Policy and Participation Officer

Worker Support Centre; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable organization focused on worker rights is seeking a Policy and Participation Officer in the UK. This role emphasizes advocacy for agricultural and social care workers, engaging in policy development and stakeholder relationships. The position supports flexible hours and requires strong communication and engagement skills. Ideal candidates will have a background in public policy and demonstrable skills in advocacy. This is a permanent role with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Enhanced pension contribution

Training and development opportunities

Employee counselling support

Qualifications

• Significant knowledge of labour rights and migrant rights.
• Experience in policy development and parliamentary systems.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) required.

Responsibilities

• Support policy outputs and engagement with workers.
• Draft briefings and submissions to influence policy.
• Build relationships with stakeholders in government.

Skills

Labour rights knowledge

Policy development

Advocacy skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in public policy, law, or human rights

Postgraduate qualification in relevant field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Microsoft Project

Job description

Job title: Policy and Participation Officer

Location: The role is a remote working role with a hybrid combination of home-working and travel for team, worker, policy and partnership meetings. The majority of these meetings will take place in our office at WASPS Creative, Stormont Street, Perth.

Hours: Full time. This may be flexible with 4 days per week considered.

Benefits: 28 days holiday per year plus bank holidays with incremental leave (increasing to 30 days after 2 years); Flexible working options; Training and development opportunities; Union recognition; Enhanced pension contribution; and Employee centred counselling support.

Reports to: This role will involve close working with the WSC Peer Engagement Manager and Peer Engagement Caseworker (care) and the WSC Operations Manager and will line report to the WSC Executive Director.

Contract: Permanent (subject to funding)

The Worker Support Centre (WSC) is a Scotland based charity. We partner with people who have come to the UK to work on visas or temporary contracts. We provide advice to secure their rights, end exploitation, build collective power and drive lasting change together. Alongside other organisations and decision-makers we’re building a movement of people who welcome all workers, working towards a world where we are all safe, valued and respected at work – no matter our job or nationality.

WSC support includes advice, mediation, advocacy and assisted reporting to enforcement agencies. Our worker engagement informs policy change activity to address harms faced by those in high-risk work. In 2023 and 2024 WSC activities were targeted at workers in seasonal agriculture on the UK Seasonal Worker visa (SWV). During this time, we provided advice, support, and information to 1031 people in relation to the SWV. More recently we have expanded our work to engage workers in health and social care and to advance care workers’ rights through worker education and power sessions. To learn more about work, visit www.workersupportcentre.org.uk

About the role

This role is focussed on advancing seasonal agricultural and social care workers’ rights by supporting WSC’s policy and advocacy work. In this role you will support WSC meet two of its four core objectives to work together with workers to claim spaces for power and representation in decision making; and to build the field of knowledge about workers and their experiences to influence policy. As well as work delivered directly by WSC, our policy work includes coordinating with coalitions such as the Ethical Trading Initiative, the Seasonal Worker Interest Group and the Scottish Food Coalition.

WSC strives to achieve representation of individuals with lived experience of the issues on which we work at all levels of our organisation and actively promote applications from individuals with experience of the issues on which we work.

Main tasks and responsibilities

Policy and advocacy

• Support the development of policy outputs, ensuring engagement of workers and cross-organisational engagement.
• Maintain a watching brief on emerging legislation, and policy developments and keep WSC colleagues updated.
• Support and lead key influencing moments and processes, working in collaboration with policy coalitions of which WSC is part.
• Draft worker-informed and evidenced briefings, submissions to consultations in support of worker policy priorities and engage closely with civil servants, Government officials and other decision makers on policy objectives.
• Support the development of WSC’s influencing strategy and lead on targeted influencing strategies for specific areas of WSC work.
• Support participatory engagement with workers to understand policy asks and identify democratic engagement platforms to best suit them and help create opportunities to influence processes.
• Track, assess, understand and respond to future legislative developments and the strategic direction being taken by UK Government, UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders in Government, UK and Scottish Parliament, enforcement authorities and industry.
• Build relationships with members of the Scottish and UK Parliaments, and support the establishment of parliamentary champions for WSC’s work.
• Contribute to wider sectoral networks and groups, including attending meetings and setting joint policy strategy objectives.
• Provide high-quality support to the Executive Director and other senior staff with external stakeholder engagement, developing targeted briefings.
• Support WSC Peer Engagement Officers to conduct participatory workshops with workers to understand their concerns and to develop and articulate collective solutions through influencing strategies.
• Support participatory analysis workshops with workers to jointly analyse concerns articulated in order to establish standards workers would like to see upheld for seasonal and care workers.
• Support the review and documentation of barriers to democratic engagement for seasonal agricultural workers and migrant social carers.
• Actively support workers to engage in advocacy, including by providing worker-centred briefings on advocacy processes and meetings, ensuring meaningful participation and leadership by workers.
• Support workers to engage in policy spaces, including supporting worker understanding of key influencing processes and stakeholders
• Actively listen to worker priorities and concerns and help to translate those priorities into policy asks.

General

• Support the whole organisation goal to integrate workers in all our work at all levels of the organisation.
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning of our work including contributing to organisational processes.

Person Specification

1) KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Indicates the type of knowledge and skills essential or desirable to do this job and the level required using the indicators below.

(1) Significant expert knowledge

(2) Specialist knowledge

(3) Routine but detailed knowledge

Or not applicable (N/A)

Type of Knowledge/skills

WSC Organisational knowledge, and/or knowledge of the issues on which we work: labour rights, migrant rights, organising, anti-trafficking and human rights - 2

Technical understanding of policy specific to the subject areas on which WSC works, particularly opportunity scanning, strategic entry points and key stakeholders of influence - 2

Legislation/Policy - The post-holder will lead on the development of policy, engagement with legislation in passage through parliament (UK or Scottish) and implementation of legislation. Considerable liaison with external stakeholders is required, understanding on how policy/legislation is made and knowledge and understanding of its technical content is essential - 1

Influencing and advocacy: Proven ability to identify key stakeholders of influence and to form strong relationships of influence with track record of gaining acceptance for policies from stakeholders - 1

2) QUALIFICATIONS

Degree level in public policy, law, or human rights or equivalent experience - Essential

Postgraduate qualification in public policy, law or human rights - Desirable

A valid UK Driving license - Desirable

3) EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Type of Experience

Technical professional experience in labour rights, organising, migrant rights and anti-trafficking - Essential - 4 years

Direct parliamentary experience with knowledge of UK and Scottish political systems - Essential 2 years

Engagement with people with lived experience of the issues on which developing policy - Essential 1 year

Use of equipment and systems : Standard Microsoft suite ; Microsoft Project. - Essential - 1 year

Experience of policy development and a track record of gaining acceptance for policies from stakeholders - Essential 2 years

Fluency in English (verbal and written) - Essential

Working competence in Russian or a Central Asian language - Desirable

Experience of work in a precarious labour sector (eg seasonal agriculture, social care, hospitality or other) - Desirable

4) COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Written communication - Namely: A high standard of written communication on diverse, issues eg strategies, formal letters, briefings - ESSENTIAL

Report writing - Namely: The postholder must be able to prepare robust, concise, coherent, well argued policy reports - ESSENTIAL

Oral communication - Namely: The postholder works with a wide range of external and internal stakeholders very often seeking to inform, influence, persuade. This requires high level oral communication skills - ESSENTIAL

Advocacy skills - Namely: The postholder will have the ability to persuade and influence, responding to the needs of relevant stakeholders and providing timely information to advance policy positions - ESSENTIAL

5. PERSONAL QUALITIES

Empathy with workers in high-risk labour sectors and the work of WSC - ESSENTIAL

Strong work ethic: A self-starter with high-energy levels, ability to use own initiative, prioritise, make decisions and implement them, function to deadlines - ESSENTIAL

Ability to build and maintain collaborative and respectful relationships across the organisation - ESSENTIAL

Ability to work flexible hours as required, to travel and spend occasional nights away from home - ESSENTIAL

Sound understanding of equal opportunities - ESSENTIAL

WSC is not a sponsor licence holder and thus unable to sponsor visa applications.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter telling us what appeals to you about this role and what makes you a strong candidate (no longer than one side of A4) to [e-mail]

Closing date for applications: Midday, Tuesday 17th February 2026

We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity and encourage applications from people with lived experience of the issues on which we work. If you require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the selection process or have any requests for support then please contact us to discuss further.