Independent Advocate

**Independent Advocate - Recruitment Pack and Application Form**

**Title**:
Independent Advocate

**Salary**:
£24,180 - £30503 pro rata, dependent on qualifications and experience (Sessional £12.40 per hr)

**Hours**:
Full Time, Part Time and Sessional hrs available.

**Contract type**:
Permanent or Sessional (multiple positions available)

**DBS required**:
Yes (arranged by YVC as part of pre-employment checks)

**Reporting to**:
Senior Advocate

**Direct reports**:
None

**Probationary Period**

**Role purpose**:
To provide advocacy representation to people with varying and diverse needs.

We are looking to recruit full-time, part time and sessional advocates to join our highly motivated and experienced advocacy team. We provide high quality independent advocacy to support people with a range of health and social care needs.

Please note:

- If you are offered a full or part time post and you do not already hold the Independent Advocacy Qualification (IAQ), it is a requirement that you complete the IAQ within 18 months of starting in the role. This qualification will be funded by Your Voice Counts. Some self-study should be expected.

**Who we are**:
At Your Voice Counts, we help vulnerable people find a voice and gain control over their lives.

We help the people we support to **speak up** for what they want and need, to be better **connected** and to have **choice and control** in their lives.

Our values guide how we work, and we are all responsible for putting these into practice every day:

- **Being accountable - **We are honest and take responsibility for our actions.
- **Being person-centred** - We put people's needs first.
- **Learning and growing** - We challenge ourselves and each other to help us get better at what we do.
- **Promoting equality** - We work to get equal opportunities for everyone.
- **Working together** - We achieve more by working as a team than by acting alone.

Our wonderful staff embody our values and are dedicated to the work we deliver together. They are committed and passionate with a positive attitude. We all share the same vision and values.

We are committed to making Your Voice Counts a great place to work. We offer a supportive and fulfilling environment for our staff team with an enhanced range of staff benefits. You can find out more _here_.

**What we do**:
Your Voice Counts promotes social inclusion, equality, and social justice by supporting people to say what they want, to secure their rights and to represent their interests when they are unable to do so themselves.

**The Advocacy Charter**
- “Advocacy is taking action to support people to say what they want, secure their rights, pursue their interests and obtain services they need. Advocacy providers and advocates work in partnership with the people they support and take their side, promoting social inclusion, equality and social justice.” _

The Advocacy Charter, Revised 2018

**Purpose of the role**:
To provide high quality confidential and independent advocacy to Your Voice Counts’ clients, including those with a right to statutory advocacy under the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, Care Act and DOLS legislation.

To ensure that, where possible, clients are able to speak up about what they want and need, and to ensure that their wishes, feelings, beliefs and values are heard and understood.

To ensure that our clients have access to the information they are entitled to, in a form that is accessible to them, and that, as far as is possible, they understand their rights, entitlements and the options open to them. When they are unable to do so for themselves, to represent their wishes, feelings, beliefs and values and to hold others to account to ensure their rights are upheld.

**How you will make a difference**:
Your Voice Counts Independent Advocates work with people with a range of needs including learning disabilities, autism, mental health problems (including diagnosed mental disorders), dementia, and acquired brain injury.

You will be responsible for providing advocacy to people in their own homes, as well as residential, health or hospital settings. You will do this either by travelling to meet your client face to face or, when appropriate, remotely.

You will work collaboratively with the individuals you support, approaching challenges creatively to enable them to participate as fully as possible in decisions affecting them, and ensuring their voices are heard.

You will build effective working relationships with other agencies while at all times maintaining your independence and focus on your client wishes.

You will at all times promote the potential and dignity of your client and will work to ensure their human rights are upheld.

**Key Duties**:

- To provide high quality instructed and non-instructed advocacy support that meets the needs of your clients.
- To act on behalf of your clients at all times, taking action as directed by them in a supportive role or when necessary, r