Job description

[Pages:6]Job description

Job title: Salary: Contract type: Hours per week

Policy Fellow

?47,688 per annum plus excellent benefits

12-month maternity cover contract

Full time team members work 37.5 hours per week, and with hybrid working those hours can be done any time between 7am ? 7pm. Core working hours are 10am ? 3pm. For this role we would need a minimum of 1 day per week in the office, in line with our hybrid working framework

The Health Foundation

We are an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK.

Our aim is a healthier population, supported by high quality health care that can be equitably accessed. We learn what works to make people's lives healthier and improve the health care system. From giving grants to those working at the front line to carrying out research and policy analysis, we shine a light on how to make successful change happen.

We make links between the knowledge we gain from working with those delivering health and health care and our research and analysis. Our aspiration is to create a virtuous circle, using what we know works on the ground to inform effective policymaking and vice versa.

The policy team

The aim of the policy team is to support more evidence-informed policies on health and social care in the UK, contributing to better population health. We do this by analysing, understanding, and informing national policies on health and social care in the UK, with a particular focus on the overall direction of the health system in England and how it is performing. This includes work on national policy changes and priorities in health and social care (such as the development of integrated care systems in the NHS or improving access to primary care), the approaches used to improve performance (such as greater devolution or cross-sector collaboration), the overall performance of the health system (for example, through public polling and international comparisons), and several other policy areas. We focus primarily on public policy--that is, health policies made by government or elsewhere in the public sector. And we analyse health policy in its political context.

We do this through a mix of approaches, including:

? Generating high quality research and analysis to inform the development of national policies and understand their impact on health and care in different contexts

? Making sense of and synthesising existing evidence to identify implications for policy

? Providing an independent voice on the direction of the health system and how it is performing, including how policy and performances compares to other countries

? Convening policymakers around relevant evidence, analysis, and questions for the future

The policy team works closely with other parts of the Health Foundation to do this, including our REAL Centre that provides long-term projections on health care funding and staffing.

Primary role

The policy fellow is a core part of the policy team, but also provides dedicated research, analysis, and other support directly to the Health Foundation's chief executive.

The policy fellow contributes to a mix of short and longer-term projects in the policy team. This includes analysis on major policy changes in the NHS, integration of health and care services, and policy approaches to reducing health inequalities. The role focuses particularly on fast-moving reactive work and tracking relevant political and policy developments. Examples include responding to new NHS policies (such as national strategies for the NHS in England), major political events that impact on health and care (such as funding announcements or elections), and day-to-day developments in health and care policy.

The policy fellow is expected to have a versatile skill-set, including research skills to enable them to contribute to and lead pieces of analysis. This might include synthesising qualitative and quantitative research evidence, and analysing a mix of qualitative data such as policy documents, grey literature, and official reports related to a particular policy area. They will be supported to do this by senior members of the policy team, and will be expected to work collaboratively with analysts from within the policy team and across other Foundation teams.

Working closely with the communications team, the chief executive and other senior staff in the policy team, the postholder will help develop responses to emerging policy developments. They will write succinct internal briefings, blogs, and contribute to other Health Foundation publications. They will also provide research and analysis to support the chief executive--for example, to prepare policy papers, commentaries, or presentations. The postholder will also work with the chief executive and other senior colleagues to engage policymakers and other relevant policy communities directly. This will include meetings with senior policymakers, seminars, and other events to communicate our analysis. They will also work directly with the chief executive on areas of cross-cutting policy analysis.

The policy fellow is expected to have excellent writing skills, and to be able to draft for a range of audiences, including succinct internal briefings, and external outputs including blogs, briefings and reports. They are also expected to have a detailed knowledge and understanding of health and care policy in the UK, including an understanding of the politics of health reform, including the role of party politics and the role of the media.

The policy team works closely with other teams in the Health Foundation on projects and to exchange ideas--for example, with those carrying out more in-depth quantitative analysis. The policy fellow must therefore be able to work collaboratively, and value the mix of methods and approaches that are needed to produce effective policy analysis. They will have a particularly close working relationship with the Health Foundation's communications team. The policy fellow will play an important role in supporting responsive work, such as identifying relevant data or other material to help inform our media statements. They will also play a role in scanning policy developments and identifying areas for responsive work.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Assist with a range of high-profile projects across health policy, including the planning and development of projects, and helping with analysis, writing and publication.

2. Contribute to fast-moving reactive policy analysis and tracking relevant policy developments.

3. Provide research, analysis and other support as needed directly to the chief executive, including on cross-cutting policy areas and emerging Foundation priorities.

4. Contribute to the policy team's programme of research and analysis. This may include conducting literature reviews and synthesizing research evidence, analysing qualitative data, and working with analysts producing quantitative research.

5. Write for a range of audiences to communicate our research and analysis, including contributing to Health Foundation publications, press releases and consultations, internal briefings, and other relevant outputs to communicate the findings of our work.

6. Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders relevant to our policy portfolio and the chief executive's work, including academic and NHS policy communities. Support the chief executive and policy team to convene stakeholders through events and seminars.

7. Assist with the communication of the findings of our work to a range of audiences, including policymakers, academics and the media. Support the chief executive and policy team to convene senior policy stakeholders through meetings, events, seminars, and other formats.

8. Contribute to corporate level activities, such as staff meetings, and corporate initiatives to help develop the Foundation

9. Support and help develop the Policy team to be as effective as possible. 10. Actively develop professional and technical expertise as a policy analyst and

researcher. 11. Take advantage of learning opportunities available to employees of the Health

Foundation and undertaking all mandatory training as required. 12. Commit to and demonstrate the Health Foundation's key behaviours: Being

Committed to Diversity and Inclusion, Working Together, Achieving Impact and Discovering & Learning.

Wider contribution

As with other staff at the Foundation, the postholder will be expected to contribute to corporate activities and initiatives, such as staff meetings, cross-Foundation leadership and development programmes, and other corporate projects as necessary.

The postholder will also be expected to play a role in supporting and helping to develop the policy team to enable it to be effective. The postholder will also be expected to show active initiative in developing their own professional expertise, and to demonstrate commitment to the Health Foundation's key behaviours: Working Together; Achieving Impact and Discovering and Learning.

We value equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from different backgrounds. We are also committed to making reasonable adjustments for candidates who have accessibility requirements.

Candidates should have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.

Person specification

Criteria

Assessment (CV/SSShortlist, TTest, IInterview)

Essential/ Desirable (E/D)

Behaviour Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion ? I

E

A commitment to diversity and inclusion in

employment and service delivery.

Behaviour Working together ?

I

E

A person who works collaboratively and is

able to work successfully work across teams

(both internally and externally) in a

consultative manner.

Behaviour Achieving impact ?

I

E

Ability to work as part of a team towards a

common mission.

Behaviour Discovering and Learning ?

I

E

A person with an active interest in the work of their colleagues and a commitment to developing their knowledge. An ability to learn from successes, challenges and mistakes.

Education A first degree in a subject relevant to health CV/SS

E

policy.

Education A higher research degree is desirable, but not CV/SS

D

essential.

Knowledge A detailed knowledge and understanding of CV/SS, I

E

health policy in the UK. An understanding of

the politics of health reform ? party politics,

politics among key stakeholders (the

professions, third sector, patients) and the

role of the media.

Knowledge An understanding of, and a commitment to CV/SS, I

E

learning more about, wider public policy,

including how government departments and

regulators work.

Experience Excellent analytical skills. Experience or

CV/SS, I

E

strong understanding of qualitative and

quantitative research methods and their

application to health policy questions.

Experience Experience of working on projects in

CV/SS, I

E

collaboration with a larger team and external

stakeholders. Able to work independently, but

also take direction from others.

Experience Excellent communication skills. Experience CV/SS, I

E

and understanding of how to present and

communicate complex issues in health policy

to a variety of audiences, including to the

most senior policymakers, print and

broadcast media.

Abilities Clear concise writing skills, with complex

CV/SS, I

E

and skills ideas communicated simply and logically.

Abilities Good facilitation, networking and project

CV/SS, I

E

and skills management skills.

Abilities Able to show initiative, creativity and ability to CV/SS, I

E

and skills work flexibly, often to tight deadlines. Highly

conscientious and works to high standards.

Job Description

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