2026 Senior Communications Manager Charity no: 1118727. Company no: 5581944. Contents Senior Communications Manager .................................................................................................... 0 Welcome! .................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Women in Prison – Our Story ................................................................................................. 3 2. Application and Recruitment ................................................................................................ 5 Senior Communications Manager ................................................................................................. 6 Terms and Conditions: ................................................................................................................. 6 Job Description: ........................................................................................................................... 8 Person Specification: ................................................................................................................. 11 To Apply: .................................................................................................................................... 12 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy ....................................................................................... 12 Policy on the Recruitment of Women with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System .......... 13 1 Welcome! Dear Applicant, Women in Prison is the only national charity focused on women in the criminal justice sector, we are women-led and know the importance of ensuring we have a clear gendered approach in all that we do. Our influencing potential and campaigning voice are substantial. We are currently in our 40th year of supporting women impacted by the criminal justice system. We work with women who are at risk of, or being, harmed by the systems that are meant to protect us. At Women in Prison we are passionate, ambitious and grounded in the reality of women’s lives. We are proud of our roots as a feminist grassroots organisation, and we have grown from strength to strength since the 1980s, delivering services to women and campaigning for change. We exist to support women facing multiple marginalisation and exclusion, who have been let down, and their rights denied. We believe that prison doesn’t work and we want to see an end to the harmful imprisonment of women in England and Wales. This is a very exciting time in Women in Prison. As a deeply value-led organisation, we know that our recently agreed set of values represents the unique nature of our organisation, and also need to hold us to account for how we work in an unpredictable future. Our new vision and purpose will guide us as we build a strategy during 2024 to be implemented from 2025. We know we want to build more coproduction; deeper support to women who are disproportionately affected by the system through an intersectional lens; greater connection between the women we support and the influencing we do; an increased focus on alternatives to the system and a stronger focus on preventing women being caught up in the system. If you are excited by our purpose, and the breadth of what this role could offer to you, we would love to hear from you. I look forward to meeting you. Sonya Ruparel, Chief Executive 2 1. Women in Prison – Our Story Our Vision is of a society which no longer accepts the structural inequalities that lead women and girls into contact with the criminal justice system. Women in Prison was born out of the anger our founder – Chris Tchaikovsky – felt about what she experienced and saw when imprisoned in HMP Holloway in the 1980s. During Chris' time in prison, a woman died after setting fire to her own cell. Chris saw that the specific needs of women in prison and the damaging effect prison sentences were having on women scarcely figured in public or political discourse. So, in 1983, alongside international criminologist Pat Carlen, Chris founded Women in Prison, pushed hard to expose this scandal and campaigned for change. Our founders wanted to increase awareness of the lives behind the women in our prisons, and the impact of poverty and abuse on women’s lives. Chris believed the idea of sending a woman to prison as punishment was shameful and absurd. In her words: 3 “Taking the most hurt people out of society and punishing them in order to teach them how to live within society is, at best, futile. Whatever else a prisoner knows, she knows everything there is to know about punishment because that is exactly what she has grown up with. Whether it is childhood sexual abuse, indifference, neglect; punishment is most familiar to her.” In the early 1990s, the organisation was able to expand its remit beyond campaigning to deliver direct support to women affected by the criminal justice system. WIP's initial focus on prison in-reach services was then expanded to support women in the community following their release. Chris, sadly, passed away in 2002. Despite the loss of our visionary founder, Women in Prison works to carry on Chris' legacy. Today, WIP is a national charity dedicated to making a difference to the lives of women affected by the criminal justice system. We campaign for a new system of justice - one that addresses the root causes of offending (including homelessness, substance use, mental ill health and experiences of poverty, trauma and abuse). Our women’s centres in Manchester and London and the services we provide in communities and prisons deliver holistic, women- centred support to enable those whom we work with to address the complex challenges they face. We want to persuade decision-makers to radically reduce the women’s prison population, by demonstrating how a focus on human rights, social justice, health and investment in specialist community support services, including women’s centres, enables women to move forward with their lives. We do this by: 1. Leading inspiring, passionate campaigns to replace the current system, and to radically reduce the number of women in prison, thereby freeing resources for investment in community support services, including women’s centres. 2. Delivering high quality, trauma-informed, independent advocacy services for women, in communities and prisons, which focuses on early intervention, health and holistic provision as part of a ‘whole system’ multi-agency response. 3. Offering a platform for women’s voices which builds women’s confidence and self-belief, strengthening an understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and provides opportunities to speak ‘truth to power’ to bring about real change Here is a link to our most recent annual report: 2023_Annual_report__and_accounts_Women_In_Prison.pdf (womeninprison.org.uk) 4 2. Application and Recruitment Completing the Application Form Please complete the application form clearly and in full. The personal statement should be no more than 2000 words, clearly demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience relate to the Person Specification and competencies required for the post. Give examples of your work (paid, voluntary or life experience). Be positive and specify your own responsibilities rather than those of your team. Remember we’re interested in what you did and the outcome. We can only shortlist you based on the information you provide in the application form. Please provide details of two referees, one must be your current or most recent employer, voluntary placement or educational reference. Equalities Monitoring WIP is committed to building and valuing diverse teams and aims to provide a working environment that promotes equality of opportunity and is free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. As part of this process, we monitor recruitment to help us understand who we are reaching, reduce inequalities and continually inform our policies and practices. Completing the equalities monitoring form is voluntary however we do encourage you to do it. The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only, it is confidential and will not be shared with the recruitment panel. Shortlisting After the closing date, all applications will be reviewed by a shortlisting panel to determine how each applicants’ skills, knowledge and experience relates to the competencies required for the post (as outlined in the Person Specification and Job Description). Applicants who meet the role criteria will be invited for interview. We will only consider information enclosed in the application form when shortlisting. Interviews As part of the interview process you will be asked to complete an exercise before the interview. You will then meet with a panel of three people who will ask you questions relevant to the role. During the interview, you will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions about WIP, the role and the terms and conditions of service. Feedback Unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the outcome of their interview in writing with an offer to provide feedback. If requested feedback supported by relevant examples from the interview will be provided. 5 Senior Communications Manager Reports to: Director of Development Direct reports: N/A Department: Fundraising/Comms About Women in Prison Women in Prison is a national, women-led, feminist organisation. We deliver front line support to women harmed by the criminal justice system, through our work in prisons, in the community and ‘through the prison gate’ as they resettle back into their communities. We also campaign for systems change that addresses the root causes of offending, reduces the impact of prison, and creates workable, community-based alternatives to harmful imprisonment. Start date: 23rd February 2026 Terms and Conditions: Salary: £48,750 per annum (inclusive of £3,990 London/Southeast Weighting) Location: Hybrid: need to be available to work from London Office and occasional national travel Working hours: Full time: 35 hours per week Contract: Permanent 6 Annual leave: 30 days plus statutory bank holidays (if full time). All WIP staff also receive an additional 3 days leave between Christmas and New Year. Pension scheme: WIP provides an auto enrolment pension scheme with 5% contributions from the employer and 3% from the employee. Clinical supervision: Working with WIP can be enormously rewarding but also challenging at times. So we provide clinical supervision through a Harley Street practice, to encourage reflective practice and support the wellbeing of our team. Employee Assistance Programme: Confidential access to a range of support and information on a 24/7 basis. Including legal advice, emotional support, practical advice and signposting. Cycle to Work Scheme: Eligible employees can save money and spread the cost of a new bike and accessories. 7 Job Purpose: Job Description: This role will lead and coordinate Women in Prisons’ external communications, platforming the voice of women with lived experience of the criminal justice system to raise the organisation’s public profile and awareness of the criminalisation of women. Key Responsibility Areas 1. Lead and develop comprehensive communications strategies to raise WIP’s profile for influencing, fundraising and impact and that align with our vision and mission. 2. Build public engagement and awareness, leading on campaign development and delivery 3. Oversee the production of Women in Prison’s publications. 4. Platform the voice of women with lived experience of the criminal justice system in all external communications. 5. Manage WIP’s Spokesperson network 6. Develop, build and contribute to high quality and authentic partnerships and relationships with stakeholders including journalists. 7. To be a member of the extended leadership of Women in Prison, modelling feminist leadership, anti-oppression and empowering, values-led, collective leadership for the organisation. Duties and key responsibilities 1. Lead and develop comprehensive communications strategies to raise WIP’s profile for influencing, fundraising and impact and that align with our vision and mission • Create and manage the budget for communications activities including website; events, and publications. • Develop and lead a communications strategy, ensuring consistency of voice and key messages across all external communications. • Work in collaboration with colleagues across the organisation and women with lived experience to develop a set of key messages that align with our mission and values. • Lead and deliver engaging, accessible and interesting content for WIP’s digital media platforms, ensuring they are kept active and reflect our key messages and values. • Lead, develop and grow WIPs social media presence and explore new and creative ways to deliver WIPs content through various platforms. • Collaborate with the Fundraising Team to develop and run effective, proactive fundraising campaigns utilising our social medial platforms. 8 • Analyse, measure and report on the impact and effectiveness of WIPs external communications, identifying areas for development and implementing improvements. • Manage the development and upkeep of WIPs website ensuring it is accessible, engaging, user friendly and meets the needs of all stakeholders including women with lived experience, decision makers and partners. • Work closely with our programmes to ensure our communications promote and accurately reflect the work we are doing alongside women affected by the criminal justice system. • Work closely with Head of Policy to maintain up to date knowledge of existing and emerging issues related to the criminalisation of women. 2. Oversee the production and distribution of Women in Prison publications • Lead and coordinate the distribution of publications, including WIPs magazine ‘Still I rise’ to appropriate stakeholders through diverse means. • Ensure all WIPs reports, newsletters, and other promotional material have consistency of brand and voice. • Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in outputs to ensure representation of the intersectional experiences of women in contact with the criminal justice system. • Work across the organisation to develop, manage and keep up to date WIPs key contacts, including key influencing targets. 3. Platform the voice of women with lived experience of the criminal justice system in all external communications • Lead and expand a ‘spokesperson network’ across the organisation and with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system ensuring the provision of full training and support. • Develop, in coproduction, an ongoing series of case studies demonstrating the views and experience of women in contact with the criminal justice system to use in all external communications to help challenge unhelpful stereotypes and the stigma associated with the criminal justice system. • Ensure the provision of briefings and support for all staff and women with lived experience of the CJS when required for media opportunities. • Proactively seek opportunities for women with lived experience to platform their voice. 4. Develop, build and contribute to high quality relationships with stakeholders including journalists • Act as a media spokesperson for women in prison. • Lead and oversee a media strategy, focusing on developing collaborative relationships with journalists and media professionals to secure quality coverage regarding women affected by the criminal justice system and to support WIP’s strategy. • Develop collaborative relationships with partner agencies and organisations to facilitate shared messaging . 9 5. To be a member of the extended leadership of Women in Prison, modelling feminist leadership, anti-oppression and empowering, values-led, collective leadership for the organisation. • To work with the extended leadership team to bring collective accountability and leadership for the organisation. • To effectively manage and coordinate staff and external stakeholders on relevant communications projects. • To embed the organisation’s values through feminist leadership and anti-oppressive practice. • To work collectively with the extended leadership team on operational planning and design, taking a leadership role when required. • Work closely the Head of Policy to share information and contribute to the delivery of a coherent influencing strategy across the team. The job description does not form part of your contract of employment and can be amended from time to time as the needs of the organisation require. 10 Skills and Experience Person Specification: • Relevant experience in a communications or similar role, devising communications support channels for optimal impact reach and to strategies across organisational objectives. • Experience of effective line/project and supplier management, delegating tasks and overseeing the work of others. • Overseeing the publication and dissemination of a range of publications including reports, briefings and promotional materials. • Building and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders in external organisations. • Sharing power, co-producing and platforming the voice and experience of beneficiaries. Personal Attributes and other requirements • Budget management and reporting skills. • Excellent written and oral communication skills which identify key messages, engage audiences and encourage understanding. • Excellent organisation and project management skills. • Sharp attention to detail and maintaining accuracy of communications. • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment managing reactive and proactive work simultaneously. • Commitment to the core values and ethos of Women in Prison, including social justice and feminism. • Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities and an ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work. • A strong collaborative leadership style. 11 To Apply: Applications close: 2nd February 2026 at 9am Interviews with Women in Prison: TBC To apply: Submit a CV and cover letter to application portal If you require reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, please contact the HR team on hr@wipuk.org. We are happy to invest in developing the right person, so you are welcome to apply even if your professional experience does not fully meet the job description or person specification. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minoritised women, and women who have personal experience of the criminal justice system. In line with legal requirements and the nature of our work, this role: Is restricted to women only as a genuine occupational requirement • • Requires the right to work in the UK • Is subject to a Basic DBS check. • Requires that the post holder is not automatically disqualified by (or can obtain a waiver from) the Charity Commission Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Our Principle Commitments WIP is committed to building and valuing diverse teams and taking positive action to promote equality and challenge unfair and unlawful discrimination. We recognise that women may experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on their sex and additional, real or perceived, characteristics including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion, sexual orientation, social-economic background, immigration status, caring responsibilities, spent convictions or trade union membership. WIP works to tackle discrimination and the structural inequalities women experience. We are committed to embedding diversity and inclusion in all areas of our work, including recruitment, and aim to reflect the diversity and excellence of the women that we work with. We actively encourage applications from women from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of skills and experiences. We are particularly interested to hear from Black, Asian and 12 minoritised women and women who have lived experience of the criminal justice system. Policy on the Recruitment of Women with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System Women in Prison actively encourages and supports the employment of women with lived experience of the criminal justice system. We believe that women’s own experiences drive the Charity forward through understanding, solidarity and passion for change. Job Advertisements and the Application Process We do not ask for disclosure of criminal records during the application process, to ensure that women with lived experience of the criminal justice system are assessed on their merit, without risk of discrimination and are not asked to disclose sensitive personal information unnecessarily. If a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for a role, this will be stated clearly in the job advert, including the level of DBS. Levels of DBS Checks Basic DBS checks contain details of unspent convictions. Standard and Enhanced DBS checks contain details of unspent and spent (unless filtered) convictions and cautions (including reprimands and warnings). Enhanced DBS checks may also include other information held by police forces deemed relevant to the role or check for inclusion on the Children’s or Adults’ Barring List. Job Offers and the Induction Process We will only ask for a DBS check at the point of job offer. Disclosures will be treated confidentially and only stored where necessary, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines. Access will be restricted to limited Senior Management or HR representatives as needed to assess suitability for the role. A criminal record will not arbitrarily bar women from employment with us. We discuss disclosures with applicants (in person, or via phone or video call), to allow them to explain the background in their own words. We consider the relevance to the role, including the type and seriousness of an offence, how much time has passed and whether the individual’s circumstances have changed. If they have restrictions on the work they are able to do, we consider whether we are able to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate their employment. 13 The Charity Commission does however have its own automatic disqualification rules on who can hold senior positions within a charity, which apply to our Trustee, CEO and Director of Finance and Resources positions. Although it is possible to apply for a waiver. Women in Prison does not have a blanket ban on any criminal records and will always approach disclosures fairly and on an individual basis. We seek to balance supporting women with lived experience into employment, alongside safeguarding our current employees, service users and the organisation. 14