Independent Advocate

Job content

Independent Advocate

Home Based - Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Job reference: 66

Contract: Permanent

Full Time - 37 hours per week. Actual working days and times to be agreed but will be between Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

Salary - £22,500 - 25,623.000 per annum, + Benefits (dependent on experience)

Giving people a voice - and making sure it’s heard - is something POhWER does every day. We’re all about promoting equality, challenging unfairness and giving disadvantaged and vulnerable people access to high quality information, advice and advocacy services. POhWER is a registered charity that provides a range of services across England.

We are looking to recruit people who share our core values and can demonstrate that they apply and live those values in their daily working practice.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a part time Independent Advocate to join our West Midlands team. The post will be home based working across Wolverhampton - with the flexibility to cover other areas in the West Midlands on an ad hoc basis as needed.

You will be supporting a wide range of vulnerable adults often with profound and multiple needs, so you will have experience of this type of work, along with a good working knowledge of public and voluntary organisations.

Ideally, you will have an excellent working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, including the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards; the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended, most recently by the Mental Health Act 2007), strong experience working with vulnerable adults who are affected by significant health and social care issues and unable to speak up for themselves; and experience providing persuasive verbal and written representations.

This role will cover statutory services with the main emphasis on the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy and Care Act Advocacy but also including Community Advocacy and NHS Complaints Advocacy.

You will be a confident positive team player, able to work in partnership with clients and professionals, gaining an understanding of their issues by listening, exploring options and taking action as directed by them. Our ideal candidate will have worked in advocacy, information and advice or similar role before, ideally in a health, social care or voluntary setting and will have experience of working with vulnerable adults.

You will need to have a flexible attitude and must be comfortable handling highly sensitive information whilst able to work well independently and confidently on behalf of others. Strong communication skills and time management skills will be required and you will need to be computer literate.

Because of the nature and location of the role, applicants must live within the area; have a full driver’s licence and access to their own transport. Travel expenses will only be paid once in the West Midlands area border.