| Tenure: | Two years initially (we are open to secondment arrangements) |
| Reports to: | Head of Policy and Communications |
| Hours: |
0.5 FTE (2.5 days per week - 18.75 hours per week) We ask that you work on Tuesdays and either Wednesday or Thursday. We are open to discussing preferred working patterns with the successful candidate. |
| Salary: | £30,000 FTE salary (£15,000 for 2.5 days a week) |
| Location: |
Home-based within commutable distance from Edinburgh. This role requires travel to London for our monthly team meetings and may involve occasional travel across the UK. All travel costs incurred for work purposes will be reimbursed. All applicants must be UK residents. |
Job Summary
We are seeking a talented and passionate individual to help us to drive forward our policy, campaigning and public affairs activity in Scotland.
The Parent-Infant Foundation is a small but powerful UK-wide charity. Our vision is that all babies have a sensitive, nurturing relationship to lay the foundation for lifelong mental and physical health.
We support the growth of infant mental health services, and campaign for policy change.
We have been working in Scotland since 2019 to support the development of specialist, multi-disciplinary infant mental health services (also known as specialised parent-infant relationship teams). During this time, we have worked closely with the Scottish Government, particularly the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board as they have invested in service development. We are also offering development and implementation support to Health Boards in Scotland to support local service development.
There are now emerging perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. But there is still work to do to ensure the quality, sufficiency, and sustainability of these services, as well as their accessibility for all babies and families who need them. As the Perinatal and Infant MH Programme Board winds down, it will be important to see ownership of this agenda embedded into the civil service, and momentum maintained.
As services develop, new implementation challenges will emerge. We will want to highlight these issues and prompt national action to address them.
Although it is a stated priority for the Scottish Government, infant mental health, and the work done to protect it, is still poorly understood. We need you to build an understanding of IMH services and their value amongst politicians and policymakers to ensure wider ongoing support for their development and operation, and future investment.
We are looking for a self-starter who is comfortable working from home but who prioritises team-working and relationship-building to progress our strategic aims. You should be well-organised, have experience in campaigning and/or public affairs, and have a track record of working successfully with a range of decision-makers, parliamentarians, and other senior stakeholders.
We are willing to offer this as a secondment opportunity, please indicate in your application if that is your preference.
Key roles and responsibilities
Campaign for policies and investment that will ensure sustainability, effective operation, and growth of parent-infant relationship and infant mental health services in Scotland in the future.
- Lead work to identify the Parent-Infant Foundation’s influencing priorities, drawing on research and evidence and in partnership with colleagues and with infant mental health services and other strategic partners across Scotland.
- Manage and lead the development and delivery of our national influencing plans in Scotland. Ensure we reach political and public audiences and achieve change in the quality, reach and sustainability of infant mental health services in Scotland.
- Write high-quality, timely, evidence-informed, proactive, and reactive reports and other products to influence policy (eg. policy briefs, consultation responses).
Work with our Scotland Development Lead to ensure learning from infant mental health services (including clinicians, service managers, and service users) is captured and shared to inform future policy.
- Work with the Scottish Development Lead, and infant mental health teams in Scotland to identify barriers and facilitators to effective implementation and service delivery. Raise awareness of these issues with external audiences, especially policymakers and parliamentarians.
- Work with colleagues to plan and deliver communications activities relating to the evaluation of our work in Scotland.
Raise awareness of, and political support for, infant mental health services across the Scottish Government, identifying and engaging those who can champion this agenda.
- Build relationships with Ministers, MSPs and officials to influence policy and decision making. Build and maintain external relationships with other key stakeholders, in line with policy priorities.
- Monitor proceedings in the Scottish parliament, identifying opportunities for influence.
- Be an ambassador and spokesperson for the Foundation with external stakeholders, representing the organisation at external events and in the media to promote our campaigns and influencing priorities. Ensure the Foundation is seen as a credible, evidence-led influencing organisation.
Work collaboratively with allies to champion infant mental health, early relationships, and social and emotional wellbeing in Scottish policy.
- Build networks and work in partnership with other organisations in our policy and campaigning work, helping the sector to coalesce around shared priorities.
- Ensure the charity is part of relevant policy groups and alliances and represent us in these forums.
- Ensure that the Foundation’s influencing priorities are communicated effectively to internal audiences, supporters, opinion leaders and the public. Secure consensus and support for our policy recommendations and work.
Explore and showcase how babies’ rights and babies’ voices can be central to advocacy and campaigning.
- Embed the voices and experiences of babies and their families, and insights from the services that work with them in our communications and campaigning work.
- Working with the Policy and Communications team to develop and implement policies and processes that enable us to work ethically and effectively with families so that their stories are heard, and they are involved in making change happen. Ensure that we fulfil our duty of care to all those we involve in our work.
- Explore how infant mental health can be promoted through a children’s rights lens, and the opportunities provided by Scotland’s incorporation of the UNCRC.
Support the wider operation of the Parent-Infant Foundation
- Work closely with the Communications Team to ensure effective social media, PR, and external messaging. Support internal and external communication of policy work by proactively contributing content, including for our website, social media, and media.
- Work with colleagues to deliver UK-wide activities, such as Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, ensuring that these have maximum impact in Scotland.
- Help internal colleagues, service managers, clinicians, and other stakeholders to understand Scottish policy issues, priorities, decisions, and opportunities that might affect their work.
In this role, you will need a flexible approach with the ability to adapt to the needs of the organisation and unforeseen external developments.
Experience and Skills
Essential
We are looking for a candidate with the following experience and skills.
1. Demonstrable knowledge of political structures and processes in Scotland and significant experience of delivering an evidence-based policy programme in Scotland.
2. Clear understanding of policies and services relevant to parent-infant relationships and infant mental health.
3. Experience of working collaboratively, and leading collaborative work with a range of partners to influence decision making.
4. Excellent verbal, written communication and presentation skills with the ability to interpret complex information and communicate this to a range of audiences so it is clear and accessible.
5. Strong networking, influencing and relationship management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others, as well as the confidence and personal authority to work with external organisations.
6. Experience of utilising different communications platforms, including social media, print and broadcast media, to support campaign objectives, exert influence and effect change.
7. Experience of working with service users and professionals, and embedding their voices and experiences into policy and campaigning work.
8. The ability to think strategically with strong analytical, judgement and decision-making skills.
9. Ability to work effectively, both as part of a team and independently.
Desirable
· Experience of working for a charitable organisation or in public services in a related field.
· Knowledge of the first 1001 days and the impact of secure infant-parent relationships.
· Experience of working in a small team
· Homeworking experience
Applications
To apply for this role please submit a CV and a Supporting Statement via CharityJob: https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/scotland-policy-manager/841693?tsId=8. In your supporting statement, please describe why you want this role and demonstrate, with examples, how you meet elements 1-9 of the essential experience and skills.
Please ensure that your CV and Supporting Statement are each no more than two pages long and that each document is provided as a pdf file.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 31st July 2022.
Interviews will take place via Zoom on Tuesday 16th August 2022.