Senior Advocate (Practice Lead)

About The Advocacy Project

We help people speak up and make decisions about their health, wellbeing and social care. We’re here to make sure people who are vulnerable because of their circumstance can understand their rights, make effective choices about their lives and voice their concerns.

Some of the ways we do this include:

• advocacy services that make sure people can express their wishes when decisions are being made about their care or wellbeing
• user involvement projects that help organisations improve what they offer by listening to people who use their services
•  local Healthwatch services, which act as health and social care champions for the areas they serve and give people a direct channel to share their feedback
• Accessible communication - we specialise in producing easy read documents designed to help organisations communicate with people with learning disabilities. 

Our services are independent, confidential, and free to those receiving them. Together, our teams are standing up for essential rights and supporting people to have a say on the issues that matter to them.

About the role

The Senior Advocate (Practice Lead) provides organisation-wide advocacy practice leadership while maintaining a complex advocacy caseload when required. The postholder manages the operational delivery of the Spot Purchase Advocacy Service and Paid for Advocacy service and provides expert case consultation to all advocates, supports safeguarding practice, allocates spot purchase referrals, mentors advocates, delivers training and contributes to the continuous development and quality assurance of advocacy practice across the organisation. Working under the direction of the Head of Service Delivery, the postholder supports service development, raises awareness of advocacy services and deputises for aspects of the safeguarding lead role when required.

Key responsibilities

   Practice Leadership

• Provide expert case-related advice and guidance to advocates across all advocacy services.
• Act as the first point of contact for complex advocacy practice queries.
• Support quality assurance through case audits, reflective discussions and feedback.
• Identify learning needs and contribute to improving advocacy practice across services.
• Support advocacy managers with practice-related issues.

Spot Purchase Service

• Manage the day-to-day operational delivery of the Spot Purchase Advocacy Service.
• Support the Customer Advisors with referral allocation, operational queries and monitoring.
• Allocate referrals appropriately according to advocate skills, availability and contractual requirements.
• Monitor referral progression, maintain spreadsheets and ensure contractual timescales are met.
• Support invoice checking and performance reporting.
• Help develop and expand the Spot Purchase Advocacy Service alongside the Head of Service Delivery.

   Paid for Advocacy service

• Maintain online appointment diary for enquires.
• Undertake initial triage conversations.
• Provide advocacy as required.
• Manage end to end process.
• Report monthly on activity.
• Support with marketing of service as required.

Advocacy Casework

• Maintain a reduced but complex advocacy caseload across statutory and non-statutory advocacy services if/when required.
• Provide urgent advocacy cover where operationally required.
• Work across multiple advocacy services according to organisational need.
• Support zero-hours advocates and new staff through mentoring and shadowing.

Safeguarding

• Provide safeguarding advice and guidance to staff.
• Deputise for the Designated Safeguarding Lead during periods of absence.
• Support safeguarding decision-making and promote best practice.
• Training & Awareness
• Deliver induction, refresher training and practice workshops.
• Support awareness raising and promotional activity for advocacy services.
• î  Contribute to presentations for professionals and stakeholders.

General

• Develop effective relationships with commissioners, professionals and partner organisations.
• Undertake projects delegated by the Head of Service Delivery.
• Participate in meetings, service development and organisational initiatives.
• Comply with all organisational policies and procedures.
• Carry out other projects and tasks as needed

Person Specification

Essential

• Independent Advocacy Qualification in at least one statutory advocacy discipline (e.g. Care Act Advocacy, IMCA or IMHA).
• Significant experience working as an advocate.
• Excellent knowledge of advocacy legislation including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental Health Act 1983, Human Rights Act and safeguarding adults.
• Experience supporting or mentoring advocates with casework.
• Experience managing complex advocacy cases.

Strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and ability to deputise for the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

• Excellent organisational, leadership and prioritisation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Excel and case management systems.
• Ability to manage spreadsheets, referral allocation and operational monitoring.
• Ability to work independently and across multiple advocacy services.
• Willingness to undertake advocacy casework when required.

Desirable

• Qualifications in multiple advocacy disciplines (e.g. Care Act, IMCA, IMHA, RPR).
• Experience in delivery training.
• Experience promoting or marketing advocacy services.
• Experience supporting service development and quality improvement.
• Knowledge of commissioning and contract monitoring.

Personal Attributes

• Professional and approachable.
• Supportive and collaborative.
• Solution-focused with excellent attention to detail.
• Creative and proactive.
• Committed to high-quality advocacy and continuous improvement.

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.