Salary: £30,000 per annum (£17,500 pro rata)
Work Pattern: part time - 18 months initial contract, with possible renewal pending funding.
Hours: 21 (to be worked over 3 or 4 days)
Location: Based at HF Mencap Office (W14 0DT) with some flexible home working and ability to spread hours in a way that suits employee and service as agreed by line manager.
Benefits: Generous holiday allowance 25 days full time/ 15 days pro-rata PLUS bank holidays, Employee Benefits by Sodexo, Employee Assistance Programme - with access to free counselling, legal advice etc.
You are expected to be able to attend meetings within and beyond the borough as required by clients, professionals and the organisation.
Job Summary:
As a Community Advocate, you will forge strong local relationships and meet the Community Advocacy needs of a diverse local community of Hammersmith and Fulham and promote understanding and awareness of different needs. The community advocacy service provides advocacy support to adults who are 18 or over living in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and meets one or more of the following criteria:
* People with learning disabilities and/or autism.
* People with mental health problems.
* People with a brain injury.
* People with physical disabilities.
* People with sensory impairments (sight and hearing problems).
* Older people and people with dementia.
* People with a long-term illness.
* People with profound and multiple disabilities or complex health needs.
You will support clients with a variety of issues including wellbeing and health, housing and benefits, signposting to services, organising and participating in meetings and ultimately empowering vulnerable individuals to have a bigger voice and to be heard on decisions that are made about their lives.
The Community Advocate will work in partnership with other agencies to help remove barriers and increase opportunities for clients.
Accountability: Advocacy Worker will be responsible to the CEO and Senior Manager.
Duties and key Responsibilities:
* To provide advocacy support to people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs living in Hammersmith & Fulham.
* To enable people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs have more choice and control over their lives.
* To provide one to one advocacy support for people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs living in Hammersmith & Fulham.
* To encourage self advocacy by supporting people to make informed choices, and where possible, to speak for themselves.
* To be aware of the impact of issues of race, age, gender, class, sexuality, disability and to challenge prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviour.
* To work in partnership with other agencies to help remove barriers and increase opportunities for people. To work alongside social services and other partners to improve services, and to campaign on issues important to people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs .
* To support people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs to challenge services if necessary.
* To manage an advocacy case load of up to 12 people (at any time) – closing cases within an appropriate timeframe.
* To get to know individuals and ensuring that they have access to appropriate support to communicate effectively (eg. Speech and Language therapy) in a variety of ways including signs, symbols, photos and multimedia.
* To provide people with accessible information on the opportunities and choices they can make.
* To attend relevant meetings and forums and to raise awareness of the issues that people face.
* To support people individuals to access more opportunities and choices through Individual Budgets and Self Directed Support.
* To support people to access adapted housing, healthy lifestyles, daytime and evening activities in the community, recognising the needs of their carers and provide them with the support that they need.
* To participate in the Campaign (facilitated by H&F Mencap) to improve resources, by raising the profile of support people and developing a variety of promotional materials that highlights and creates awareness in the local community.
* To link with and share resources from the London and National Networks for People with LD, ASD and PMLD (Including National Mencap).
* To share good practice and bring skills, knowledge and resources to LBHF encouraging providers to listen to the voice of people with disabilities, mental health conditions, and complex health needs and their families and develop innovative services locally.
* To work in accordance with the Advocacy Service's Policies and Procedures.
* To carry out the duties of the post within an equal opportunities framework.
* To maintain effective records and contribute to monitoring processes. Ensure case records accurately reflect the activities carried out on behalf of service users.
* To work as part of the team and attend meetings and other events as appropriate.
* To attend supervision on a regular basis and participate in any relevant appraisal processes.
* To undertake any other duties within the scope of the post as may be required from time to time.
* To administrate and organise own work to ensure that it is accurate and meets quality targets, reasonable deadlines, monitoring and reporting requirements.
* To attend relevant training, events and consultations run by the Local Authority.
* To carry out the post within an equal opportunities’ framework.
Additional Responsibilities:
* To adhere to all the service standards, policies, and procedures of HF Mencap.
* To comply with the data protection regulations, ensuring that information on clients remains confidential.
Person specification – Community Advocacy Worker
Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
As a minimum you should have:
* Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification.
* Ability to form positive boundaries working relationships with a wide range of clients.
* Ability to support clients who may have a range of particular communication and other needs.
* Ability to manage a complex caseload covering a wide range of subjects.
* Ability to research options to ensure clients can make an informed choice.
* Excellent communication skills, able to communicate sensitively and empathetically.
* Ability to communicate effectively with professionals and other organisations.
* Manage risk to self and others.
* Good personal planning and organisational skills.
* Good IT skills.
* An effective team player.
* Flexible positive approach.
Ideally you will also have:
* Knowledge of good advocacy practice.
* Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 2007, The Care Act 2014, The Human Rights Act 1998, The Equality Act 2010.
* Knowledge of public and third-sector organisations and processes.
* Completed National Advocacy Qualification. (or willingness to work towards)
* Knowledge of non-Instructed advocacy.
* Experience of working with people with different needs.
* Willingness to work in a range of environments.
Special requirements:
* Advocates will need to have the ability to travel to required London boroughs (and beyond if required).
* Your work must be within reasonable daily travelling distance of your home.
* Advocates will need to be willing to work in the community, care settings, hospitals, secure settings, courts and prisons.
* A knowledge of the local area will be an added advantage.
Please Note:
The postholder may need to occasionally work out of office hours, evenings or weekends as necessary.
Visit our website and social media www.instagram.com/hfmencap for further information on the charity.
About HF Mencap:
Our MissionTo empower children and adults with learning disabilities and autism to get their voice heard, reach their potential and be included in their local community.Our Vision We seek to promote the wellbeing and development of children and adults with learning disabilities and autism in all areas of their lives as well as supporting their families and carers.