About The Advocacy Project

We help the most marginalised and vulnerable people in London make effective choices about what happens in their lives. We also support them to speak up and help improve important services we all need. We want to make sure people across all age and care groups – including learning disability and mental health – can:

 voice their concerns

 understand their rights

 make effective choices about what happens in their lives

We do this through advocacy services which support people individually, and user involvement projects that help organisations improve the services they offer.

About the role

The Advocacy Service Manager leads a team of advocates working with adults and young people across the NHS, private hospitals and the local community.

You will give line management support, be the point of contact for our stakeholders and make sure we deliver high quality advocacy as per our contracts.

Key responsibilities

Lead your team to deliver advocacy services, actively encouraging team members to contribute to service planning, quality improvement and development.

Make sure the team provides instructed and non-instructed advocacy, plus signposting where needed, working to the advocacy empowerment cycle and actively promoting self-advocacy where practicable.

Manage your team to write high quality advocacy notes, details of outcomes and other evidence into the case management system.

 Keep up-to-date with relevant new legislation, policy, reports, current trends and issues, and share with your team. This includes the mental health act, mental capacity act, care act, and local / national policy.

Use operational policies and procedures to make sure your team achieve quality standards and professional, consistent advocacy services.

 Deliver contracts within budget, to agreed key performance indicators, case work standards and monitoring requirements; produce quarterly monitoring and other reports.

Lead on raising awareness of the advocacy service to service users and potential referrers.

Make sure referrals are allocated efficiently, appropriately and within the requirements of the contract.

Give support and supervision to your team including work review meetings, team meetings, appraisals and professional development. organisational activities such as CPD lectures and staff briefings

General responsibilities

 Participate in team meetings and training, and proactively encourage your staff to attend.

 Participate in personal, team and organisational development.

Contribute to organisational reporting.

Keep to our policies, including health & safety, and risk regulations.

Work to our mission, vision, and values.

Carry out other projects and tasks as needed.

Person specification

Essential

Proven leadership ability and strong people management skills.

Experience of managing contracts and delivering advocacy services.

Understanding of statutory and non-statutory advocacy.

Sound knowledge of current issues in health and social care policy, practice and legislation.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).

Exceptional stakeholder management abilities with experience of building effective relationships with commissioners, partners, service users and colleagues.

Commitment to working within The Advocacy Project code of conduct, equality and safeguarding policies.

Ability to work as part of a team and on your own initiative, to plan and prioritise your own workload.

Willingness to promote The Advocacy Project and the mental health service in line with our mission, vision and values.

Desirable

 Qualification in advocacy or advocacy management.

Competencies

The more detailed expectations we have of our advocacy managers are shown in the document Advocacy Manager Competencies on our website. Please make sure you’ve read and understood these competencies before applying.

Benefits of working for us

We’re committed to providing an empowering, flexible and supportive working environment for all our staff.

Our employee benefits include 30 days annual leave (including up to 3 days between Christmas and New Year), participation in a pension scheme with 6% employer contribution, access to a free confidential counselling service, and an interest-free travel/bike loan.

All our staff are supported to learn and develop in a variety of ways, including a monthly lecture series where we invite sector experts to talk to our staff on topical issues.

We are a Disability Confident and Mindful Employer.

How to apply

Send your CV and a supporting statement explaining why you think you’re the person we’re looking for and how your experience meets the person specification.

Do you think it is a national disgrace that in England and Wales, two women a week are killed by their partner or ex-partner? Or that one woman in every four will experience domestic violence at some point during her life?

Do you want to work for an organisation that provides a voice for abused women, and plays a vital role in ensuring that life-saving services are in place to support them? If so, then the role of IRIS Educator may be perfect for you.

We are recruiting an IRIS (Identification & Referral to Improve Safety) Educator to work with GPs to help them identify and provide effective pathways for patients who are experiencing VAWG and provide training to practice teams across Lewisham. 

The post holder will train and provide ongoing support to GP practices to enable primary care staff to be able to effectively talk to their patients about domestic violence, provide early identification and offer appropriate care pathways for female and male victims of domestic violence aged 16 years and over.

The IRIS Educator will work in partnership with a local clinical lead to deliver the model.

The role involves working in partnership within a multi-agency framework to deliver services and promote effective joint working to provide early identification, effective interventions and advocacy for women and men experiencing domestic violence.

The post holder will provide advice, advocacy and support - in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles.

The ideal candidate will be a VAWG practitioner with experience of delivering training and an understanding of IRIS (Identification & Referral to Improve Safety). 

All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the feminist values of empowerment and equality, which underpin all of our work. Successful applicants will be expected to work within Refuge’s Values and Behaviour Framework and demonstrate these in their everyday work.

Refuge is proud to be a leader in its field and an employer of choice with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. We offer the first Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) accredited qualification for our profession. As an ever expanding charity we are also able to provide career development opportunities including advancements into management roles across our range of services.

Location: Lewisham

Interview date: 14 October 2019

Closing date: 06 October 2019

An enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificate will be required for this role.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Refuge is committed to quality, equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

No agencies please - as a charity we work hard to keep our costs down.

Victim Support is looking for a Complex Case Independent Victim Advocate to based in North London.

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and respect they deserve.

The main purpose of the role is to provide high quality holistic support to all victims and witnesses of crime referred to Victim Support whether by the Police another agency or self-referred. You will lead on support for your allocated caseload of clients coordinating with others internally and externally as required. There will be a particular focus on those that are the most vulnerable, including repeat victims and victims of high harm crime.

To be successful in this role you will be expected to provide practical and emotional support in a way that is approachable, flexible and caring, showing empathy at all times. As well as being tenacious in support of your clients and being able to solve problems and surmount the challenges posed by the criminal justice system.

Victim Support offers competitive rewards and benefits including pension and life assurance, 25 days annual leave (pro-rata), voluntary benefits such as season ticket loans and the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing world-class services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Applications should be explicit enough to provide good evidence against the shortlisting criteria, which are marked in the person specification as (s). In order to apply, please create a profile in our website (jobs section), complete and submit an online application form.

If the vacancy has not specified the essential criteria for shortlisting, please use this section to express how your experience and skills are relevant for the role. If you have the drive to make a difference within an organisation which makes a difference we look forward to hearing from you.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks will be required.

Victim Support takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Diversity matters and we value it.

Contract: Permanent, part time (12 hours)

Coram Voice is looking to recruit an Advocate/IMHA to join our service to provide Visiting Advocacy at Kyloe House Secure Children’s Home in Morpeth.

This role will deliver Visiting Advocacy IMHA services in Morpeth.As a visiting advocate you will also act as Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHA) to support young people as qualifying patients within this role, as described under the Mental Health Act. Visiting Advocates aim to empower and inform young people to enable them to make informed choices, find effective solutions and to increase their self confidence in self-advocacy.

Outside of your regular visit to Kyloe House, you will need to respond flexibly to the needs of young people by attending meetings as required and completing follow up actions such as telephone calls, emails and completion of monitoring and records.

You will work as part of a small team of IMHAs and report as required to the Coordinator at Coram Voice.You will take a full role as a member of the Coram Voice staff team and attend the staff day in London each year.

We are looking for candidates with a broad range of experience and backgrounds, evidence of an ability to effectively communicate with young people, a commitment to children’s rights and the ability to advocate constructively.

Candidates should have the ability to remain particularly non-judgmental at all times when delivering a service to young people within this setting and be committed to ensuring Coram Voice’s values are translated into direct service delivery

If you have the necessary experience, attitudes and skills and a commitment to protecting the rights of young people experiencing mental health problems, we would like to hear from you.

Closing date: Wednesday, 16th October 2019

Interviews: Tuesday, 23rd October 2019

Warner Interviews: TBC

All posts are subjected to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and successful candidates will not be able to work unsupervised with children or young people until the completion of this process.

Coram Voice - working towards quality through equality and the development of a diverse workforce.

Hammersmith and Fulham Mind provides mental health services in the borough. We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and hardworking individual to be part of our dynamic team.

This is an exciting opportunity to advocate for prisoners aged 18+ who experience mental health needs, learning difficulties, and/or autistic spectrum disorders/conditions whilst also delivering Care Act advocacy to residents of Hammersmith and Fulham who have mental health care and support needs.

Previous experience of providing advocacy to people who experience mental health problems is desirable however we will consider applicants that can demonstrate other relevant experience and desirable transferable skills.

To apply for this role, please complete the application form demonstrating in the supporting statement area how you meet the criteria in line with the person specification and provide examples of previous experience in line with the job description.

This position is for 28 hours a week and is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2020.

Closing date for applications: 22nd October 2019 (Midday). We encourage applications from anyone with relevent experience but we will be interviewing suitable candidates as we receive applications and if find the ideal candidate the job posting will be closed earlier.

Provisional interview dates: Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th October 2019

Victim Support is looking for a Children And Young Person's Domestic Abuse Advocate covering South London with flexibility in location.

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and respect they deserve.

The main purpose of the role is to deliver specialist and enhanced support to young people who have experienced Domestic Violence Abuse (DVA) in the home. You will be responsible for ensuring that high quality and early interventions are delivered to Children and Young People (CYP) affected by DVA. This is a partnership with Chance UK; you will work as a team with Chance UK and with partners in the London to coordinate support.

The successful candidate must have the knowledge and experience of delivering a service for Children and Young People (CYP), and have successfully engaged youth within a service-driven organisation of comparable size, scope and complexity. It is also essential that you have an understanding of current issues faced by CYP experiencing domestic abuse. You will need to demonstrate the ability to develop creative solutions with CYPs' involvement, and demonstrate negotiating, advocacy and influencing skills. The ability to write high quality support plans is essential, and training will be provided.

Special working conditions, for this role will require a DBS check as you will be working independently with young people, some flexible working hours including occasional weekend and evening work as required in line with the needs of the young person.

Victim Support offers competitive rewards and benefits including pension and life assurance, 25 days annual leave (pro-rata), voluntary benefits such as season ticket loans and the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing world-class services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Applications should be explicit enough to provide good evidence against the shortlisting criteria, which are marked in the person specification as (s). In order to apply, please create a profile in our website (jobs section), complete and submit an online application form.

If the vacancy has not specified the essential criteria for shortlisting, please use this section to express how your experience and skills are relevant for the role. If you have the drive to make a difference within an organisation which makes a difference we look forward to hearing from you.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks will be required.

Victim Support takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Diversity matters and we value it.

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events

Main purpose of the job is to effectively manage and develop a high quality, innovative and pro-active domestic abuse service for victims and their children, including those at highest risk as well as effectively motivate, develop, and performance manage a team of IDVA's across the boroughs of Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon.

To be successful in this role, you will need to have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse, including the impact on victims and their children, and the legal and practical remedies available to these clients. Experience managing the delivery of domestic abuse services and managerial experience is necessary as well as having a thorough understanding of IDVA work. Experience of working in partnership with CJS and Health organisations will be beneficial.

You would also need to hold a SafeLives IDVA training certificate, a relevant degree, a vocational qualification or have equivalent experience.

Victim Support offers competitive rewards and benefits including pension and life assurance, 25 days annual leave (pro-rata), voluntary benefits such as season ticket loans, and the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing world-class services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Applications should be explicit enough to provide good evidence against the shortlisting criteria, which are marked in the person specification as (s). In order to apply, please create a profile in our website (jobs section), complete and submit an online application form.

If the vacancy has not specified the essential criteria for shortlisting, please use this section to express how your experience and skills are relevant for the role. If you have the drive to make a difference within an organisation which makes a difference we look forward to hearing from you.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and disclosed barring service checks will be required.

Victim Support takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Diversity matters and we value it.

Mind in Ealing and Hounslow provides mental health services in the borough. We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and hardworking individual to be part of our dynamic team to empower people to advocate for themselves and to ensure their voice is heard.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Mind in Ealing and Hounslow advocacy team to provide Independent Mental Health Advocacy to people across west London boroughs.

Previous experience of providing advocacy in an inpatient setting to people who experience mental health problems is desirable however we will consider applicants that can demonstrate other relevant experience and desirable transferable skills.

To apply for this role, please complete the application form demonstrating in the supporting statement area how you meet the criteria in line with the person specification and provide examples of previous experience in line with the job description.

This full-time position is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2020.

Closing date for applications: 22nd October 2019 (Midday). We encourage applications from anyone with relevent experience but we will be interviewing suitable candidates as we receive applications and if find the ideal candidate the job posting will be closed earlier.

Provisional interview dates: Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th October 2019

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and respect they deserve.

The main purpose of the role is to provide personal and structured support to victims of crime, which include victims of serious crime, persistently targeted victims, vulnerable and intimidated victims as per the MOJ Victims Code of Practice; to develop and enhance relationships with key statutory and non-statutory partner agencies, especially within the hub setting working together in support of enhanced entitlement victims of crime and to manage the work of volunteers in providing appropriate support to victims of crime, retaining overall responsibility for the case management.

To be successful in this role, you will have understanding and knowledge of the requirement for confidentiality and safe working practice and maintenance of files in accordance with the Data Protection Act and other legal requirements. You will have experience of delivering a service and working directly with clients or service users in a statutory, voluntary or community work setting. You will also have knowledge of the criminal justice system and the impact of crime including witnesses giving evidence.

You will have an excellent telephone manner with the ability to engage and develop rapport as well as the ability to needs assess, risk assess and empathise with the victim. You will be able to work without direct supervision, prioritising work and dealing with competing or conflicting demands/ needs and interests in an organised and methodical manner. You will be able to gather, analyse and use information and evidence from different sources, solve and resolve problems. Car user preferred.

VS are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks will be required.

Victim Support offers competitive rewards and benefits including pension and life assurance, 25 days annual leave (pro-rata), voluntary benefits such as season ticket loans and the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing world-class services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Applications should be explicit enough to provide good evidence against the shortlisting criteria, which are marked in the person specification as (s). In order to apply, please create a profile in our website (jobs section), complete and submit an online application form.

If the vacancy has not specified the essential criteria for shortlisting, please use this section to express how your experience and skills are relevant for the role.

If you have the drive to make a difference within an organisation which makes a difference we look forward to hearing from you.

Victim Support takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Diversity matters and we value it.

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and respect they deserve.

The role involves supporting victim/survivors of domestic abuse through the court system. Two days a week you will support clients attending Stratford Magistrate Court and one day a week you will be located at Thames Magistrates Court to be the voice of the victim. You will be part of the East London team supporting victim/survivors from the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest. The successful candidate will have a thorough understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on victim/survivors and their children, as well as experience of providing emotional and practical support and strong casework management skills. Working as a member of the East London Domestic Abuse team you will be supporting domestic abuse clients through the criminal justice system, heightening awareness of the processes and outcomes, whilst having the ability to work in partnership with other agencies aiming to increase the level of domestic abuse prosecutions.

Candidates will have the skills to provide effective crisis intervention, carry out risk assessments, safety planning, assessment of needs and individual support planning. You will work in partnership with other agencies to develop and deliver risk management plans to ensure victims' safety. You will be responsible for advocating on behalf of survivors of domestic abuse and managing and reviewing your cases.

You should have demonstrable experience of working in an IDVA or similar position with this or a similar client group, or an outstanding knowledge of supporting those experiencing domestic abuse, is essential including the MARAC process. Candidates will need to have proven knowledge of the criminal justice system and social care and understand how they relate to survivors of domestic abuse. Possess excellent communication, written and IT skills, the ability to engage with clients and liaise and deliver training and presentations to external agencies and stakeholders effectively.

Victim Support offers competitive rewards and benefits including pension and life assurance, 25 days annual leave (pro-rata), voluntary benefits such as season ticket loans, and the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing world-class services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Applications should be explicit enough to provide good evidence against the shortlisting criteria, which are marked in the person specification as (s). In order to apply, please create a profile in our website (jobs section), complete and submit an online application form.

If the vacancy has not specified the essential criteria for shortlisting, please use this section to express how your experience and skills are relevant for the role.If you have the drive to make a difference within an organisation which makes a difference we look forward to hearing from you.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks will be required.

Victim Support takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Diversity matters and we value it.

Domestic Violence Advocate

Our client is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services for victims of all forms of gender-based violence (domestic, sexual, so called ‘honour’ violence, modern slavery and human trafficking, prostitution, forced marriage, stalking and FGM). Every day they support over 6,000 women and children in their national network of services. These include Independent Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Advocacy services (IDVAs / ISVAs and IGVAs), community outreach, specialist refuge accommodation, sanctuary services, culturally-specific services and the Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline. they advise the Government and lobby hard to keep violence against women and girls high on the public agenda. they run award-winning prevention and public education campaigns, manage a busy press office and website, and they are an accredited training provider. They give a voice to the voiceless.

Position: IGVA (Independent Gender-based Violence Advocate) – Romanian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian or Hungarian Speaking
Location: Eastern European IDVA service
Job type: Full Time, Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:30pm
Salary: £27,177 to £29,943 per annum
Benefits: include 28 days holiday, pension scheme, an employee assistance programme and a childcare voucher scheme.

Closing date: 27 October 2019

About the role:

In this fast paced and well established service for Eastern European women and children, you will provide high quality personal welfare support for survivors of gender based violence, including domestic and sexual violence, modern slavery and prostitution. You will work with survivors from the point of crisis, assisting them through civil and criminal justice systems in Ealing, Brent and Hounslow and offering intensive support to ensure short-term and long-term safety. You will be a Romanian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian or Hungarian speaker.

Responsibilities:

- You will support the service manager in building sustainable referral pathways and joint working protocols with a range of partners working with survivors of gender-based violence, including community housing organisations, BAMER support groups, health, substance misuse, law-enforcement agencies and other voluntary and statutory organisations.
- You will have proven experience of providing direct emotional and practical support to women as well as up-to-date knowledge of legislation relating to survivors of gender-based violence.
- You will have excellent casework skills, good written and verbal communication skills, clear professional boundaries and be a proactive team player.

About you:

- All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the feminist values of empowerment and equality, which underpin all of our client's work.

Other information:

Our client is proud to be a leader in its field and an employer of choice with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. Other benefits include 28 days holiday, pension scheme, an employee assistance programme and a childcare voucher scheme.

An enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificate will be required for this role. The post is co-located part-time in a police station and therefore may be subject to the Metropolitan Police Service vetting procedures.

Our client is committed to quality, equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. This post however is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

No agencies please - as a charity our client works hard to keep their costs down.

You may have experience of the following: Community Outreach Worker, Outreach Worker, Charity, Not For Profit, Third Sector, Support Worker, Mental Health, Voluntary Sector, Inclusion, Community Development, Social Worker, Charities, Community Engagement, Social Care, Multilingual, Romanian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, etc.

Ref: 89722

Mind in Brighton and Hove empowers and supports people who have experience of mental health issues in Brighton and Hove and West Sussex. Our Advocacy Services take action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need.

We are seeking to appoint a full-time (35 hours per week) Advocate for the West Sussex area, based in Horsham and surrounding areas for three days per week as Community Advocate and then two days per week as IMHA in Crawley and the surrounding areas.

This role involves providing Independent Mental Health Advocacy, working within the framework of the Mental Health Act 1983 to support people to understand their rights under the Act and participate in decisions about their care and treatment across the area of West Sussex. The post requires an understanding of advocacy, experience of managing a client case load, excellent communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a range of professionals, whilst retaining independence.

In return, we offer a range of benefits including full induction, nationally accredited advocacy qualification and 29 days’ leave (pro rata) per year excluding bank holidays, 3% pension contribution and access to a 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme.

Closing date: Noon on Monday, 21st October 2019.
Interview date: Friday, 25th October 2019 at 51, New England Street, Brighton.

All successful applicants are subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.

Independent Mental Health Advocate & R.P.R.

Applications will be considered for a part-time or full time position (30- 37.5 hrs).

(£21.5 - £23K pro rata dependent on experience)

Matrix SDT are seeking to employ an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) to work with Surrey clients with mental health issues and a Relevant Persons Representative (RPR) to work with those lacking capacity and deprived of their liberty. The IMHA post will initially be based at The Abraham Cowley Unit (Chertsey) and Farnham Road Hospital (Guildford), but will eventually involve working at various sites across the County. RPR work will primarily be in East Surrey and will be based at the post-holder’s home.

Previous advocacy experience and an IMHA qualification is

desirable though not essential for IMHA role, as is experience of working with

those with limited capacity for the RPR role. Training will be provided.

• Good holiday allowance.

• Flexible working hours considered. • Small and supportive team.

Closing date Friday 18th October 2019 Interviews:  28th October 2019