Elizabeth Stevens is a LLM Law Student, and has volunteered as a Young Person’s Policy Writer with the Children’s Heart Federation.
I am the Young Person’s Policy Writer at CHF – my role is to identify, research and draft policy for the charity, who work to represent and support children with heart conditions and their families.
Working alongside two or three team members, we identify which aspect of the charity’s functions and responsibilities require some policy or procedure to support it, and what matters we wish to address within this policy. I then research and draft the policy, which is reviewed by CHF employees and Trustees, before being implemented into CHF’s working practices. Examples of the work I’ve completed so far include creating a policy to regulate what information can and cannot be shared between employees and volunteers and beneficiaries, and a review of CHF’s Child Protection Policy.
This role is unlike anything I have ever done before – I was really excited to take on a new and different challenge. I still feel the same; I’m always really excited to go into the office and tackle the next project. Volunteering at CHF givens me an opportunity to get involved in something new and different, but more than that, give something back to a charity that works so hard to improve the lives of children with heart conditions. The policies I draft become a real day-to-day part of the charity – I can put my skills to use, provide CHF with policies that can support them and the children that they represent.
The most challenging thing I’ve encountered is ensuring that I balance this with my degree – making sure that neither is neglected. The extra effort is completely worth it, however; the chance to do something worthwhile that I genuinely enjoy is worth the small amount extra I do to get my degree work done.
Although my role is quite bespoke, I would wholeheartedly recommend volunteering for CHF in any capacity – they work to make a real difference for children, and have a genuine passion for what they do. The team, although small, is so welcoming, friendly and helpful, and make you feel incredibly welcome and valued.