Policy and Public Affairs Officer

**Job title** Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Devolved Nations)

**Hours** Part-time (equivalent to 22.5 hours a week), in line with our flexible working policy

**Remuneration** £20,000 to £26,500 per annum pro rata (depending on experience)

**Type of contract**:Fixed term - 12 months (with possibility for a permanent role)

**Location** Home based, with frequent travel to Edinburgh as well as infrequent travel to Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.

**Report to** Patient Advocacy Manager

**Work closely with** Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Westminster), Advocacy Officer, Healthcare Liaison Officer, Campaigns Officer, Research Officer, Science Communications Officer, Regional Coordinator for Scotland, Regional Coordinator for Wales and Northern Ireland, Communications Team and Patient Services Team.

**WHO WE ARE, AND WHAT WE DO**

Leukaemia Care is the UK’s leading leukaemia charity. For over 50 years, we have been dedicated to ensuring that everyone affected receives the best possible diagnosis, information, advice, treatment and support.

We are here for everyone affected by leukaemia and related blood cancer types - such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

We provide information, advice and support for anyone affected, this includes patients and their friends and families too. We raise awareness of the issues impacting people affected by leukaemia, MDS and MPN, and campaign to fix them. We are driving early diagnosis, raising public awareness, improving services and ensuring access to effective treatments.

How do we do this? We have a wide-range of services aimed at patients and their loved ones from diagnosis and beyond. Our support services range from nurse-led helplines, support groups and free-of-charge medical information to access to paid counselling, grants for those feeling the financial strain of a diagnosis and providing buddies so people always have somebody to talk to who have experienced something similar to them. We encourage you to have a read of our website and find out all the ways we support from diagnosis and beyond

Crucial to our work is raising awareness of leukaemia as a blood cancer and the importance for early diagnosis. Leukaemia can be difficult to spot as the symptoms are similar to many other common conditions. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of the signs of leukaemia and this leads to diagnosis being delayed, which can worsen outcomes for patients.

As well as working to educate the general public through our #SpotLeukaemia campaign, we are working closely with our colleagues working in front line medical services to ensure they have the most up-to-date information on diagnosing leukaemia. We know that by raising awareness and working to educate health care professionals, we can save lives and improve outcomes. Mattia explains the importance of this work in this video - Spot Leukaemia simply saved his life.

**Overview of the role**
- Influence policy which impacts the lives of people affected by blood cancer.
- Plan and implement Leukaemia Care policy initiatives which underpin the strategic plan.
- Work with the Campaigns Officer to identify issues that require campaigning activities.
- Ensure all staff internally are aware of policy issues from Devolved Nations that may influence queries from patients, carers, family/friends, healthcare professionals or any other interested party.
- Ensure all staff are aware of policy activities of the charity.
- Project manage the work relating to access to medicines, including SMC and AWMSG appraisals and health technology assessments elsewhere.
- Maintain and grow a database of policy makers, build relationships and identify policy advocates for blood cancers.
- Provide administrative support to the Patient Advocacy Manager.

**Duties and responsibilities**

**Policy**:

- Write articles on relevant policies for internal and external publications, both hard copy and digital.
- Attend external policy events in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and represent Leukaemia Care, at the request of the Patient Advocacy Manager.
- Identify sources of data, evidence and information, from the NHS or other sources, useful to developing our policy strategy.
- Assist the Patient Advocacy Manager to develop policy strategies.
- Work closely with Policy and Public Affairs Officer to identify common policy concerns and required actions across the UK.
- Assist with drafting briefings, policy and position statements on the issues affecting cancer patients and their carers, in general as well as specifically blood cancer patients.
- Assist with reviewing external policy documents from a variety of sources such as Cancer 52, the Blood Cancer Alliance etc.
- Assist the Patient Advocacy Manager to influence national, regional and international policy by representing the needs of patients and their carers in consultations, regulatory submissions and other policy initiatives.
- Actively network and