Helen Carr – Head of Policy Development & Review, Policy and Effectiveness

“I started here in September 2008 and it’s my role to manage the team who provide policy support and guidance to the Commission, Government departments and the charitable sector.

At the moment, we’re focusing on the implementation of the last parts of the Charities Act 2006 and working hard to support charities through the economic downturn. This sees us liaising with people from across the organisation every day. There’s a very integrated approach here and there’s plenty of contact between all the departments and locations (for example, some members of my team are based in Liverpool, others in Taunton and London).

It’s this really friendly and open environment that surprised me most. Before I’d had any contact with the Commission, I’d imagined that it might be quite a dry place to work – but everything from the initial HR contact right through until now has proved me very wrong. There’s always something new to learn or tackle and someone different to speak to. Plus I love knowing that what I do is making a difference.

Take our work on the credit crunch for example. The Commission wanted to get a better sense of its impact so we undertook a survey, and then used these results to help improve understanding of the issues across the sector (as well as with the Government and public). It’s just one of many ways I’ve already seen the Commission’s proactive approach really benefit charities.”