HF Mencap
Community Advocate
London, Greater London•Full-time
£30,000+ annually
£30,000+ annually
About the Job
Community Advocate
Salary: £30,300.
Hours: 36 hours per week. A compressed working pattern is available, allowing employees to work their contracted hours over nine days per fortnight, with one non-working day every two weeks.
Contract: Fixed term for 1 Year (subject to continued funding).
Location: HF Mencap Office, W14 0AH, with flexible home working by agreement.
About HF Mencap:
HF Mencap is a local charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and other support needs, as well as their families and carers. We work to reduce inequality, increase opportunities and ensure local people are supported to live the lives they choose.
About the Role:
HF Mencap is seeking a committed and values-driven Community Advocate to join our team supporting adults across the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
HF Mencap delivers Community Advocacy as part of the Hammersmith & Fulham Advocacy Network (HFAN), working in partnership with Libra Partnership as the Lead Provider. HF Mencap has delivered advocacy support for the local community since 1999.
The Community Advocacy service provides advocacy support to adults aged 18+ living in the borough who may have one or more of the following:
- Learning disabilities and/or autism.
- Mental health needs.
- Brain injury.
- Physical disabilities.
- Sensory impairments.
- Older people and people with dementia.
- Long-term illness.
- Profound and multiple disabilities or complex health needs.
As a Community Advocate, you will empower people to have a stronger voice, be heard and be involved in decisions that affect their lives. You will support individuals with a wide range of issues, including wellbeing and health, housing and benefits, access to services and participation in meetings.
You will work collaboratively with professionals and partner organisations to help remove barriers, increase opportunities and improve outcomes for local residents.
Accountability:
The Community Advocate will be responsible to the CEO and Senior Manager.
Key Responsibilities:
You will:
- Provide one-to-one advocacy support to adults living in Hammersmith & Fulham with disabilities, mental health conditions and complex health needs, based on individual need.
- Enable people to have greater choice and control over their lives.
- Encourage self-advocacy by supporting people to make informed choices and, wherever possible, to speak for themselves.
- Support individuals to understand their rights, options and choices and to challenge services and decisions where necessary.
- Meet and support clients in a range of settings, including at the HF Mencap office, in clients’ homes and in community settings, and accompany clients to appointments and meetings where advocacy support is required.
- Work collaboratively with social services, Libra Partnership and other relevant agencies and professionals to remove barriers and increase opportunities.
- Promote equality and inclusion and challenge discriminatory behaviour.
- Manage an advocacy caseload of up to 21 people at any one time, ensuring cases are progressed and closed within appropriate timeframes.
- Support individuals to access communication support where needed, for example Speech and Language Therapy, and use accessible communication approaches including signs, symbols, photos and multimedia.
- Provide information in accessible formats to help people understand their rights, options and choices.
- Attend relevant meetings and forums, supporting individuals and raising awareness of key issues where appropriate.
- Support people to access opportunities through Individual Budgets and Self-Directed Support.
- Support people to access adapted housing, healthy lifestyles and community activities, recognising carers’ needs where appropriate.
- Participate in campaigns facilitated by HF Mencap to improve resources, raise awareness and strengthen community inclusion.
- Link with London and national networks, including National Mencap, and share resources and good practice.
- Maintain accurate and timely case records using agreed case-management systems and contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements.
- Attend supervision regularly and participate in appraisal processes.
- Attend relevant training, events and consultations, including those organised by the Local Authority where required.
- Carry out the role in line with HF Mencap’s policies, procedures and service standards.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the role as reasonably required.
- Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, following HF Mencap’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
Person Specification:
Essential:
- Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, or willingness to undertake and complete the qualification within an agreed timeframe as a requirement of the role.
- Knowledge and understanding of good advocacy practice.
- Ability to form positive, professional working relationships with a wide range of clients.
- Ability to work effectively with people with a range of communication and support needs.
- Ability to manage a complex caseload across a wide range of issues.
- Ability to research options and support clients to make informed choices.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with clients, professionals and partner organisations.
- Ability to manage risk to self and others.
- Strong planning and organisational skills.
- Good IT skills and the ability to maintain accurate electronic records.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- A flexible and positive approach to work.
Desirable
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, including:
- Mental Health Act 2007.
- Care Act 2014.
- Human Rights Act 1998.
- Equality Act 2010.
- Knowledge of public and third-sector organisations and processes.
- Knowledge of non-instructed advocacy.
- Experience of working with people with a range of needs.
- Knowledge of the local area and local services.
Special Requirements:
- Ability and willingness to travel within Hammersmith & Fulham and elsewhere in London, and beyond where reasonably required by the role.
- Willingness to work in a range of settings, including clients’ homes, community and care settings, hospitals, secure settings, courts and prisons where required.
- Willingness to accompany clients to appointments and meetings where advocacy support is required.
- The postholder may occasionally be required to work outside normal office hours, including evenings or weekends.
Benefits:
- Generous annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays.
- Employee Benefits by Sodexo.
- 24/7 GP access, including remote doctor appointments and medical advice.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – free confidential counselling, legal advice and wellbeing support.
- Flexible working arrangements, with office-based working and some home working by agreement.
- Ongoing training, supervision and development opportunities.
- Sick pay in accordance with HF Mencap’s Sick Pay Policy and Statutory Sick Pay regulations.
Equal Opportunities:
HF Mencap is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
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