Description Senior Policy Advisor - Children's Social Care Salary: £38,000 to £42,000 per annum pro rata plus Inner London allowance pro rata. Location: London or Homebased (with frequent travel to our London Office) Contract: Fixed Term Contract -12 months, Full-time - 35 hours per week. Benefits: 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts. Why Action for Children? Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It is the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives. A bit about the role Reporting to the Head of Policy and Research, you will ensure Action for Children continues to influence and change UK Government policy through effective policy and research work that leads to lasting change in children's lives. You’ll be focused on creating and overseeing policies that ensure the safety and well being of children, whilst collaborating with government bodies and local communities to advocate for the needs of children in care and care leavers. You’ll influence change to develop robust frameworks that support and protect vulnerable children, fostering an environment where these children can thrive. You’ll develop and apply influencing strategies that incorporate the views of children, parents and staff and deliver integrated projects with public affairs and campaigns to secure maximum impact with political stakeholders. How you'll help to create brighter futures Function as Action for Children's expert in key policy priority areas leading on the development of strategic influencing priorities. Establish collaborative working with colleagues to develop effective campaign design and activity. Ensure all Action for Children's evidence gathering, research and policy work across the UK has the child at the centre. Provide expert advice on key policy priorities across Action for Children, ensuring that the Chief Executive and senior colleagues are informed and resourced with the relevant information. Manage a diverse and challenging workload progressing policy and research projects from design to delivery, including commissioned work through external researchers, networks and academic institutions. Undertake research activities using a range of approaches, including qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Cultivate and manage relationships with senior civil servants, politicians, academics and opinion formers, working proactively. Work proactively with colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to share policy and research expertise. Let's talk about you Excellent analytical skills to interpret complex information and develop policy solutions and recommendations. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively within a team, across departments and with other organisations, and the ability to work with all kinds of people, including people affected by the issues we influence to change. Good organisation skills to respond quickly to the demands of the fast moving and complex policy and media agendas. Good influencing skills. Excellent research and intelligence gathering skills and ability to understand and apply information to specific audiences. Good to know Application Process Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration. Talent Pool We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't. Contact: Scott Jones via email at recruitmentserviceactionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 10320 Diversity, equality and inclusion At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children. Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we'd love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family. Want to know more about Action for Children? Find us on X, Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better. For more information about the role, please view our full job description by clicking here. See below for further information about working with us: Action for Children Employee Benefits AfC Commitment Statement