Emma Cookson

Manage British Red Cross work as part of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance (government-led programme with member voluntary organisations).

• Management and reporting on £90,000 per annum grant.
• Lead two policy research projects: refugee and asylum seeker access to healthcare; and health inequalities and its impact on urgent and emergency care pressures.
• Manage Policy and Advocacy Coordinator as part of this work.
• Build relationships across civil society actors, leading coalition activity on joint advocacy activity.
• Recently achieved policy win for refugee access to healthcare, through targeted advocacy with the Home Office to ensure that the NHS accepts the Application Registration Card (ARC) as a form of registration ID.

A current Churchill Fellow, researching digital exclusion and its impact on refugees and asylum seekers. Field research based in Canada, Greece and France.

Responsibilities and achievements:

• Wrote and implemented our health inequalities strategy 2022/23 and drafted the 2023/24 strategy.
• Currently project managing three policy research projects, leading cross-organisation teams of 10+ people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• Communicate BRC's concerns, positions and messages to external and internal audiences. Includes written outputs such as policy briefings, inquiry submissions, advisory notes for key stakeholders. Also includes oral communication, representing BRC in public forums (such as on panels and roundtables) and in meetings with civil servants and government.
• Identify and manage relationships with key health stakeholders. Have seen increased engagement across national and local health stakeholders with BRC policy team, resulting in increased influence in our project areas.
• Responsible for representing BRC at our two health coalitions.
• Monitoring and analysing political and policy-related developments on health inequalities to provide strategic guidance and insights to colleagues.
• Wrote UK manifesto influencing documents across six policy areas. Currently implementing influencing activities.
• Organised six policy development workshops, including one with 15 people with lived experience of health inequalities which had unanimous positive feedback from them on involvement.

I led policy and government relations on inclusion health and non-UK migrants.

Responsibilities and achievements:

• Policy lead and author of the Kerslake Commission report on Rough Sleeping and Homelessness. Publicly commended by Nickie Aiken MP as “one of the most collaborative pieces of research on homelessness and rough sleeping I have ever seen”. Progressed the 48 recommendations through working in partnership with sector partners, local government and central government.
• Author of St Mungo’s report on housing and health over Covid-19 for people rough sleeping. Led on dissemination, including presentations as the keynote speaker to an audience of 100+.
• Line managed Public Affairs Officer and intern.
• Designed, drafted and implemented St Mungo’s Public Affairs Plan 2020/21 and 2021/22.
• Co-led on two proposed amendments to Health and Social Care Bill. Led to direct changes in Health Disparities white paper.
• Experience speaking to audiences of 500+. Presented evidence as expert witness to committee on drug policy.
• Led Lived Experience Advisory Group of 10 people who were, or had previously been, experiencing homelessness.
• Wrote policy briefings and synthesis reports on thematic areas including refugee and asylum homelessness; the impact of criminal justice system; and women's homelessness.

I designed and implemented our cross-party campaigns across different social justice issues, using a variety of political and public engagement campaign methodologies.

Responsibilities and achievements:

• Developed More United Network of 64 MPs from six parties to support campaigns and deliver impactful advocacy work. Was key point of contact for Network.
• Led multiple successful national campaigns including Government extending care workers visas and ending fees facing EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit.
• Responsible for parliamentary engagement. This included event organisation such as quarterly parliamentary receptions and MP roundtables.
• Extensive experience designing Theories of Change and utilising power analysis methodologies and other campaign development tools.
• Wrote and designed campaign materials.
• Provided quarterly monitoring reports to Board.
• Budget responsibility for £50,000 campaigning budget.
• Led cross-party, issues-based General Election campaign, coordinating 2000 volunteers and 104 candidates.
• Line managed campaigns and communications officer.

• Part of Public Policy, Economics and Politics team, working on global public policy consultancy. Worked with analysts to provide evidence-based research for policy makers.
• Provided quantitative and qualitative research analysis on projects including migration index for International Organization for Migration and youth policy index for MISK Foundation.
• Part time during my MA.

• Based in Shanghai, supported journalist colleagues with researching and writing articles.