Lead independent mental capacity advocate jobs

• Hours: 37.5 per week 

• Salary: £57,000 per annum 

• Contract: Permanent 

• Location: Our office, Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundhay Road, Leeds LS7 1AB 

• Deadline for applications: Monday 15th June, 12 Noon 

• Job Interview Date: Monday 29th June 

The Director of Finance, Corporate Services & Income is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring Advonet is financially sustainable, well-run and resilient. The role provides strategic financial leadership, oversight of corporate services, and a significant focus on income generation and diversification.  

This role plays a critical part in strengthening Advonet’s long-term viability by improving financial decision‑making, embedding a culture of income awareness and diversification, and enabling managers and teams to contribute confidently to business development activity.  

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To find out more about this vacancy, please download our Recruitment Pack from our website. It has information on what the role involves, including key responsibilities and a person specification. There is also more about what working for Advonet is like, as well as information on our values and the benefits on offer.

To apply for this job we require a cover letter (max 500 words) and a CV diversity monitoring form. You can find more details about this in the Recruitment Pack.

For any questions about the role, please contact our office and ask to speak to Angela Ellis CEO.

The chosen candidate will ideally be based in Hertfordshire, and any travel expenses from within the county will be covered.

This is a fixed-term contract for 9 months, with a possible 3 month extension.

About Us

Healthwatch Hertfordshire are an independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Being a values-driven organisation with a national reputation for our research and engagement work, we are here to find out what matters to local people and help ensure their views shape the support they need.

Our purpose is to help make care better for people by improving how services are run now and in the future. We have an ambitious vision to ensure that health and social care work for everyone.

The Role:

We are looking for someone who enjoys talking to people, listening to their experiences, and turning those conversations into meaningful change.

You will gather evidence from Hertfordshire residents about their experiences of health and social care services, analyse the findings, and produce clear insight driven reports that drive service improvement through insightful recommendations, and partnership with decision makers.

The broader health and social care landscape is actively changing around us, and we need someone who can work flexibly, respond to changing needs, and stay confident and calm during change – making sure our values and duties to the public are successfully delivered.

Responsibilities

• Building relationships with local residents, including those from underserved and marginalised communities
• Running focus groups, surveys, and engagement events
• Engaging with senior stakeholders (internally, NHS, county council, voluntary sector)
• Managing research and engagement projects from start to finish
• Writing clear, practical reports and insights
• Presenting findings and recommendations

Essential Criteria

• You live in or near Hertfordshire and can travel regularly across the county
• You are confident and experienced communicating with the public, diverse communities, and senior leaders
• You have experience designing and delivering research questions, running focus groups, and crafting and analysing survey data
• You can write clear, engaging reports for health and care decision makers and the broader public, drawing recommendations from the insights

Skills and Experience

• Ability to scope, design, organise, deliver, and analyse insight from focus groups and online surveys
• Experience of engaging directly with members of the public to gather insights
• Talking to people from a wide range of communities
• Good organisation and project management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to work collaboratively and in a flexible and agile way

If you do not meet the entire criteria but believe you have preferential experience and transferable skills, we welcome you to apply.

To Apply

Please submit your CV and a tailored covering letter to Louis Eastwell of Hire Purpose, before 23:59 on Sunday 31st May 2026.

You are welcome to initially submit a CV prior to completing a covering letter.

Louis is exclusively managing this recruitment campaign and will be speaking with all longlisted candidates prior to a formal interview with Healthwatch Hertfordshire.

Application Guidance:

A tailored covering letter highlighting how you meet the essential requirements of the role, outlining your relevant experience, skills, attributes, and your motivation for applying and supporting Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s mission.

Hire Purpose champions inclusive recruitment.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. We uphold equal opportunity principles and challenge bias at every stage, partnering only with organisations that share our commitment to integrity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hire Purpose is also proudly a B Corp certified business that has met B Lab UK’s high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Main Purpose of Role:

· Devise and implement a mixed programme of community fundraising activities, to generate a sustainable source of unrestricted income to meet agreed targets.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Launch, implement and run innovative income generating projects to maximise donations to SWA, to look after relationships with existing donors and build on relationships created to ensure fundraising potential is optimised.
• Set up and manage a volunteer community fundraising team
• Organise and manage community fundraising activities (including digital) and events to maximise all fundraising opportunities and work to raise the profile of the SWA.
• Keep abreast of developments in the third sector relating to fundraising and have an awareness of the local competition for donations.

General Responsibilities:

Responsible for the Health, Safety and welfare of yourself and your colleagues, ensuring the duties and responsibilities are clearly understood and that legislative requirements are adhered to.

• Respect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of duties, perform and refrain from disclosing such information without written consent from management, except where disclosure is required by order of a Court of law.

• Maintain professional competence by complying, at all times, with the training and competence procedures set down by the Organisation. Generally, keep abreast of developments affecting your duties and responsibilities.
• Be aware of the Organisation’s Equal Opportunities Policy regarding both employees and service users to assist in eliminating all areas of inequality and discrimination.
• Become familiar with the aims, ethics and aspirations of the Organisation and to sustain and promote them. Participate enthusiastically in the growth and prosperity of the Organisation.
• Undertake any other business development/funding duties, as directed that can reasonably be accommodated within the salary range for the job and your expertise.

Job Description and Review

The job description reflects the present requirements of the post.  The description will be reviewed in consultation of the job holder as and when the duties and responsibilities change.  Such review will normally also take place at the Annual Appraisal Meeting.

Desirable

• Charity fundraising qualification
• Membership of Institute of Fundraising or other relevant professional body.
• Ability to speak Welsh

Essential

Experience 

• Minimum of two years’ experience in community fundraising with a proven track record of achieving funding target
• Experience in planning, organising and delivering fundraising campaigns, events and activities
• Developing and evaluating new opportunities for partnerships and community fundraising
• Raising funds via social media activities/digital marketing
• Experience of managing or working with volunteers to support fundraising activities

Knowledge

• Charity community fundraising
• Donations
• Proven knowledge of online fundraising tools, digital marketing and social media
• Regulatory knowledge to include Gift Aid, general data protection regulations and fundraising best practices.

Skills/Personal Qualities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, and experience with Customer Relationship Management software systems.
• Numerate and attentive to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate records
• Good networking skills
• A proactive self -starter who is able to work on their own initiative, managing and prioritising their work to meet agreed deadlines and targets
• An excellent communicator, with persuasive, engaging and creative writing skills
• Understanding of, and enthusiasm for, SWA’s work, mission and values
• A passion to raise funds for SWA

Other

• Full UK driving licence and access to a suitable vehicle
• Able to lift and transport equipment
• Willingness to travel locally and to work occasional evenings and weekends