External Affairs Specialist

The Homecare Association is the UK's membership body for homecare providers. We provide practical support and representation for over 2,100 homecare providers nationally. Together, we ensure homecare is valued so all of us can live well at home and flourish within our communities.

Salary: £35,000 pa

Role Purpose

Working with colleagues and members, you will raise awareness and understanding of the value of homecare with the public, the media and other external stakeholders and help to advance the interests of members. You will support the Head of Policy, Practice and Innovation to create champions for our work in the media and UK Parliament, helping to grow our reputation and profile as a respected source of data, analysis and ideas. You will be responsible for creating effective social media engagement plans that amplify the Association's voice, increase engagement, and build our digital presence across platforms. This includes creating compelling content that resonates with key stakeholders and supports our policy and campaign objectives. A crucial part of your role will be to actively engage with our membership base, understanding their needs and concerns, and translating these to inform the work of the Policy, Practice and Innovation team. You will develop member-focused communication resources, facilitate knowledge sharing, and ensure members feel supported and represented in our external affairs work. You will also assist with the Association’s members’ telephone and e-mail helpline by answering complex incoming enquiries and researching answers where necessary. You will maintain awareness of the social and health care policy landscape in the UK to identify emerging challenges and opportunities which may impact members and the wider sector.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Media Engagement
  • Monitor the Homecare Association's media coverage daily, maintaining press records and producing internal PR data and insight reports.
  • Draft, under the guidance of the Head of Policy, Practice and Innovation, media messages and draft press releases for both proactive and reactive topics.
  • Identify and create opportunities for media coverage for the Association and its members.
  • Identify opportunities for the Editor of the Association's magazine to commission external articles and to write for external publication.
  • Build and maintain an active case study database to support the Association's media activities.
• Social Media
  • Create social media content across all social media channels to assist in influencing opinion, enhancing engagement and extending the reach of the Association’s work externally.
  • Build and maintain a content calendar for policy and external affairs activities.
  • Monitor engagement metrics and adapt social media approaches for maximum effectiveness.
• Parliamentary Awareness & Engagement
  • Monitor proceedings of the UK Parliament and summarise these for relevant staff members, updating members appropriately weekly.
  • Identify opportunities to use political and policy-making processes to promote the work of the Homecare Association to stakeholders, government, Parliament and other public affairs audiences.
  • Draft and review communications to be sent to member organisations on parliamentary, campaign and external affairs activity.
  • Working with the Policy, Practice and Innovation team, draft written and oral Parliamentary Questions for supportive MPs.
  • Support the Policy, Practice and Innovation team in identifying, managing and tracking parliamentary stakeholders.
  • Support the Head of Policy, Practice and Innovation to build strong relationships with parliamentarians.
  • Build personal relationships with Parliamentarian’s office staff to support effective engagement and influencing opportunities.
  • Attend party conferences as required.
• Supporting Members
  • Ensure production, management and dissemination of relevant and topical information and resources about policy and practice developments to member organisations and staff through e-mail alerts.
  • Prepare written resources and practical guidance for homecare providers on communications to help them meet new and ongoing demands on the sector.
  • Prepare copy-ready information for the Association's website, social media and member-facing publications.
  • Manage the annual plan for the Association’s blog.
  • Assist the Head of Policy, Practice and Innovation in arranging and delivering focus groups with members on a regular basis.
  • Engage prospective members and stakeholders through a personal presence at external exhibitions and events, providing knowledgeable information about the Homecare Association and the homecare sector.
• Other Requirements
  • Coordinate team meetings, including preparing the agenda to assist team members to share information about cross-divisional issues and the external policy environment.
  • Support the development of new starters and trainees during their induction and development period.
  • Undertake occasional travel and overnight accommodation, where requested to do so.
  • Abide by the Association’s principles at all times and focus on delivery of agreed strategy.
  • Operate at all times within Policy and Procedures and assist in the review of these, as required.
  • Work collaboratively and support colleagues to deliver team priorities.
  • Take the initiative in improving the way staff work; reporting problems to the line manager and suggesting and implementing improvements.

Contacts & Relationships

• Head of Policy, Practice & Innovation.
• Members of the Policy, Practice and Innovation team.
• Member organisations and staff.
• Members of Parliament and their staff.
• Journalists, Editors and other media contacts.
• Staff from other representative associations.

Reporting & KPIs

Provide timely and accurate monthly reporting on performance against agreed KPI’s, highlighting trends and reporting on exceptions.

Professional Development

Maintain up-to-date awareness of developments in policy and practice and also in systems and technology solutions to enable efficient and effective delivery of the team’s functions.

You’ll join a friendly, professional team that works together to ensure Homecare is valued, so that people can live well at home and flourish within their communities. If you’re proactive, organised, and motivated by making a positive impact, we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply

If this opportunity feels like a good fit, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please email your CV and a covering letter tailored specifically to this role, directly to our Director of Corporate Services, Jon. We’re genuinely interested in understanding what motivates you, what you’ll bring to the role, and how this position aligns with your experience and aspirations. Application deadline: Friday 15th May 2026, 17.00. We encourage early applications, as we will review submissions as they come in and may close the vacancy early if we receive sufficiently strong applications. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions about the role or the process, please feel free to get in touch.