Social Care News
An opportunity join the SCA Team
We have an exciting new role that brings together policy and communications skills to ensure we add value to SCA members and are an influential and constructive partner within social care and health in Surrey.
Please read on to review the full job description.
If this opportunity excites you, and you have the skills, knowledge and experience we need then we really want to hear from you.
To apply for the role: Please send a CV and supporting statement that shows how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification to ceo@curreycare.org.uk by 9.00 am Monday 24th January 2022.
Policy & Communications Officer
Key Purpose of Job:
- Support the policy and communications activities of Surrey Care Association, helping to ensure our members are kept informed about key practice and policy developments across the care and support sector
- Ensure SCA is effective in representing members, ensuring their voices are heard and influence social care related policy decisions locally and nationally
- Effectively promote SCA and the benefits of membership, including the services offered by SCA’s commercial partners
- To help ensure SCA’s communications across all platforms are professional, accessible and high quality.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
Policy
- Keep up to date with policy developments and good practice in the social care sector to help ensure SCA members have access to the information they need to develop their businesses and services for people needing care and support.
- Analyse and produce accessible summaries of often complex information to enable SCA members to digest and understand policy developments and guidance that affect their services and businesses and identify opportunities and any actions needed.
- Attend and participate in agreed meetings and forums to inform SCA of developments in the sector, and contribute to influencing work by representing the successes needs and challenges of SCA’s members
- Develop content and produce regular briefings to disseminate information from SCA colleagues, external partners and other sources of intelligence (e.g. websites, policy & practice updates, webinars and in-person meetings/ briefings) that is relevant to SCA members’ activities.
- Contribute to and produce briefings and communications aimed at an external audience, including policy makers, elected members, and the general public.
Communications
- In conjunction with colleagues, develop a communications strategy to ensure SCA utilises key communication methods to support its members engage with up-to-date policy and practice developments, a range of opportunities, and support its external work and influencing objectives.
- Maintain and develop the SCA website, www.surreycare.org.uk. Ensuring information is accessible, relevant, reviewed and updated regularly and proactively to ensure its continued relevance.
- Support the promotion of SCA’s offer and services for members, including those of our commercial partners, identifying the most effective communications methods, including appropriate social media platforms.
- Work with colleagues to ensure we meet commitments in terms of frequency, format and content of information for commercial partners, including assisting with the design and creation of communication materials.
- Develop our social media platforms and proactively shape content for social media postings to raise awareness of social care policy issues and the implications for SCA members, stakeholders and wider public.
- Monitor the take up of SCA communications and use this information to recommend any changes needed to format, content, or social medial schedules.
Administration and business support
- Provide regular reports and recommendations on strategies being pursued to meet organisational objectives
- Work as part of the SCA team to ensure the Association’s activities run efficiently and effectively including responding positively and pro-actively to enquiries from Surrey care providers and other stakeholders and playing an active part in SCA events and networks.
Person Specification
Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
Essential
- A demonstrable interest or experience in adult social care sector
- An engaging writing style with attention to detail, strong proof-reading skills and a high standard of written English.
- Good analytical skills with the ability to synthesise complex information from a range of sources and produce tailored communications for SCA’s members
- A good knowledge of and ability to use a range of social media and communications tools to disseminate and promote information
- The ability to communicate and engage confidently and effectively with a wide range of people (including senior officers and business owners, elected officials, people using our members’ services and members of the public) in a variety of settings
- The ability to represent SCA and our members’ needs, experiences and insights in face-to-face events, conferences and meetings
- Numerate and literate, able to produce and present reports
- Good organisational and planning skills with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
- Able to work as part of a team as well as on own initiative
- A flexible and responsive approach
- Ability to solve problems and take initiative
Desirable
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