Policy and Project Officer London, England
Job description
Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us
We are responsible for the entire range of children’s education, health and social care services in all three boroughs. We use a Signs of Safety practice model and approach which ensures the voice of the child is at the heart of everything we do. There’s never been a better time to join AfC, we are growing our workforce, implementing new flexible working arrangements and have increased our virtual wellbeing offer.
We now have the following job opportunity available and we would be delighted to receive your application to continue our story. You can download the Job Profile which is shown within the "Documents" heading on the left hand side, above the map.
The role of the Policy and Project Officer is to support the implementation of our priority projects and the development and review of policies, enabling our organisation and practitioners to better support families to achieve improved outcomes and give children and young people the best start in life.
About the role
As a Policy and Project Officer, you will be responsible for:
- contributing to the development and implementation of organisational priority projects, including effective project planning; project management; delivering on actions identified in project plans, and coordinating resources to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
- liaising, negotiating and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders including managers, colleagues and partner agencies as required to ensure the effective delivery of projects.
- supporting the development and review of corporate and operational strategies and policies, providing advice on policy development based on solid research and a sound understanding of leading practice and statutory responsibilities, and maintaining our policy infrastructure.
- undertaking activities to support us to meet our equalities and diversity obligations.
- undertaking research activities to ensure that the organisation has the intelligence it needs to make informed decisions about service performance, effectiveness and development.
This is a fantastic role in a lively and supportive team.
If you would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Henry Kilpin, Head of Strategy and Programmes for an informal discussion on [email protected]
About you
To be a Policy and Project Officer, you will be passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people as well as demonstrating the following points:
- Experience of supporting projects, with multiple objectives, budgets and timeframes and producing project management documentation.
- Experience of working with different stakeholders including senior managers and management teams, employees and external clients and strong communication skills.
- Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to work quickly and accurately, prioritising workloads and ensuring deadlines are met.
- Ability to demonstrate a high level of determination, personal drive, energy and ambition to achieve challenging targets and improve outcomes.
You will demonstrate enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and an ability to take on a range of tasks in a fast-paced and dynamic
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years.
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Stable and supportive leadership
- Hybrid and mobile working (between home and work) with latest technology to facilitate this
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children For our social work offer
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
