Advocacy Jobs
Job title: Independent Advocate – supporting parents and adults with learning disabilities.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, working Monday to Friday.
Salary: £23,069 – £23,280 per annum depending on experience and qualifications.
Place of work: Birmingham, You will be based at CASBA’s brand new fully accessible office in Selly Oak. The role requires you to work in service users’ homes and community venues.
About us
CASBA is an advocacy charity in the south Birmingham area. We make sure the voices of people with disabilities are heard and their rights accepted. We empower people with disabilities to speak up for themselves or advocate on their behalf when needed.
Our team are passionate about the difference we make and are now looking for someone to join us as an independent Advocate.
What we are looking for
We are looking for someone who cares as much as we do about getting the voices of people with learning disabilities heard and their rights accepted. This pivotal role supports and champions people with learning disabilities during pregnancy and on becoming new parents to develop good parenting skills to ensure their children receive the appropriate support they need. You will enable people to make informed choices about decisions by providing them with accurate and accessible information, including the setting up and facilitating of workshops, training, groups, and activities.
You will also provide advocacy to ensure people with learning disabilities can secure their rights and entitlements, maximise their income, deal with crisis and work to prevent it, access services and the community, and be valued as citizens.
About the person
You will have:
• experience of working as an advocate in various settings ensuring their voices are heard and rights are accepted.
• experience of supporting people to navigate challenges they face and access appropriate services.
• understanding of issues faced by parents with learning disabilities and a commitment to promoting inclusivity and diversity.
• ability to work using own initiative, prioritising work, case management and time management.
• excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt communication depending on the needs of the person.
• ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team setting.
• As part of your professional development in the role, the successful candidate will be supported to complete Advocacy qualifications as appropriate.
Why us
This is an exciting time to be joining CASBA, we have an ambitious five-year strategic plan and we have moved to fully accessible offices. We rebranded last year and have many exciting projects and partnerships on the horizon.
Citizens are at the heart of our work and CASBA is making an amazing impact in our local community. Join us to be part of it.
What we offer
We offer hybrid and flexible working, including the opportunity to work compressed hours and if required term-time only options, depending on the role. We also offer a generous holiday allowance (up to 30 days). Entitlement increases with service, and pension contributions.
Equal Opportunities
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, including people with disabilities.
We are dedicated to creating a workforce that is a true reflection of the communities we serve. If you are disabled, have the skills, and or the experience to do the job, then we would love to meet you for an interview.
If you would like a conversation about the role before you apply, especially if you feel you don’t meet all the requirements, please call us to discuss. We know that certain sectors of society count themselves out of applying, so please give us a call before you do that.
To Apply
Please click apply now to complete our short application form and to submit your CV.
CASBA is an advocacy charity in the south Birmingham area. We make sure the voices of people with disabilities are heard and their rights accepted. We empower people with disabilities to speak up for themselves or advocate on their behalf when needed.
Closing date: 18-05-2024
You may also have experience in the following: Community Outreach Specialist, Client Advocacy Coordinator, Social Justice Advocate, Peer Support Specialist, Empowerment Advocate, Community Engagement Officer, Advocacy Liaison, Supportive Services Facilitator, Public Policy Advocate, Outreach and Education Coordinator, Client Rights Advocate.
REF-213 413
You will be working with children and families to provide trauma informed support with the aim of reducing trauma symptoms and rebuild relationships.
KEY RESPONSIBILITY
To work with children (aged 5 – 16) and their families to provide trauma informed support with the aim of reducing trauma symptoms, rebuilding relationships fractured by domestic abuse and helping the non-abusive parent to understand the impact of domestic abuse on their children so they are better able to support them.
DIRECT WORK WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
- To understand and assess the needs of children and families and devise a child-focused support plan
- To utilise evidence-based approaches to strengthen attachments and rebuilt relationships with the non-abusive parent that have been fractured as a result of domestic abuse
- To utilise trauma informed ways of working to reduce trauma symptoms and distress in children
- To work with families in order increase stability and reduce risk 5
- To assist the non-abusive parent / carer in their understanding of the impact of domestic abuse so that they can respond appropriately to the emotional needs of the children
- To attend and initiate mutli-agency meetings where required
- To ensure that children and families receive holistic support that is appropriate to their needs, including advocacy and referring to other services
- To deliver programmes of child-focused group work
- To understand risk and safeguarding issues and act appropriately in relation to risk at all times.
- To work within national, county and ESDAS guidelines, particularly in relation to good practice regarding children
- To provide written reports and case studies to senior management as and when required.
You will receive support and training and a competitive starting salary of £20,000 for a 28 hour week. Reduced hours may be possible by agreement. This is a two-year fixed term post with the possibility of becoming permanent after two years.
We are looking for someone who will work with professionalism, empathy and kindness, have knowledge of working with children and families who have experienced trauma due to abuse and have a trauma informed, child focused approach. Experience of working with complex family situations where there are safeguarding concerns with the ability to assess risk is required.
You will be based at our office in Redhill and you must be able to reliably commute to the office.
For further information (including a full Job Description and Person Specification) please read the Candidate Pack.
We follow NSPCC safer recruitment guidelines and we do not accept CVs, please complete the application form within the candidate pack
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us:
Community ConneX is a campaigning organisation and a multi-project service provider working across West London. We support autistic people, people with a disability, and people and families experiencing barriers to live healthier, happier, and inclusive lives. We do this by ensuring their needs, rights and aspirations are met.
Advocacy 1st is a free, independent service provided by advocates who specialise in the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.
Location: Remote based in Oxfordshire
Key duties:
· Recruiting, training and providing ongoing support to volunteers
· Working with the children and young people to assess their service requirements
· Working with stakeholders to raise awareness and recognise and identify care leavers and young people in need of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
· Looking at opportunities to engage and work with services to identify care leavers and independent visitors
· Reporting and discussing all safeguarding concerns with the service manager
· Completing initial assessments and matching volunteers to young people
· Raising the profile of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
Our ideal candidate:
· Has qualifications relevant to the role
· Has experience of working with children and young people.
· Is aware of legislation such as Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014, Children Act 1989, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC)
· Has excellent communications and writing skills, and the ability to tailor written and verbal communications to a wide range of different audiences
· Can maintain existing relationships and develop new relationships with clients, families, colleagues and volunteers
· Can generate reports and make presentations
In return we offer a range of benefits including:
· Pension contribution up to 5%
· Death in service insurance
· Employee assistance programme
· Bluelight Card
· Cycle to work scheme
· 23 days of annual leave + bank holidays (increases after 2 years of service)
· Gym membership
· Healthcash plan
· Professional development
We are committed to safeguarding and equal opportunities, and we guarantee an interview to all applicants with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the post.
We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident committed employer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.
Community Connector (Mental Health Resilience Worker)
Post no: 594
Working base: Dunstable
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £24,720 per annum
Hours: 37.0 hours per week, Monday to Friday
About the Role
Community Connectors work as part of an integrated, blended mental health offer to support people with emotional, social and practical needs to access a range of local, non-medical and non-clinical services, to improve confidence, social inclusion and independence.
This role will involve working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with statutory, third sector and NHS colleagues to support clients who are suffering from moderate to severe mental health difficulties. You will need to have experience working with those suffering with mental health illness as well as being able to demonstrate in depth knowledge of the services, support networks and local resources that may assist in improved outcomes for those dealing with complex and enduring mental health issues. The ability to be adaptable, work independently and the resilience to work in some challenging environments are key attributes for this role.
Service Delivery
- Assess suitability for community connection support as part of a blended team approach and support individuals to access the service by utilising in depth knowledge of local voluntary and community services and networks in your respective area
- To work with individuals to coproduce a plan to address their mental health and wellbeing goals. Am enable people to achieve these goals through facilitating access and connecting with appropriate resources
- Enable people to access community resources which may include accompanying them.
- Offer support, guidance and help where possible to people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance.
- Take a holistic approach, based on the individuals’ priorities and wider determinants of health that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
- To work as part of an integrated team to ensure the best outcomes for each person accessing the service.
- Identify and build good working relationships with the community groups, relevant services and activities for partnership work and signposting as well as keep updated information about them.
- Competently work as part of a blended team, under direction from Mind BLMK and ELFT, working with independence and in an agile way to support people with complex mental health challenges.
Entitlements/benefits:
- 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
- Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
- Health Plan with a wide variety of benefits
- Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
- In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
- Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)
If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.
Closedown: 5pm Thursday 2nd May 2024
Interview date: TBC
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.
Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
No agencies please.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
This role is a hybrid role within the Children and Families Team which is part of the Wiltshire Domestic Abuse Service, providing support to children and young people that have witnessed or experienced domestic abuse.
The Children and Young Persons Triage Advisor will act as the gateway for all children and young people referrals to the Wiltshire Domestic Abuse Service. Working within an experienced and established team, the Children and Young Persons Triage Advisor will:
- Triage referrals, with a particular focus on children and young people who have witnessed or experienced domestic abuse.
- Conduct risk assessments and offer immediate safety planning advice.
- Respond to safeguarding concerns.
- Signpost victims and professionals to other support agencies where appropriate.
- Provided early intervention support to children and young people as part of triage and welfare calls made.
- Offer specialist domestic abuse advice and support to professionals.
- Making welfare calls to victims who are waiting to start structured support.
- Support as required with co-facilitating in our children and young persons group work provision
In addition, the role requires the building of effective relationships both internally within the Wiltshire Team and externally, supporting a multi-agency approach.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Working within the agreed policies, principles and codes of practice of FearFree, the post holder will:
Working with children and young people and risk management:
- Provide a victim focused service, with an understanding of the impact of trauma on children and young people.
- Demonstrate specialist knowledge and understanding of domestic abuse and how this may impact on the children and young people and their wider family unit.
- Provide advice, guidance and support to children and young people who have witnessed or experience domestic c abuse.
- Assess, manage and review risks to service users, colleagues and self, including the use of the dash risk assessment tool and SOAG.
- Make safeguarding referrals where appropriate: including to Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care, Mental Health crisis teams and MARAC.
- Work directly with individuals or groups as agreed with the Team Manager.
- Safeguard the health and welfare of the children and young people and their families.
- Respond to emergencies and crisis situations including supporting a service user to access a place of safety if appropriate.
- Manage and support service users by telephone with low to medium support needs in line with the agreed values and aims of the service.
- Support as required with co-facilitating in our children and young persons group work provision
- Act as duty worker as part of a rota system. Duty shifts take place in the Trowbridge Office on weekdays between 9 and 5pm.
Team working
- Offer professional advice and support to multi-agency partners.
- Feedback to the Team Manager, Wiltshire Service Manager and/or other Support Workers any information related to the service users support needs or risk issues, and progress on support tasks.
- Work effectively in partnership with multiple statutory and voluntary agencies to enhance service delivery, safety and safeguarding.
- Contribute to effective team working with a flexible and pro-active approach, including cover for other team members’ holiday and sickness.
- Work closely with other agencies, to network with, make referrals to and maintain good relationships with, and be able to disseminate information appropriately.
- Communicate with other staff, as well as the Team Lead and Wiltshire Service Manager, issues related to activities and work undertaken.
Administrative duties
- Help provide a responsive support service with a high quality of customer care.
- Answer the telephone and take messages and referrals, take action on messages and referrals and provide a triage service for all children and young people referrals.
- Assist in the referral process and children and young people follow up calls, contacting other agencies and helping to arrange appointments.
- Assist in the assessment and identifying children and young people for priority allocation
- Update written and computerised records with accurate clear information to deadline, including maintaining details of any special needs required by service users.
- Assist with monitoring and evaluation policies and procedures and producing reports.
Additional tasks and responsibilities:
- Ensure personal safety for self, other staff and service users at all times
- Participate in personal training and supervision opportunities and attend team meetings.
- Carry out other tasks appropriate to the post, which may be identified as the service develops and as agreed with the Team Manager and Wiltshire Service Manager.
- FearFree is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
For a full job description/person specification and to apply, please follow the link provided on this website. There is no specific closing date for this role and this vacancy will close once a suitable candidate is found, so early applications are encouraged.
FearFree is committed to encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive place to work where we can all be ourselves and individual differences are recognised and valued.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
LGBTQ+ Heritage Project Worker
Responsible to: Communications and Engagement Manager
Hours: Full time 37 hours (job-share considered)
Salary: £23,100
Based: Remote, with direct work in Milton Keynes
Contract: Fixed term for 1 year
Closing Date: Friday 17th May
Q:alliance provides support, information and representation for the LGBTQ+ people who live, work and play in Milton Keynes and Bedford. We have detailed knowledge of the issues and challenges that organisations and individuals face locally. It’s our goal to create more safe spaces and resources to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is well represented and supported.
This exciting new role will help deliver the directives of a history and heritage project funded by the Heritage Lottery. The project will support the erudition of LGBTQ+ heritage in Milton Keynes, advancing local communities’ understanding of Milton Keynes’ LGBTQ+ history and inspiring a commitment to encapsulating, celebrating, and feeling connected through shared heritage. This post will be key to extending our reach into seldom asked communities, as well as securing relationships with founding community members. This role will support our Communications and Engagement Manager to develop safer spaces for LGBTQ+ local communities through collaboration with partner agencies and delivery of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training to a range of stakeholders involved in the wider project.
You will work cross-departmentally and participate in effective monitoring systems to ensure robust reporting.
Main Responsibilities
• Project Development - Develop and implement the directives of the funded project, supporting key partners in their collaboration with Q:alliance. Communicate project aims with communities and stakeholders and establish meaningful engagement in the concept of encapsulating heritage and celebrating differing LGBTQ+ identities in Milton Keynes. Support the gathering of audio histories and the collection and succession of community artefacts through the archive. Evaluate and analyse impact.
• E-book creation – Support the Communications and Engagement Manager on the development of an E-book to capture the outputs of the project, including key heritage findings and personal stories.
• Event coordination – Plan, organise and support the delivery of history clubs in line with the project plan, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of invested community members. Support the curation of associated exhibition events.
• Stakeholder and community engagement – Work with the Communications and Engagement Manager to plan engagement and outreach activities in line with the directives of the funded project. Forge and support enduring relationships with key partners, strengthening our commitment to building an alliance of cross-sector compassionate advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in its diverse forms.
• Training – Support the development and delivery of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training to a range of stakeholders involved in the project.
• Data capture and intelligence - Support Q:alliance’s commitment to sustaining a contemporary data and monitoring mechanism, guaranteeing we can deliver thorough evaluations of our services and competent feedback to our funders and stakeholders on the efficacy of our work.
Skills and Experience Expertise
• Experience of project management and/or community engagement
• Experience of training and/or education delivery
• Excellent planning, organisation and administrative skills
• Experience of the voluntary sector Communication
• A flair for adapting communication techniques dependent on context and audience
• Ability to use negotiating and persuasion skills to resolve issues and spotlight community needs
• Aptitude for inspiring others to engage in community needs-led project directives Behaviours
• Skills in forming constructive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels
• A demonstrable track record in effective public engagement
• Passionate about equality and the rights of LGBTQ+ people
• An ability to listen with empathy to the views of communities and team members
• Competence to work on own initiative and demonstrate forward thinking
• Model conduct essential for successful teams, such as reliability, honesty and courage
Desirable
• Event planning experience
• Experience in arts and/or exhibition curation
• LGBTQ+ lived experience
What you’ll bring to the team
You will serve as a prominent point of contact for the LGBTQ+ Heritage Project and encourage long-term advocates of our organisation and the community’s engagement in history, heritage and legacy work. You will elevate the team’s commitment to the funded project, providing concentrated time and resources to ensure its success. You will improve the ways in which our team communicates and responds to the needs of seldom heard members of the LGBTQ+ local community, inspiring innovation in our engagement with heritage concepts.
The Project Assistant will have responsibility for the following documents.
• Heritage Lottery Grantee Monitoring documents and final report
• Monthly reports to the Communications and Engagement Manager
Closing Date: Friday 17th May 2024
Interview Date(s): Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th May
Please note: CVs and Cover Letters will not be accepted for this position. An application form sent to the specified recruitment email address is requested.
To create and nurture a safe and thriving LGBTQ+ community in and around Milton Keynes, where everyone is empowered to be their true selves.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
This role is part of the Devon Domestic Abuse Service which provides support to high and medium risk victims of domestic abuse and their families.
This exciting new specialist role of Housing IDVA is designed to support victims of Domestic Abuse to remain safe in their own accommodation or secure suitable new housing.
The main tasks for this role include:
- Managing a caseload of high risk victims, providing specialist support around housing.
- Acting as a link person between the local authority housing teams, our Domestic Abuse services in Devon, supported accommodation and refuges.
- Offering dedicated support to victims in Places of Safety.
- Providing specialist training and professional consultancy to partner agencies.
This is an 18 month contract with the potential to extend or be made permanent, subject to funding.
For a full job description/person specification and to apply, please follow the link provided on this website. This vacancy is will close once a suitable candidate is found, so early applications are encouraged.
FearFree is committed to encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive place to work where we can all be ourselves and individual differences are recognised and valued.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
HMP Bullingdon, Oxfordshire
Ref SEF-242
Are you a dynamic and collaborative individual who wants to support people entering prison to gain the skills and tools to develop their emotional resilience? Looking for an exciting and highly rewarding new career opportunity?
If so, join St Giles as our Settling in Facilitator, where you will provide vital classroom sessions on emotional resilience to all new prison receptions and deliver tailored one-to-one support to people in prison who are not able to access the classroom sessions.
About St Giles
St Giles is an award-winning social justice charity using expertise and real-life past experiences to empower people who are not getting the help they need. People held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues and others. We show people there is a way to build a better future for themselves and those they care about and help them create this through support, advice, and training. Our peer-led services form the backbone of our work, putting people with lived experience at the centre of delivery, design, and evaluation of support and services across the UK.
About this key role
As a Settling in Facilitator, you will be embedded within a prison-based setting and provide a quality service to people first entering prison. We will count on you to prepare, plan, and deliver the emotional resilience interactive sessions to individuals in prison, ensuring all sessions are appropriate and contextualised to reflect the local needs of the prison and its changing population and utilising expertise around lived experience and local knowledge to empower people in prison.
You will also be expected to deliver additional tailored sessions to individuals who are unable to attend the group sessions or require additional support and to use a trauma-informed approach to build trust and create a safe space for people in prison to explore challenging and potentially traumatic issues and topics.
What we are looking for
• Personal experience of the social care system; criminal justice system; or lived experience of the issues facing this client group. However, we also encourage applications from those without lived experience.
• The ability to build positive relationships with people in prison and be comfortable and confident working in the prison environment.
• A professionally competent approach and confidence facilitating group sessions, as well as being able to tailor the support given to meet the needs of people in prison.
• An invested interest in supporting people in prison to develop healthy coping strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, verbal and written.
What we will do to support you in this role
We will provide the following resources to assist in the successful achievement of the responsibilities outlined above:
• A full induction.
• On-going and targeted learning and development will support and enable you to deliver the role to a high standard.
• Continuous support and supervision including reflective practice to develop your learning and skills as a practitioner.
In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, 4x Group Life Insurance, season ticket loan, eyecare scheme and much more.
For further details on how to apply, click on the apply button.
Closing date: 02 June 2024 11:45pm.
We are actively reviewing applications week-to-week and encourage you to apply as soon possible.
As an equity and inclusive employer, we welcome all applications, but we would particularly welcome applications from Global Majority People (Black, Asian, Brown, Dual Heritage), those living with a disability, those from a neurodiverse group, or have another protected characteristic. We value the positive impact and diversity that your lived experience can bring to our organisation.
As an organisation that works with children and adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients. Successful applicants must therefore submit an Enhanced Adult Workforce with Adult Barred List DBS DBS Check. Prison vetting is also a requirement for the role.