Join Our Team

As an employee of the Homecare Association, you will have access to the following benefits:

Annual Leave

Staff are entitled to 28 days annual leave. Staff may be required to take 3 of these days over the Christmas holiday period if the offices are closed. These entitlements are in addition to all public Bank Holidays in England. Annual leave and bank holiday entitlement for part-time staff and those on fixed-term contracts are on a pro rata basis.

Occupational Sick Pay Scheme

Upon successful completion of probation, staff are entitled to occupational sick pay calculated on an incremental allowance based on length of service. For staff recruited after 1 July 2022, the entitlement is:

• Less than 6 months: 2 weeks full pay
• 6-12 months: 2 weeks full pay, 2 weeks half pay
• 12-36 months: 4 weeks full pay, 4 weeks half pay
• Over 36 months: 8 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half pay

Pension Scheme

New employees will be automatically enrolled into the pension scheme. Employees are required to make a 3% contribution to the scheme and the Association will contribute 7% of your total pay. Employees can contribute more if they wish, via deduction from net salary net of basic rate of tax, which is then credited in full by Royal London. You will have the right to opt-out of the pension scheme at enrolment or leave the scheme (suspend contributions) in future once enrolled if you wish, but in both instances, you will forego the employer contribution as well as not contribute yourself.

Death in Service Insurance

In the unfortunate event of your death while employed by the Homecare Association the scheme will make a payment to a nominated beneficiary(s) of 4 times your salary.

Employee Assistance Programme

Telephone support is available to employees 24/7 for issues they may be facing, such as work-related stress, depression, relationship issues, legal concerns, coping with change, parenting issues, financial concerns, and more. Training and guidance are also available on topics that relate to employee well-being.

Season Ticket Loans

Where appropriate, staff may request a season ticket loan which is repayable over the duration of the season ticket. More information is available on request.

Details

• London (Hybrid)
• £40,000 per year
• Full-time
• Permanent

Job description

Do you want to help shape public debate, influence policy and communicate the value of homecare to Parliament and the wider public?

We are looking for a driven, curious, and politically aware External Affairs and Policy Specialist to help us communicate our policy work externally and strengthen the voice of homecare providers. You will turn policy insight, member experience and evidence into clear, persuasive communications for Parliament, the media, stakeholders and members

As a small, influential membership body, we offer breadth, visibility and responsibility. This role will suit someone who enjoys working hands-on in a small team, where priorities can move quickly and individual contribution is highly visible. We invest in our people, encourage professional development and give you real responsibility and exposure from day one. Your work will help shape national conversations and support a sector that matters.

About us

We are the UK’s largest care association and the leading membership body for over 2,100 homecare providers. Together, we work to ensure society values and invests in homecare so we can all live well at home and flourish in our communities. We support our members with practical tools, trusted insight and strong representation, and we speak with authority to government, Parliament, the media and the wider public.

About the role

As External Affairs and Policy Specialist, you will play a central role in communicating our policy work externally, strengthening our parliamentary and media engagement, and ensuring members feel informed, heard, and represented. You will also help gather insight directly from members, including through focus groups, and use this evidence to support our policy, influencing and communications work

You will ensure members feel informed, heard, and represented, while helping to build our presence and influence in Parliament. A core part of the role involves translating what our members experience on the ground into clear, persuasive messages that resonate with policymakers and parliamentarians.

This role suits someone who enjoys joining the dots between policy, politics, evidence, and communication. You will need to understand the policy environment, spot opportunities quickly and turn complex issues into clear messages that support our external influence.

What you will do

Parliamentary engagement

• Support day to day parliamentary monitoring and identify opportunities to influence debates, questions and policy development
• Draft high-quality briefings, parliamentary questions, and stakeholder communications
• Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, and parliamentary staff
• Support delivery of our parliamentary engagement activity, including events and party conferences

Member communication

• Draft clear, timely and engaging communications for members, including briefings, updates and campaigns
• Work directly with members, including through focus groups, to capture insight, case studies and evidence
• Ensure member voice sits at the centre of our external messaging
• Translate complex policy and political developments into clear, practical and accessible information for members and external audiences

Wider external affairs

• Monitor media coverage and support proactive and reactive media activity
• Contribute to social media and wider communications output
• Support campaigns, publications, events and stakeholder engagement
• Support team coordination, reporting and continuous improvement

About you

You are bright, motivated and organised, with a strong interest in politics, policy and communications. You enjoy writing, relationship-building and working at pace. You can understand complex issues, ask good questions and turn evidence into clear, compelling messages for different audiences.

You will bring:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to translate complex policy issues for different audiences
• Experience in public affairs, policy communications, media, communications or campaigning, or a closely related field
• An understanding of UK parliamentary processes, political engagement and the wider policy environment
• Confidence gathering insight from stakeholders, members or service users, including through meetings, interviews or focus groups
• Confidence using social media to inform, engage and influence
• Strong planning skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• An interest in social care, health or public services, or a desire to build expertise in this area

Why join us?

If you want a role where your ideas count and your work makes a difference, we would love to hear from you.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a covering letter of no more than two pages explaining:

• Why this role and the Homecare Association interest you
• How your experience matches the policy communication, member insight and external affairs elements of the role
• Your current notice period or availability

The Homecare Association is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from all qualified candidates.

For the full role profile, and person specification, please go to our website and the 'About Us' page.

Closing date for applications: 31 July 2026

We may review applications and invite candidates to interview before the closing date, so early applications are encouraged. As part of shortlisting, we may arrange a short initial conversation with candidates to discuss the role, salary expectations, availability and fit. Please note that we are not accepting speculative approaches or CVs from recruitment agencies or third-party recruiters.

Interviews

First stage interviews times TBC

These will be held in person, at our office in London and will involve a short written task. The closest train station is Waterloo.

Details

• Full-time
• Hybrid (Two days-a-week in central London office)
• £28k pa

Role purpose

This is a great opportunity for a hard worker who is eager to learn and contribute to all aspects of the marketing mix. The role provides administrative, analytical and event support and is important to the smooth and effective running of the Marketing Team and member recruitment and engagement.

Key responsibilities and example tasks (dependent on strengths)

Support the marketing function

• Assist with all marketing campaigns, including online, print and events
• Conduct market and client research
• Help to keep marketing and communications projects on track
• Assist in the delivery of member recruitment projects

Assist with online events

• Webinar and training workshop support including attending online events and providing technical support as required, including monitoring the chat and Q&A functions.
• To coordinate the printing and production of workshop resources, maintaining accurate listings of current stock.
• To provide a point of contact for delegates looking to book onto courses and webinars, and to respond to queries and provide assistance with booking processes.
• Collate bios and photos of speakers and add to the website

Assist with offline events

• Attend trade shows and company events
• Help to organise event logistics for Conferences, awards, trade shows, regional events, etc.
• Support promotion of events including building web pages and emails
• Attendee registration and assistance at events
• Undertake occasional travel and overnight accommodation, where requested, to support events
• Collect speaker bios and photos and add to website

Assist with printed publications

• Organise and manage marketing collateral
• Proofing and editing support for leaflets and magazine

Assist with online communications

• Assist in the creation and sending of emails to members
• Collate good news stories and upload to web pages
• Create social media ‘sales’ posts
• Monitor social media channels and engage with comments where appropriate
• Suggest improvements to all online comms
• Record weekly insights from all online channels
• Fill in KPIs for online channels and events

Assist with the website

• Monitor stock for online shop and fulfil orders
• Suggest improvements, additions and promotions for shop
• Regularly check website content
• Assist with minor edits to web content

Provide Member support

• Check and update member profile information
• Answer member information enquiries
• Monitor Association mailboxes

Person specification

Essential

• Good work ethic, punctual and polite
• Willing to learn
• Great with people
• Experienced in using Microsoft Office
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Good level of organisation and attention to detail
• Comfortable with multi-tasking and working to deadlines
• Understanding of basic business and marketing concepts
• Good time management skills

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience with social media platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, You Tube, Instagram)
• A sales mindset

If you do not exactly match the skills and experience outlined above but feel that you have the right drive and personality to excel in this position, please feel free to apply as training and support will be provided.

The Homecare Association is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, and we welcome applications from those typically under-represented in business.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a short covering letter detailing your suitability for the role and your availability for an online interview between 16^th and 22^nd July to [email protected] by Wednesday 8^th July 2026.

Please note: If you have not heard from us within a week of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful.