Access / Employee Assistant

At the Guide Dogs, our Access Assistants work as both drivers and support workers, enabling the person supported to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively. Rather than completing tasks on behalf of the person, Access Assistants provide the necessary support to empower them to do their job.

This Access Assistant position is designed to support a staff member who is the Regional Policy and Campaigns Manager within the Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Team. The role involves driving the Manager across the UK for internal meetings and external engagements with stakeholders, including conferences and events, which may require overnight stays. You will provide sighted assistance and orientation in unfamiliar environments, including the use of public transport.

Key responsibilities include planning journeys and managing the Manager’s calendar to ensure punctuality, taking confidential meeting notes, supporting data entry and document formatting, and describing complex visual information such as charts and maps. You’ll also assist with researching policy information, booking meeting rooms, and ensuring documents are accessible. In addition, you'll provide exercise and environmental enrichment for the Manager’s guide dog.

The successful candidate will be a positive team player with strong interpersonal skills, capable of working independently and handling sensitive information with discretion. You should be computer literate, familiar with Microsoft Office, and experienced in supporting people with sight loss. A flexible, proactive approach is essential.

By enabling the Regional Policy and Campaigns Manager (Midlands and East) to carry out their role effectively, you’ll play a key part in supporting Guide Dogs’ national and regional campaign work, helping people with sight loss live the life they choose.

This role is 29 hours and we have reasonable flexibility how these hours are worked across the week. You will be located within a commutable distance of Stafford with a willingness to travel across the Midlands and East, and occasionally further afield.

No two people with sight loss are the same, and none of our people are either. So, we are proud to offer a range of person-centred benefits that can support each member of staff in ways that really mean something to them – and show them how much they mean to us. We offer a flexible benefits package, discounts and cashback scheme, a generous holiday allowance and matched contributory pension scheme to care for our people.