Policy and Project Officer

Policy and Project Officer

Area: Twickenham (Home Working)

Working Hours: Full-time, 36 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Salary: £37,722- £40,869

Achieving for Children recognise these are unprecedented times, but we continue to build capacity to support our most vulnerable groups.  To do this we are continuing to attract talented professionals to join us as we continue to provide OUTSTANDING (Kingston ILACS Ofsted 2019) services.

If you have the skills that will enable us to continue to enhance our practice and improve outcomes for children further, we want to hear from you.  We are looking for bright, enthusiastic people who have the passion and the drive to make a positive difference to children’s lives. By recognising and championing strengths we know we can make a real difference. It’s a genuine team effort in AfC. That’s why we want talented people, like you, to join us and help create a brighter future for children and families.

About the role
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.

As a Policy and Project Officer for Achieving for Children, 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.

About AfC
We are a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Kingston, Richmond and Windsor & Maidenhead), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.

About you
To be a Policy and Project Officer for AfC, 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 team. 

About our benefits
When you join AfC you will have access to:

• Positive and supportive working environments - We have a highly supportive working environment in which managers are challenging and supporting in equal measures. 
• Positive work-life balance - Access to employee benefits and support forms part of our health and wellbeing offer.
• A competitive salary and access to LA pension scheme - Our salaries are benchmarked against other local authorities.
• A range of staff benefits and discounts managed via your own app - Staff can enjoy a wide range of discounts on sports and leisure activities and everyday shopping through AfC My Place.
• Professional reflective supervision - Regular, high-quality reflective supervision which helps to build confidence is available to all. 
• Strong Management - A strong performance management culture, with an equally strong focus on practice learning is embedded across the organisation. 
• A fantastic learning and development offer - A clearly set out and accessible learning and development pathway, offering an extensive range of training and learning opportunities is accessible for all. This includes funding for post qualifying courses. 

To find out about the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here

Start dates

Achieving for Children have fixed start dates, candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.

To apply please follow the ‘apply’ link to be redirected to our website

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 at henry.kilpin@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Advert Closing Date: 7th February 2021

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.

Achieving for Children is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.