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Ruby Livings Waterworth
Policy, communications and strategy consultant
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Supporting purpose-led organisations seeking to change people's lives and society for the better.
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I specialise in translating complex policy, research and ideas for diverse audiences, leading multi-stakeholder projects and developing the communications, guidance and tools to help organisations grow their influence.
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With over a decade of experience across government, charities, philanthropy and the political sector, I’ve dedicated my career to taking on some of society’s most pressing problems and advising organisations operating under high levels of public scrutiny.
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Bringing a multidisciplinary approach to my work, I combine high-level strategy with hands-on delivery. This means I oversee the full lifecycle of a project: designing the strategic framework, building consensus, defining the process, and delivering the final outputs that have real-world applications. I’m often asked to start with a blank page or the very earliest kernel of an idea, to work out whether something is possible and, if so, how to go about it.
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At the heart of my approach lie the real voices of those affected by policy – from frontline staff to people with lived experience. This is informed by my own insight as a burns survivor and my first-hand insights into navigating complex health, care and social security systems. I champion true coproduction and, when that’s not possible, building relationships that ensure stakeholders feel heard and that their experiences are really shaping outcomes.
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How I can help your organisation
I provide the following services, tailored your needs:
Discovery, policy & strategy
Best for: When you need evidence and insight to decide how to progress, need to shape a new policy or idea, or want to map out the strategy and approach for an initiative.
Policy translation
Best for: When you need to turn dense, lengthy policy into accessible, impactful applications: briefings, toolkits, guidance, implementation roadmaps and digital content.
Project & fractional leadership
Best for: When you need to progress a complex or stalled project, want to build consensus among stakeholders, or need additional senior capacity.
Narrative & impact
Best for: When you want to clearly define what your organisation does, prove your impact and develop the tools and systems to talk about it.
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"Ruby...brings exceptional judgement and clarity to complex, high‑stakes situations, and has a rare ability to quickly understand and contextualise complexity, read the room and shape communications that are both strategically rigorous and deeply relevant. An outstanding writer and adviser, Ruby builds trust quickly and works with credibility at every level, bringing adaptability and finesse to every situation. Her contribution was highly valued across the Foundation."
- Karen Meddour, former Global Head of Fondation CHANEL
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KEY EXPERIENCE
Ark
Led the comprehensive marketing strategy and public launch for the multi-award-winning EdCity education hub. I built the engagement architecture from scratch – including automated email sequences, newsletters, and tone of voice guidelines – and increased LinkedIn following by 38%. My work delivered a system and tools for permanent teams to sustain long-term implementation.
Fondation CHANEL
Designed and delivered strategic communications to unify the global voice and positioning of the $100m+ foundation during a period of rapid growth and change. I established a cohesive narrative ‘source of truth’ across the website, impact reporting and internal and external comms, ensuring strategic clarity and operational consistency across all territories as the foundation scaled its impact.
Department of Health and Social Care
Delivered strategic policy and guidance for Adult Social Care (ASC) during the pandemic and 2022-24 winter crises. I led the Booster Taskforce’s rapid vaccination guidance during Omicron, designed launch comms for the £500m Discharge Fund, and delivered government’s flagship Winter Statement and Winter Letter. My work provided the blueprint for year-round collaborative planning and I earned multiple In-Year Awards for delivery under extreme pressure.
Youth Access
Led an organisational shift behind a 'human rights-based approach' for youth mental health. I designed and delivered the multimedia policy and campaigns strategy that secured public commitments from 30+ parliamentarians and featured in a BBC series, including a coproduced youth manifesto for mental health reform that was replicated nationwide. During the pandemic, I delivered a publication series and digital toolkit that enabled the sector to provide safe, remote support during lockdown.
European Federation of Public Service Unions
Coordinated multinational campaigns across 45+ countries for a federation representing 8m members. I led mass public events, built coalitions between trade unions and politicians, developed multilingual campaign materials for adaptation to national contexts, and ran trainings for national communications leads. My work included coaching youth networks to lead high-level policy discussions with the European Commission.
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