Policy Adviser
Company
Location
London, England, United Kingdom
Posted At
5/13/2025
Advertise with us by contacting: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Hunt UK Visa Sponsors aggregates job listings from publicly available sources, such as search engines, to assist with your job hunting. We do not claim affiliation with The Church of England. For the most up-to-date job details, please visit the official website by clicking "Apply Now."
Description
In February 2025, the Church of England’s legislative body, General Synod, voted on a motion brought by the Lead Bishop for Safeguarding on future structures for safeguarding in the Church of England. Synod votes on next steps for independent safeguarding | The Church of England
This work was the culmination of a response by the Church of England to two reports published in 2024 about safeguarding structures and operations. The General Synod motion, as amended, sets the direction of travel for safeguarding structures and operations in the future.
The lead safeguarding bishop and her team are in the process of constituting a Programme Board, which will oversee two Project Boards delivering major workstreams: Scrutiny of Church Safeguarding and Operational Delivery of Church Safeguarding.
The day-to-day operation of delivering the work that General Synod has commissioned is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Structures Team. This team will deliver work to develop a scrutiny body which will scrutinise the Church of England’s safeguarding activities, through the Project Board delivering Scrutiny of Church Safeguarding.
About The Department/Role
The Safeguarding Structures Team sits within the Archbishops’ Council, which is a charity set up in law to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England, and is one of the National Church Institutions.
This role is a three year fixed term contract until July 2028.
What You'll Be Doing
The Policy Adviser (Scrutiny) will play a dual role. In the first and second year of the project, until policy development is complete, they will be responsible for writing policy papers concerning the scrutiny aspects of the Safeguarding Structures. They will undertake research and analysis, provide technical oral and written advice and will draft robust and accessible policy recommendations. These papers will be presented to a Scrutiny Project Board to help them make key decisions around the design, development and implementation of a Scrutiny Body.
The postholder will work across all workstreams related to Scrutiny, with initial priority placed on urgent work to design a uniform local complaint process and commissioning interim provision for end-stage complaints.
Key Role Requirements
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.
What We Offer
Your Salary
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.
This work was the culmination of a response by the Church of England to two reports published in 2024 about safeguarding structures and operations. The General Synod motion, as amended, sets the direction of travel for safeguarding structures and operations in the future.
The lead safeguarding bishop and her team are in the process of constituting a Programme Board, which will oversee two Project Boards delivering major workstreams: Scrutiny of Church Safeguarding and Operational Delivery of Church Safeguarding.
The day-to-day operation of delivering the work that General Synod has commissioned is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Structures Team. This team will deliver work to develop a scrutiny body which will scrutinise the Church of England’s safeguarding activities, through the Project Board delivering Scrutiny of Church Safeguarding.
About The Department/Role
The Safeguarding Structures Team sits within the Archbishops’ Council, which is a charity set up in law to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England, and is one of the National Church Institutions.
This role is a three year fixed term contract until July 2028.
What You'll Be Doing
The Policy Adviser (Scrutiny) will play a dual role. In the first and second year of the project, until policy development is complete, they will be responsible for writing policy papers concerning the scrutiny aspects of the Safeguarding Structures. They will undertake research and analysis, provide technical oral and written advice and will draft robust and accessible policy recommendations. These papers will be presented to a Scrutiny Project Board to help them make key decisions around the design, development and implementation of a Scrutiny Body.
The postholder will work across all workstreams related to Scrutiny, with initial priority placed on urgent work to design a uniform local complaint process and commissioning interim provision for end-stage complaints.
Key Role Requirements
- Writing highly technical policy papers to define the scope, powers and functions of the Scrutiny Body, formulating policy options, ideas and recommendations, to be presented to the Project Board, clearly articulating the rationale and potential impact of proposed changes in accessible and clear language.
- Providing advice based on specialist knowledge on the functions, structures, and powers of regulatory and scrutiny bodies, ensuring that policy proposals align with other statutory and best practice models.
- Undertaking thorough research and benchmarking to understand best practice in relation to scrutiny and oversight functions.
- Assessing the comparative models of oversight and scrutiny used in similar sectors, drawing on international, national, and sector-specific examples.
- Ensuring that Scrutiny Body proposals incorporate accountability mechanisms, transparency requirements, and enforcement powers as appropriate.
- Researching and writing policy proposals that affect the establishment and commissioning of the Scrutiny Body, including the development of budgets, staffing structures and procedural guidelines.
- Analysing legislative, regulatory and operational frameworks to identify key risks, opportunities and policy questions, for Project Board discussion.
- Researching and incorporating best practice from other organisations, religious institutions, and relevant sectors including those serving people who have experienced trauma, identifying innovative approaches and lessons learned to enhance the effectiveness of the Scrutiny Body.
- Incorporating advice from victims and survivors of abuse in development of policy papers. A Survivor Participation Officer will gather insights and feedback and will facilitate survivor involvement and may involve the postholder in survivor meetings from time to time.
- Working closely with the Development Manager (Scrutiny) and Programme Director to shape the statutory and operational frameworks of the scrutiny body, providing responses to technical and practical questions posed by the Project Board and others.
- In liaison with subject matter experts in finance, organisational design, data protection and other specialist areas, incorporating technical guidance relating to legal implications, financial modelling, safeguarding policies and other areas of expertise, mindful of the implications of policy on all parts of the Church of England, including parishes, dioceses, cathedrals, religious communities, theological institutions, mission agencies and others.
The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.
What We Offer
Your Salary
- A salary of £59,248 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.
- 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
- We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department’s needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
- We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
- Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK’s leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
- Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
- Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
- Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
- Strive for Excellence
- Show Compassion
- Respect others
- Collaborate
- Act with Integrity
Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.
Advertise with us by contacting: [email protected]
Hunt UK Visa Sponsors
Copyright © 2025