Policy and Public Affairs Officer

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Job description

Reporting to the Policy and Campaigns Manager, the Policy and Public Affairs Officer will play an important role in making the case to decision-makers, funders and commissioners to invest in Youth Access' member network of Youth Information Advice and Counselling Services (YIACS).

The Policy and Public Affairs Officer will work closely with our members and young people to develop our policy positions and ensure these are rooted in the priorities of those with lived experience of the issues. They will produce written publications such as briefings, reports and blogs to promote our policy positions, respond to the evolving policy landscape and ensure that our members are equipped to influence decision-makers at the local and regional level.

The post-holder should be a great networker, with the ability to make sure the priorities and perspectives of Youth Access' members and the young people they serve are heard are heard in national policy forums and by people of influence across government, the civil service, NHS, and civil society.

About Youth Access

Youth Access is the membership organisation for youth information, advice and counselling services (YIACS). Our vision is that all young people can access free support on their journey into adulthood from community-based advice and counselling services that respect their rights and meet their individual needs.

We:

Advocate with and for our members and young people, to influence national policy and funding decisions.
Facilitate networking and collaboration across our network, enabling challenges and solutions to be shared.
Develop and disseminate evidence, training and guidance to support members to develop their services and advocate for change locally.
Through centring young people's voices, we support them to campaign for transformational change to ensure services and systems fulfil their rights. ​

Our values

BOLD

We are progressive in our thinking and courageous in our challenge of the system. We take a rights-based approach and are committed to dismantling inequalities in society. We trust in the power of young people's lived experience and passionately champion the support our members provide to meet young people's needs and rights.

COLLABORATIVE

We achieve our goals arm-in-arm with others. Working alongside young people and our network of members across the country, we are a powerful collective advocating for change. We bring this unique contribution and insight to collaborations with partners across the youth, mental health, and advice sectors.

RESPONSIVE

We are driven by the views of young people and our members, the evidence, and knowledge from practice. As these change, so do our approaches. We are tenacious, but adapt our methods to the external environment, so that we can make the most of opportunities to achieve our vision.

See the full job description and person specification on our website.