Senior Policy Officer

Surrey County Council; England; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional local government body in the United Kingdom is looking for a Senior Policy Officer to contribute to key policy initiatives, navigate complex developments, and engage with stakeholders. This role demands experience in legislative changes, strong communication skills, and the ability to lead projects that improve standards in children's services. This is a 12-month fixed term contract offering a competitive salary with additional benefits.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, rising to 31 days

Option to buy additional annual leave

Generous local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development hub

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in partner engagement and co-production.
• Ability to manage and balance differing viewpoints.
• Skilled in analysing complex information and producing clear summaries.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy and procedural innovations for Family First Partnership Programme.
• Develop and maintain internal policies and procedures for children's services.
• Enhance communication strategies for policy updates.

Skills

Strong understanding of national policy and legislative developments

Skilled in written and verbal communication

Exceptional organisational skills

Proven ability to solve complex problems

Strong digital skills

Job description

The starting salary for this role is £41,585 per annum, working 36 hours per week.

This is a 12-month fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity.

We are seeking a motivated and highly skilled individual to join the team as a Senior Policy officer, a role that sits at the heart of a dynamic and evolving landscape, shaped by significant national and local developments.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About the Role

You will contribute to the work of the Policy, Planning and Projects Team (PPP) who sit within the Quality Practice, Relationships and Support (QPRS) division of the Children, Families and Lifelong Learning (CFLL) directorate. You will be expected to navigate complex policy developments, interpret legislative changes, and translate them into meaningful actions for teams and partners.

You will operate within a period of high organisational change, including Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), requiring adaptability, resilience, and a proactive approach to learning and collaboration. The team will have roles in supporting the implementation of national social care reforms, including the Family First Partnership Programme (FFPP), the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and SEND reforms, supporting improved outcomes for children, families, and communities.

The role involves leading policy and procedural innovations for the Family First Partnership Programme (FFPP), ensuring successful implementation of national social care reforms through strong project management and effective partnership engagement. It also includes supporting the development, review and quality assurance of internal policies, procedures and guidance across children's services to maintain high standards and compliance.

You will oversee the status of these documents, liaising with key stakeholders to keep them current and reflective of best practice. Additionally, the role focuses on enhancing communication strategies for policy updates, ensuring they remain engaging, accessible and user-friendly to support consistent understanding and application across the organisation.

For context of the team this role sits in, the PPP Team are responsible for providing a range of services:

• National policy research and publication of a Policy Brief sharing national government policy changes, best practice and evidence-based reports, to support colleagues.
• Manage and quality assure internal policies and procedures for children's services that govern a variety of roles and responsibilities.
• Lead the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Programme to reduce marginalisation and over-representation in social care services.
• Developing the CFLL business plan, through integrated strategic planning that sets out the directorate's ambitions and priorities, to aid local performance planning and continuous improvement.
• Lead on inspection readiness, co-ordinating a range of services, and building information systems to enable frontline teams to evidence practice against a range of regulatory frameworks.

Shortlisting Criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and that you align with our behaviours:

• Strong understanding of national policy and legislative developments (e.g. FFPP, SEND reforms, Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill), with the ability to apply insights in team and organisational contexts.
• Skilled in written and verbal communication with experience in partner engagement, coproduction, and managing and balancing differing viewpoints to achieve shared outcomes.
• Skilled in analysing complex information and producing clear, accessible summaries tailored to Children, Families and Lifelong Learning (CFLL).
• Possession of a forward-thinking approach to conceptualising workstream direction, aligning with strategic goals, and distilling complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to prioritise multiple work areas, adapt to changing priorities, and work flexibly across teams.
• Proven ability to solve complex problems and deliver projects within social care or local authority contexts, supported by strong digital skills.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 16/11/2025 with interviews to follow.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.