We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ruby Peacock to the role of Policy, Practice and Innovation Director at the Homecare Association, starting on 9 May 2022.
Ruby is an experienced policy and public affairs professional, with extensive experience in the charity, public and private sectors. She has led successful campaigns and developed long-term strategies to influence political and public opinion on a diverse range of topics, including social care, welfare, taxation and pensions.
Ruby is currently Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK. Prior to this, she was Deputy Head of Public Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses. Earlier in her career, Ruby worked in policy and public affairs at the Children’s Society and at London Councils. She is experienced at leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams and delivering cross-organisational projects.
At Carers UK, Ruby has gained substantial knowledge of social policy issues and the care sector. Ruby played a leading role in designing and reporting research on the experience of unpaid carers in COVID-19 - ‘Caring Behind Closed Doors’. This evidence was used successfully to campaign for measures to support informal carers during the pandemic. Ruby has represented Carers UK on high-profile coalitions, taskforces, and advisory groups, including some related to development of the White Paper on Adult Social Care Reform. Ruby also leads several cross-organisation projects including Carers Week and the Making Carers Count programme for Carers UK.
During Ruby’s time at the Federation of Small Businesses, she supported work on the impact of National Living Wage increases on businesses in low paid sectors such as care and childcare. She also led work on changes to the apprenticeship system and the impact of the apprenticeship levy on small businesses. Ruby delivered strategic influencing campaigns, including achieving a reversal on the planned increase in National Insurance for the self-employed, delivering discretionary business rate relief, and ending the ‘Staircase Tax’ in the Business Rates System. Ruby also supported women in business, including drafting the ‘Women in Enterprise: The Untapped Potential’ report that led to a joint ‘She Means Business’ Campaign with Facebook, which was widely publicised by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Homecare Association CEO, Dr Jane Townson said:
"We are really looking forward to welcoming Ruby to our team at the Homecare Association. Ruby’s background and experience in policy and public affairs, in both the social care and small business arenas, will be valuable for our members and complements existing skills within our organisation. Ruby’s enthusiasm for our mission to ensure that all of us can live well at home and flourish in our communities shines through and we will value the fresh perspectives and ideas she brings."
Ruby Peacock said:
"I am excited by this opportunity to utilise my skills and experience to influence the social care system, something I am so passionate about. Having personally experienced the challenges of accessing social care for my grandmother last year, I am even more motivated to make a difference. I am really looking forward to working with a great team to influence policy and practice to ensure that people’s needs are met and that homecare services receive the recognition they deserve."
