Press & Campaigns Officer

Information for Applicants

ContentsPage

Advertisement 2

Job Description3

Person Specification5

About Daycare Trust6

Terms & conditions8

How to apply9

Contact for enquiries

Kate Groucutt

T 020 7940 7522

Press & Campaigns Officer

From £27,000 pa pro rata depending on experience, plus 6% pension contribution and 29 days leave

Fixed-term contract until May 2012, full-time in Central London

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity campaigning for quality, accessible, affordable childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers.

We produce high quality research, developing credible policy recommendations through publications and the media, and by working with others. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s development and create and manage initiatives that will change lives.

Are you an experienced and dynamic professional able to develop and deliver our media and campaigning strategy? Suitable candidates will have a good news sense, excellent political judgement and experience of working with news and current affairs media. Some experience of Parliament or in a lobbying or campaigning role is essential, as well as the ability to market and promote the organisation.

How to apply

For more details and an application pack, please visit
e mail or
telephone 020 7940 7521

Closing date

The closing date for applications is 4pm on Friday 16 September 2011.

Interviews will be held w/c 19 September 2011.

Daycare Trust is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Job Description:Press & Campaigns Officer

Reports to:Policy Director

Salary:from£27,000 p.a. depending on experience

Benefits:6% Pension contribution, 29 days annual leave p.a.

Location:Daycare Trust, London SE1

Job Purpose:

To plan, manage and develop Daycare Trust’s press, communications and campaigns strategy and our day-to-day contact with the media.

To ensure that opportunities to achieve the organisation’s influencing goals are maximised.

To effectively promote awareness, understanding and support for Daycare Trust through all suitable media channels in order to influence political and public policy agendas.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

1. To plan, develop and manage Daycare Trust’s press, communications and campaigns strategy to support our organisational objectives,in consultation with other staff and under the strategic oversight of the CEO and Policy Director.

2.Manage our day-to-day contact with the media to ensure that opportunities to achieve the organisation’s influencing goals are maximised, including:

Acting as first point of contact with the media
Briefing members of the media, developing and maintaining relationships with them
Drafting and distributing press releases and providing comments and quotes to the media
Developing and maintaining a portfolio of case studies for media use
Managing media relations at Daycare Trust events and ensuring staff, trustees and consultants are regularly informed of media coverage
Co-ordinating, training and supporting the members of the Parent Panel and developing their contribution to Daycare Trust’s press work

3. To devise influencing and campaigning plans to achieve our aims and to promote Daycare Trust’s work, ensuring that opportunities to contribute to and help shape policy debates are maximised and that contact with policy makers and opinion formers is effective by:

Working with colleagues to develop clear, accessible key messages for Daycare Trust campaigns
Helping to articulate intelligent policy positions

Researching stakeholder positions, identifying talking points and producing briefings for staff to ensure Daycare Trust gains maximum benefit from meetings with policy makers and key contacts

Managing parliamentary aspects of campaigns work, advising on the use of EDMs, Parliamentary Questions etc where appropriate
Write a variety of materials for publication, including short policy briefings, reports, summaries of research findings and articles for the general and specialist media

Liaising with relevant staff to develop publications and materials to support campaigns when required
Researching and providing up-to-date material for use in speeches and assist withspeech writing for senior staff at Daycare Trust

4. To develop strategies to engage with and support grassroots campaigners to influence policymaking by:

Monitoring changes to childcare services around the country, conducting research as required
Taking a lead on a project in London to campaign against childcare cuts and increase access to childcare services for low income families
Providing advice and support to grassroots campaigners on media and campaigns strategy, producing materials as required
Supporting grassroots campaigners to lobby politicians, with a particular focus on the London Assembly and London Mayor elections in May 2012
Working in partnership with other organisations as required

5. To contribute to the development of and implementation of strategies for building and maintaining constructive relationships with MPs, Peers and other influencers, including:

Being a first point of contact for information for MPs, Peers and parliamentary researchers, providing briefings as required
Facilitating regular meetings with ministers, advisers, peers and civil servants
Developing an annual plan for party conference activity
Administering the All Party Parliamentary Group on Childcare, working with the Chair to ensure an annual programme of meetings/events

6. To provide information and intelligence to support Daycare Trust’s corporate objectives, including:

Monitoring developments in Government, statutory agencies and other stakeholders
Monitoring all media for intelligence on events and opportunities arising in Parliament, Government, local authorities and other bodies to inform our policy and campaigning work
Identifying opportunities to promote Daycare Trust’s arguments and ideas
Ensuring that information from children, and parents is fed into campaigning activities
Expanding Daycare Trust’s Parent Panel and ensuring the members’ active involvement in the organisation’s campaigns
Working with the Information Manager to design and develop the media and campaigning elements of the website, updating and maintaining all media and campaign related information including press releases, articles and news coverage

7.To use every available media opportunity to promote the business activities of Daycare Trust, including:

Developing strategies to identify, through media sources, any business or commercial opportunities available to Daycare Trust and take advantage of them
Identifying all opportunities to ensure maximum publicity for the organisation’s products and activities
Working closely with the Events and Marketing Officer and the Information Manager to help market our products and services, including membership and disseminating our publications
Acting as quality control for all business and external communications to ensure consistent messages, use of language and brand to press and the public
Designing media plans and ensuring maximum media coverage for all events, activities and Daycare Trust publications

8.Work within and support Daycare Trust’s policies and procedures, including:

Promoting equality of opportunity and a respect for diversity
Maintaining all health and safety procedures

9.Undertake other reasonable duties commensurate with the role as required by line manager.

Press & Campaigns Officer – Person Specification

ESSENTIAL:

Experience

Demonstrable experience of working with news and current affairs media and of responding efficiently and effectively to a wide variety of requests from journalists
Some experience of Parliament or in a lobbying or campaigning role within another organisation
Some experience of achieving external policy change within a campaigning organisation
Some experience of using policy-related research, surveys and other studies to further campaigns and policy objectives

Skills and abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills: capable of drafting clear and concise briefings, reports and other written materials, and able to participate confidently in meetings with a variety of people
Ability to write concise press releases and respond quickly to the media whilst under pressure
Good news sense and judgement about the key risks and benefits of the range of approaches to the media
Able to identify business opportunities for the organisation and build strategies to promote the organisation’s products and activities
Able to plan strategically to identify and exploit opportunities
Able to adopt an organised approach to delivering objectives
Able to assess complex information, present it clearly and identify implications for the organisation
Ability to thrive and work effectively in a busy environment and be ready to respond speedily to developments as they occur
Ability to self-motivate and be administratively self supportive
Ability to act appropriately in line with Daycare Trust’s equal opportunities policy

Knowledge

Of news and current affairs media and specialist press
Of public affairs and lobbying activities and the workings of government
Awareness and understanding of social and public policy structures in one or more of the following areas: childcare and early years, welfare to work, education, social exclusion, poverty, family policy, ethnicity, gender or disability
Good network of media contacts

DESIRABLE:

Knowledge of the UK’s parliamentary processes and procedures
Knowledge of childcare
Experience of commercial promotional work

When a provisional job offer has been made , you will be required to provide documentary proof of your right to work in the UK and to fill in a form to apply for a Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure (at Daycare Trust’s expense). This is part of our standard recruitment process for all posts.
About Daycare Trust

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity. We have been working since November 1986 to promote high quality affordable childcare for all.

Our campaigning work continues to focus on childcare affordability, listening to parents and keeping children at the centre. For more information, please visit our main website: .

Our mission

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality, accessible, affordable childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues.

We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do.

Our role

Daycare Trust is the brand-leading, childcare think-tank and has been for many years. Our mission is to retain our position as the foremost authority on the state of childcare policy, shaping the agenda.

Our unique selling point within the sector is that we speak on behalf of parents, children and young people, striving wherever possible to represent their views with accuracy and authority, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have no vested interest in representing any particular provider group, and are therefore able to provide intelligent thought leadership across the range of issues affecting parents, children and the childcare sector.

We seek to represent the voice of parents on childcare issues by surveying parents regularly through a variety of research methods, by gathering the views of our Parent Network and Parent Panel, and through analysis of enquiries to our Information Service. We represent these views to policymakers as well as making representations about parental involvement at every level of public service delivery. We are an organisation ‘for’, not ‘of’ parents.

Daycare Trust is widely respected for its high-quality childcare policy and research activity, evaluating the effects of current policy and setting the agenda for the future of childcare and early years policy. Its reputation as a provider of information and services of the highest quality – policy and research; information; consultancy; training; publishing and projects – is crucial for the organisation’s success.

Equalities, diversity and inclusion are central to our objectives and will inform and underpin all our work. Identifying, understanding and breaking down the barriers to participation and belonging is key to achieving ‘childcare for all’. These should be incorporated in everything we do.

Our core objective

Our core objective is to secure universal access to high quality, affordable childcare for all children, young people and their parents in the UK.

We seek to achieve this so that every child achieves the best possible outcomes and no child suffers unequal life chances through lack of access to the highest quality early childhood education and care and no parent is prevented from achieving their own ambitions for themselves and their children.

We will achieve this objective by:

Being recognised as the leading national childcare campaign, exercising influence through high quality, authoritative research and communications, and through appropriate partnerships – INFLUENTIAL

Promoting high quality childcare and providing information and support to parents, carers and others involved in the childcare sector to enable them to make good choices – EXPERT

Ensuring the childcare needs and entitlements of children and parents are voiced and heard, particularly the most disadvantaged groups – REPRESENTATIVE

Being a sustainable, well-managed and successful organisation through effective internal operations, sound financial management, and the development of the organisation, its business and its people – SECURE AND HEALTHY.

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Terms & Conditions of Service
Press & Campaigns Officer
Place of work
The post is based at Daycare Trust’s central London offices at 73-81 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 0NQ.
Hours of work
Full time, ie 35 hours per week.
Normal office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm (with one hour unpaid lunch break). A working day is 7 hours. Core working hours when staff must be at work are 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Start times may commence between 8.00 and 10.00 am and finish times between 4.00 and 6.00 pm.
Jobshare arrangements will be considered.Exact working hours will be agreed on offer of employment.
It may occasionally be necessary to work some hours outside the usual office hours. These extra hours worked can be taken off in lieu in accordance with Daycare Trust’s policy.
Salary
From £27,000per annum depending on experience
Salaries are paid by bank transfer into staff’s bank accounts on the 15th day of each month.
Duration of contract
Fixed term until May 2012
Holidays
29 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time hours). Daycare Trust is normally closed between Christmas and New Year, during which time all staff are required to take up to three annual leave days.
Holidays in the first and final year of employment will be calculated pro rata.
Probationary period
N/A
References and CRB check
Any provisional job offer will be subject to receipt of two satisfactory references, acceptable evidence of the right to work in the UK and application for an enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau.
Pension
Voluntary contributory pension scheme with The Pensions Trust (6% contribution by employer, 4% by employee).
Daycare Trust will contribute 6% to an employee’s private pension plan if they opt not to join the company pension scheme and if they pay a minimum personal contribution of 4%.
Salary sacrifice scheme
Voluntary sacrifice of a particular amount of your salary to contribute to your childcare costs. This amount is taken directly from your salary and paid into the registered childcare provider’s bank account. This amount is also exempt from tax and National Insurance Contributions.
Benefits
Daycare Trust has a sick leave and sick pay scheme. We operate family friendly policies including dependant leave, enhanced maternity pay, and jobshare and flexible working opportunities. We have a generous benefits scheme, as detailed above under Holidays, Pension and Salary sacrifice scheme.
Notice period
Where it is necessary to give notice during or at the end of the probationary period (if applicable), Daycare Trust will give one week’s notice in writing. Following the probationary period, we will give one month’s notice in writing. The postholder will be required to give the same notice.
Please note
A full statement of the main terms and conditions of service will be supplied with any formal offer of appointment. The above information may be helpful to applicants as a guide but should not be treated as a substitute for the full statement.

How to apply

The format is Daycare Trust application form orCV and supporting statement.

Your supporting statement should be around 1,000 words, or two sides of A4 maximum,and it should set out how you meet the requirements of the role (see Person Specification).

The closing date for completed applications is:

4 p.m.,Friday 16September 2011

The selection process

Interviews will be held in the week beginning 19September

In line with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 on the prevention of illegal working, Daycare Trust is obliged to ensure that all its prospective employees are duly authorised to work in the UK. Please therefore indicate on your supporting statement if you are authorised to work in the UK and under what conditions.

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