Job Description

Post: Sparkle Communication and Engagement Officer

Accountable to:

Head of Sparkle Operations

Location:

Working from home with travel to Sparkle Head Office (Serennu Children's Centre, Newport) for in-person meetings/events as required

Salary:

21,600 per annum

Hours:

30 hours per week, Flexible working pattern considered; some evening/weekend work required for events

Contract:

Permanent

Holidays:

25 days per year pro rata, not including bank holidays

Pension:

Automatic enrolment pension scheme. Sparkle matches members' 5% contribution.

About Sparkle

Sparkle is the official charity supporting Serennu Children's Centre, Nevill Hall Children's Centre and Caerphilly Children's Centre.

Sparkle's principles are to ensure that children with a disability or developmental difficulty, and their families, are fully supported to participate in valued childhood experiences and have access to the same range of opportunities, activities, services and facilities as other children.

Several hundred children visit the centres each week. Sparkle has to raise more than 700,000 every year to fund the vital services we deliver, including specialist leisure activities, family activities, and holistic family support services.

Job Purpose

To lead and deliver Sparkle's communications and engagement strategy, ensuring that families, supporters, staff, and the wider community are informed, inspired, and connected to the work of the charity.

The postholder will manage content creation across digital and print platforms, develop inclusive and accessible messaging, and work collaboratively to enhance Sparkle's brand presence and stakeholder engagement.

They will play a key role in increasing awareness, visibility, and support for Sparkle's services and impact.

Key responsibilities

Develop and review Sparkle's Communications & Engagement Strategy in alignment with organisational goals.

Uphold and champion Sparkle's brand identity across all internal and external channels.

Plan, produce, and schedule engaging and inclusive content for social media, newsletters, website, and printed materials.

Manage and update the Sparkle website (CMS), ensuring content is accurate, accessible, and user-friendly.

Create and test email updates/newsletters for multiple audiences (families, professionals, supporters, trustees, etc.).

Monitor social media and website analytics to refine and improve content and engagement strategies.

Develop and maintain a content calendar and digital asset library.

Source, write, and promote case studies that reflect lived experiences and Sparkle's impact.

Draft press releases and respond to media enquiries; seek proactive media opportunities.

Develop visual and video content for campaigns, appeals, and service promotion.

Write clear, concise copy for a range of print materials including posters, brochures, reports, and presentations.

Produce internal communication tools to ensure staff and volunteers are well-informed and engaged.

Coordinate and support Sparkle-led and partner events, including attending on evenings and weekends as required.

Facilitate surveys, polls, and other two-way engagement tools with stakeholders.

Maintain accurate contact and distribution lists in line with UK GDPR and PECR.

Work closely with service leads to promote activities and share stories of success and impact.

Confidentiality

In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about children, young people and their families. On no account must information be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, other professional staff as appropriate. If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to the authority of a person or body asking for information of this nature, you must seek advice from your manager.

Similarly, no information of a personal confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded by your employers as serious gross misconduct, which could result in disciplinary action being taken against you. Individuals will be responsible for any records they create, use or handle. This responsibility is established at, and defined by law.

All employees who record, handle, store or otherwise come across information, have a personal common-law duty of confidence. The Data Protection Act 2018, places statutory restrictions on the use of personal information, including health information. All staff need to acknowledge the importance of personal records and their responsibilities.

It's security is of prime importance and serious consequences can result should a record go missing. Any disclosure of such information without permission is a disciplinary offence and may result in dismissal.

Special Conditions

Working Hours

The post holder will be required to work flexibly and the post will require evening and weekend working as required by the needs of Sparkle.

Disclosure and Barring Service

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check with a children barred list check.

This post is subject to an exception order under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This stipulates that all previous convictions, including those that are 'spent' must be declared.

Previous convictions will not necessarily preclude an individual from employment but must be declared in writing at the appropriate stage during the recruitment process.

General Responsibilities

Health & Safety

It is the responsibility of all employees to work to achieve a healthy and safe environment, and to take reasonable care of themselves and others.

Equality & Diversity

It is the responsibility of all employees to support Sparkle's vision of promoting a positive approach to diversity and equality of opportunity, to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage in service delivery and employment, and to manage, support or comply through the implementation of Equality & Diversity Strategies and Policies.

This job description sets out the main duties of the post at the date when it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

Sparkle is committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: 21,600.00 per year

Expected hours: 30 per week

Benefits:

Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rogerstone NP10 9LY

Application deadline: 01/09/2025