Purpose of role
Our public affairs work is changing the national conversation about domestic abuse, with both national and locally based elected representatives and the officials and colleagues who work alongside them. Our Head of Public Affairs and Policy ensures that those with the ability to make change, because of the funding or policy making role they hold, understand SafeLives’ mission and what our data, practice expertise and the voice of survivors is telling us about how to stop domestic abuse in the UK. In this role, offered as maternity cover, you will develop our policy influencing capacity and support our national roll-out of ground-breaking interventions to stop domestic abuse. You will also take responsibility for enhancing our reputation and supporting programmes across the organisation, including our consultancy practice, paid products and training and advice, and support to professionals.

You will be an experienced public affairs specialist with a background in policy influencing and extensive contacts. You will build relationships between SafeLives and its key public affairs audiences to enhance our influence, reputation and profile both locally and nationally, and maintain really great relationships with those who currently call on our existing Head of Public Affairs and Policy for advice and input.

You will be joining the organisation at a pivotal moment. Following consultation on its draft Domestic Abuse Bill, the Westminster Government expects to begin pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill in the autumn, introducing it to Parliament in the new session in 2019. New legislation on coercive control has also just been passed in Scotland. SafeLives has a significant interest in both of these pieces of legislation, both in its own right and in partnership with many others with whom you will need to work closely and effectively.

We welcome staff members who have themselves had an experience of domestic abuse, either directly or indirectly, whether they choose to discuss this openly or not