Female Advocate

Job Type: Part Time, Permanent

Location: Norwich

Working Hours: 08.30-16.30 4 days a week.

Salary: £22,932.74 - £25,102.05

Benefits:             

• 4 day working week, working pattern is negotiable (e.g could do 4 days over 5)
• 28 days Annual Leave pro rata + Bank Holidays (based on full time hours)
• Company Pension
• 45p per mile Travel Expenses Paid

Equal Lives is a user led disabled persons organisation based in Sackville Place, Norwich that is dedicated to making disabled people’s voices heard, supporting people to empower themselves to live independent and fulfilled lives. Offering a welcoming working environment and team, a rewarding and varied position within a respected charity.

The Role – Female Advocate:

To provide comprehensive advocacy to people facing disabling barriers, with a non-judgemental approach to ensure that individuals can make informed decisions about their lives.

Work to empower people to make their own, informed decisions and support them to have their voice heard.

To offer issue-based advocacy to disabled people in the community on areas such as social care, mental health, housing and child protection.

Responsibilities – Female Advocate:

• Providing information, advice and advocacy on a range of issues affecting people who face disabling barriers, currently including:
  
  • Mental health care
  • Support to access treatment and support services
  • Personal budgets and direct payments
  • Discrimination and employment issues
  • Child protection proceedings
  • Being an independent voice for clients.
  • Working alongside clients to challenge institutions, organisations and bad practice where needed.
  • Visiting clients either at home or in the community and working within Equal Lives’ lone working policies and procedures.
  • Communicating with clients in the method that feels most comfortable and accessible for them. This could be via phone calls, emails, letters, video calls, face to face meetings or a combination of all of these.
  • Building relationships in order to understand and effectively advocate for people who may not use words to communicate or may find it difficult to express themselves.
  • Effectively managing a case list and maintaining comprehensive and up to date case management records using appropriate software and ensuring follow up requirements are carried out in a timely fashion.
  • Contributing to the provision of induction and training of other staff including volunteers within the service.
  • Developing strong working relationships with relevant organisations and institutions to ensure that the needs of clients are met.
  • Working as part of the advocacy team and developing a supportive team culture.
  • Keeping up to date with relevant legislation, policies and practice relevant to the role.
  • Support other teams within Equal Lives by offering advice and information on specialist areas of knowledge, where needed.

Person Specification – Female Advocate:

• A detailed understanding of the barriers faced by disabled people, the Equality Act 2010 and Social Model of Disability
• Commitment to equality of opportunity and empowerment of disabled people
• Proven ability to advocate and undertake representation including an understanding of the principles of self and peer advocacy
• Substantial experience working in an advice/advocacy role including client representation
• Specialised knowledge and experience in at least two of the following areas:
  
  • Mental health care
  • Social care
  • Personal budgets and direct payments
  • Disability discrimination and employment issues
  • Child protection proceedings

• Ability to organise and manage conflicting priorities within own workload and the team
• An advocacy qualification at level 3 or equivalent experience
• Excellent inter-personal and relationship building skills
• Excellent communication skills and proven experience of adapting your communications to suit a variety of different people
• Awareness of the impacts of working with trauma and experience of managing this, as well as an understanding of the importance of self-care
• Experience of working with people with dementia, learning disabilities and/or high mental health needs
• Experience of working with IT, including Office, Word and Excel
• Identifies as Female (service users can request advocates based on gender. Due to the make-up of the existing team, females are preferred for this position)
• Experience of supporting people through processes
• Personal experience of disability