experience of providing energy advice to households.
You’ll be providing energy advice on our advice line and through a range of related projects, supporting low income and vulnerable households with billing queries, applications for grants and referrals to contractors for insulation and heating improvements. There may also be the opportunity to staff events and give advice to clients in person.
As part of the role you’ll complete our HES Training Programme, including a City & Guilds qualification in Energy Awareness. Successful completion of your probationary period will lead to a change of role to Energy Advisor for the remainder of the contract.
Specific responsibilities
An applicant appointed to the role will be expected to:
- Work on the advice line and other telephone advice projects, making and receiving calls from people who may need help with energy-related issues.
- Record client details accurately and use your own knowledge to assess the help and support needed.
- Refer clients to other support organisations in their area as appropriate.
- Identify energy improvements that can be made to clients’ properties and refer them to installers who can carry out the work.
- Help vulnerable clients make applications for grants and switch energy tariffs where appropriate.
- Listen attentively to callers, some of whom may be angry or in distress, and respond to their needs in an empathetic way.
- Follow advice line processes and procedures.
- Maintain accurate records on our client database, including handling sensitive data appropriately and in compliance with GDPR guidance.
- Remain vigilant for safeguarding concerns during client interactions and report promptly to the designated Safeguarding Officer.
- Undertake the HES Training Programme, including the City & Guilds Level 3 Energy Awareness and Level 2 Fuel Debt Advice in the Community courses.
To see a more detailed list of responsibilities please see the supporting documents attached. These documents are also available to download from our website.
About you:
Essential attributes for this role include:
- Ability to respond to clients in a respectful and engaging manner.
- Ability to communicate effectively with people, both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to work well in a team and identify how your skills complement others.
- Ability to maintain admin systems independently and accurately.
- Highly organised, with strong time and workload management.
- Empathy and compassion, with an awareness of the need to maintain your own wellbeing.
- A commitment to CSE’s aims and values of collaboration, conscientiousness and initiative.
- Skilled in the use of MS Office applications including Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Understanding of safeguarding principles and the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals.
Please note, the above is an overview of the skills required for this role. To see the full list of essential and desirable skills please see the attached job description.
Benefits:
CSE offer a range of other benefits including:
- Company pension scheme (8% employer, 6% employee contributions)
- You will be entitled to 25 days' paid holiday, pro rata for part-time hours (plus statutory holidays)
- Subsidised bike purchase and Tech Scheme
- Life Assurance
- Health Cash plan
- Retail discounts
- Discounted breakdown cover and many more.
- We will pay fees and expenses on relevant training courses.
- We are flexible with the working hours of this role and will discuss this openly if you are invited to interview.
How to apply
To apply, please download and complete the application form available from our website and send it to our Jobs email. Your application should demonstrate your suitability for the role against the criteria outlined in the person specification and job description.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Interviews are expected to take place Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October 2026 (in person at our Bristol office), though this is subject to change.
If invited to interview, we will ask you to provide evidence of eligibility to work in the UK.
#LI-DNI
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Our mission is to support people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.