Trac proudly powers the recruitment for
Islington Council

About
Contact
- Address
- Islington Council
- 222 Upper Street
- London
- N1 1XR
- Contact Number
- 020 7527 2000
Login changes are coming
From July 2025 onwards, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) will be introduced to this site. This will add an extra step to the login process: a requirement to enter a One Time Passcode (OTP) upon login to minimise fraud and maintain security. See our summary page here for more details.
Policy Coordinator
Closed for applications on: 22-Jan-2024 00:02
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 22-Jan-2024 00:02
Key details
Location
- Site
- Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 2UD
- Address
- Upper Street
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- N1 2UD
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 35 hours per week (Hybrid working)
Salary
- Salary
- £41,286 - £42,855 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (PO1, scp 29-31)
Specialty
- Main area
- Strategy and policy
Our mission
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive. To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.
Job overview
The Strategy and Engagement Team plays a critical role at the centre of the Council, driving forward our strategic priorities through development of evidence-based policies which draw on cutting edge innovation and from piloting new approaches. The team is made up of two ‘sub teams’ – the Policy and Strategy team, and the Participation and Engagement team. This role sits within the policy and strategy team, but will support projects that span both policy and engagement work. We are a relatively new team within the council, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to be part of an exciting phase of development.
The Policy Coordinator will use their robust understanding of public policy and appetite for change to support the team on facilitating strategic priorities across the Council, identifying emerging policy developments and spotting opportunities to test new ways of working.
Advert
The post holder can expect to be working on high profile, cross-cutting programmes aimed at tackling complex social challenges by working in collaborative and dynamic ways with colleagues across the council. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to support the development and implementation of existing innovative resident-facing projects led by the team such as on climate action and a participatory budgeting pilot. They will be expected to bring energy, creativity and passion for co-producing solutions with communities and stakeholders. We are looking for the ability to research, produce high quality reports and articulate new approaches to solving problems in compelling ways will be key.
Challenging inequality is at the heart of everything we do as a team and so the Policy Coordinator will also need to provide expert advice to the organisation on equality, diversity and inclusion and in particular, they will have an eye for detail whilst overseeing the Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) process and other equalities documentation.
They will also be expected to provide advice to council services around strategy, engagement and inclusive participation and make sure we are always considering residents in accessible ways in our decision making. The ability to build strong relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders, including elected members, to promote and gain buy in for the Strategy and Engagement team’s work will be expected.
We are looking for energetic change makers, who can collaborate and bring new ideas as we continue on our journey towards a more equal Islington. While you don’t need to have experience working in policy or strategy to do this role, the post holder should bring with them an enthusiasm for policy and the broader ambitions of the council.
Closing date: Sunday 21st January 2024 at 23:59
Interviews: To be confirmed
Working for our organisation
Interested in this role, but have further questions? Please join our informal online drop in sessions to meet the Strategy and Engagement team and find out more about the role and what it's like to work at the Islington Council. We are running two sessions - please choose only one that works best for you.
January 10, 2024, 2 PM
Meeting ID: 389 373 037 647
Passcode: FdVpMy
January 17, 2024, 12.30 PM
Meeting ID: 366 489 535 157
Passcode: HRGhow
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To support the Strategy and Engagement team to develop impactful, innovative and evidence-based policy and projects
- To support on the development of policies as part of the Islington Together 2030 Plan and other high profile cross-cutting programmes
- To support on the development of new policies including the development of a new strategic plan that articulates clear vision, priorities and actions for the Council over the coming years
- To lead on the coordination of the Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) process to ensure services understand the importance of equalities in decision making and complete the relevant forms.
- To draft and deliver robust policy and strategy papers, briefings and presentations for a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including senior and elected members, shaped by learning and horizon scanning from elsewhere
- Work with colleagues across the Council to identify opportunities to test new ideas and learn from them
- To support the team to translate ideas from the Leadership Office, Chief Executive’s office and the Strategy and Engagement team into actionable policy/ strategy, with a strong focus on Islington’s 2030 plan.
- To provide administrative and facilitation support for the cross-council Policy and Strategy Network and/or other mechanisms to disseminate innovative thinking on policy and engagement from across departments, as well as bringing in fresh ideas and approaches from elsewhere
- Work with relevant colleagues to develop innovative resident engagement initiatives, ensuring residents’ views are reflected in policymaking
- To provide advice to services around consultation, engagement and participation ensuring that the Council properly consults and includes residents in decision making in authentic ways from early stages of policy development
- To use data to provide insight into policy development and develop metrics to evaluate performance
- To build collaborative relationships with colleagues internally, with senior leaders, elected members and across the Council’s partnerships
- Perform all duties with due regard to political sensitivity, tact and diplomacy, and always maintain confidentiality
- Undertake other duties and commensurate to the grade of the post, including supporting the priorities and providing administrative and coordination support to the team
It is the policy of Islington Council that no user of service, present or future employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their sex, perceived or actual sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion or belief, age, creed, colour, nationality, national origin, ethnic origin, or disability, or on the grounds of their association with someone in one of these groups; nor is disadvantaged by any conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justified. We welcome applications from Black and Minority Ethnic candidates and acknowledge our responsibility to mitigate against racial discrimination.
Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Islington Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.
Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff, and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are also committed to flexible working and will consider requests where possible.
Islington Council also operates random drug or alcohol testing for safety critical roles or for where there may be just cause.
To apply for this position please use the online application process. Please note that the council only accepts online applications, no CVs or alternative forms of applications are accepted. If you are unable to use the online process please contact the Recruitment team on 020 7527 2155 or e-mail [email protected]
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with multiple internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstrable experience of research and analysis and drafting reports
- Project management experience or experience of supporting projects
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent analytical skills with good lateral thinking to develop creative and innovative policy
- Ability to research, spot trends in policy and stay up to date with relevant developments, draw in knowledge, best practice and ideas from elsewhere and use data to take an evidence based approach to policy development
- Knowledge of policy and strategy development and/or interest in developing skills in this area
- Knowledge of or interest in design thinking and methodologies to shape policy development and service design
- Knowledge of approaches to participation and engagement
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills. The ability to draft correspondence, reports and other documentation in a clear and sensitive manner, as well as the ability to convey complex ideas verbally
- Displays and awareness, understanding and commitment to the mission and values of the Council and the Strategy and Engagement team
- Knowledge of policy issues impacting local government as well key issues around equality, diversity and inclusion
- Confidence in facilitation and working collaboratively with stakeholders and communities to make decisions and develop policy
- Ability to work across a wide range of subject areas, picking up new issues and learning quickly
- Ability to prioritise and manage own workload and use initiative
- Awareness of external networks in relevant areas and ability to draw in knowledge, best practice and ideas from elsewhere
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Monika Milewska
- Job title
- Policy and Innovation Officer
- Email address
- [email protected]
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
You can search for similar jobs on the employer's job board, or visit our national jobs board Health Jobs UK.