The Children’s Commissioner is the ‘eyes and ears of children in the system’. Her role is to look out for England’s vulnerable children – those otherwise hidden from sight. This might be children accommodated by the state, including children in care, secure accommodation, residential special schools or in-patient health settings. But it also includes those children on the margins: those who need help or support but are not getting it, those at risk but marginalised from existing services. The Commissioner exposes how the system works for vulnerable children and takes this message to Government, Parliament and the public. We are a very small organisation with big ambitions and a relentless drive to improve the lives of children in England.

About the Role

We are recruiting for an investigative researcher. Your role will be to understand the issues facing vulnerable children (particularly the children and the issues everyone else is missing) and translate this to a senior audience in Government and Parliament. The role will be informed by the issues raised with us by the children who contact our helpline (for children in care) or through our programme of visits. In investigating these issues you will be able to utilise the Commissioner’s two unique legal powers. The first of these is the ability to get data or information from anyone exercising a public function towards children. The second is the ability to enter any premise where a child is accommodated away from home (including children’s homes). As part of this role you will be visiting a range of settings to meet children and the professionals working with them.

We are inviting applications from a range of backgrounds. You may have worked with children in a professional capacity (teacher or social worker, etc.); you may have experience of policy, strategy or research from local government or an NGO. You may be a researcher or investigative journalist. Whatever your background, you will need to be able to demonstrate excellent written English; an ability to manage a diverse workload with competing priorities and be able to produce succinct, high-quality work quickly.