Trainee Multidisciplinary Advocate

Are you passionate about helping people access the services they need in your local community? Are you interested in starting a career in advocacy?

Would you like to be part of a leading Advocacy Provider where you can make a difference?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Trainee Multidisciplinary Advocate to join our established and friendly Durham Advocacy Team.

Our team provides a range of specialist advocacy services to adults and young people with a range of additional needs including learning disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, and mental health.   We support people, who have difficulty advocating for themselves, to express their views and wishes and understand their rights and entitlements.  Advocates support people in situations where decisions are being made about them which can include care and support needs, medical treatment, and accommodation.

How will you make a difference?

In a Trainee Multidisciplinary Advocate role, you will be working towards the Level 4 qualification whilst learning on the job with a caseload.  As an advocate you will promoting the interests of the people you work with helping people find their voice and empower them to advocate for themselves. 

The training will enable you to provide a high quality, responsive and effective advocacy service.  Your role will be to:

• ensure that individuals understand and can exercise their rights
• that people have access to information they need to make informed choices
• to help people understand what is happening, what is planned, and the options available ensuring they are more involved in decisions about their care and support.

You will be field based covering geographical area of County Durham to support clients and also have flexibility to work from home. The role is full time 35hrs per week between Monday to Friday 9-5.

What we are looking for:

The role is ideal for anyone who has a passion and keen interest in supporting local communities and would like to start a long-term career in Advocacy service.

You will receive an intense practical training alongside support with obtaining relevant qualifications so that you can develop your knowledge and skills to become advocate expert in comprehensive range of areas and understand the role of the advocate in line with the Advocacy Charter.

To be considered for the role you will:

• willing to take the National Qualification in Independent Advocacy (Level 4),
• be willing to work towards additional specialist units in the national advocacy qualification (e.g.  IMCA, DoLS, IMHA, ICAA, Independent Advocacy for CYP and Health Complaints as required)
• demonstrate commitment to completion of required qualifications within set timescales
• have experience of working with individuals with learning disability, mental health etc for example as a care or support worker or volunteer.
• ideally have a good understanding of advocacy practice and principles of empowerment and knowledge of relevant legislation through experience or research
• have ability to form positive working relationships with a wide range of clients
• have ability to respect and promote a person’s right to make informed choices and decisions without influence

Don’t meet all requirements?

If the role sounds exciting to you but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t exactly match every single requirement, we would still encourage you to apply, you may be just the right person for our position!

Caring for our people.

We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:

• PULSE – your rewards, wellbeing, and benefits platform. Providing access to thousands of discounts and benefits including cashback; reloadable cards; savings etc.
• Wellbeing support: Our Wellbeing hub that gives physical, and mental health support. We also have an Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments
• Taking time for you: we work flexibly –you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off.
• Planning for the future: We have a contributory pension scheme.
• Structured Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.
• £300 when you introduce a Friend: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

The Recruitment Advisor looking after this role is Sylwia Kraska-Pakulska. If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to drop her an email at recruitment@rethink.org