Job Description

Policy and Research Officer

Base office location can vary dependent upon suitable candidate with a balance of home and office working

43,395 per annum (

rising to 45,679 per annum after 12 months, subject to satisfactory)

37.5 hours per week

We have an exciting opportunity for a Policy and Research Officer to join our Sanctuary Supported Living team. Reporting to the Head of Quality and Compliance you will be responsible for the provision of policy and research support across the breadth of Sanctuary Supported Living. You will also contribute to the quality and compliance approach, as well as wider project planning; assisting with managing workshops and events.


The role is varied and fast paced and offers the opportunity to both support and lead a variety of projects.


We value our team and encourage learning and progression through our comprehensive induction programme, as well as on-going training to develop new and existing skills and encourage progression. Sanctuary has their own Learning and Development Academy, who provide a wide range of training courses, open to all.


Sanctuary also offers a great employee rewards scheme, where you will be able to receive a variety of discounts from major retailers.

The role of Policy and Research Officer will include:

Developing and publication of the Sanctuary Supported Living's policy and procedure programme Researching and drafting policy and procedure documentation Assisting with communication of research, legislation, policy and good practice Assisting with the operations of the Quality and Compliance Team Developing briefings and reports for senior managers on issues and sector updates Maintaining external/internal networks Promoting a good undertaking of sector developments and innovative practice across Sanctuary Supported Living service types Planning, researching and drafting content for high quality publications, statements, events and staff communications Contributing to the design of research material, data gathering and analysis

Skills and experiences:

A degree, management qualification or relevant professional qualification Analytical skills and lateral thinking to develop creative and innovative solutions across Sanctuary Supported Living Excellent oral, written and visual communication skills to engage a range of stakeholders A good knowledge in at least one key social policy area i.e. adult social care/health and/or housing Ability to develop negotiation skills within a context of complexity and ambiguity to influence priority outcomes Ability to develop technical skills and abilities in relation to policy analysis and interpretation that leads to the development of Sanctuary Supported Living wide, strategic direction setting A good understanding of the national and local context and operations of the client directorate related to the role, in this case health, adult's social care and housing. A good understanding of statutory, policy and regulatory frameworks with regard to specialisms listed above Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages Any local authority/public sector experience

Are you ready to be your best?

As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary Supported Living a great place to work, we offer you access to a range of great employee benefits and the opportunity to develop and progress within your career. Benefits include:


At least 25 days paid holiday, rising to 30 days after 5 years service (plus public holidays) A pension scheme with employer contributions A variety of online discounts and rewtads from major retailers Health and well-being plans Life assurance Family friendly arrangements, including opportunities for flexible working Tax efficient savings through our Cycle to Work scheme A wide range of learning and development opportunities

Job Reference: 226292

Closing Date: 15 October 2025

We are only currently accepting applications from those with the right to work in the UK.


If you are applying internally, don't forget to use your internal careers account to submit your application.


We might get a lot of applications so reserve the right to withdraw this advertisement at any time. Don't miss out, please apply early.


Inclusion is one of our core values. Our goal is to be a diverse, inclusive organisation where our people thrive and meet our customers' needs with fairness and empathy. We know having a range of ideas and opinions makes a difference. We encourage and welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support this mission. We will make adjustments throughout your application process, in line with Sanctuary's commitment to our Disability Confident employer status.

Building Equality and Diversity

Sanctuary Group encourages and welcomes applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support our commitment to offering an inclusive environment for our employees and customers.

We work closely with the Home Office in order to prevent illegal working.

A basic Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary in the event of a successful application which we will pay for.

Sanctuary Supported Living is a trading name of Sanctuary Housing Association and Sanctuary Home Care Limited, both exempt charities.