Home Based: With travel across Birmingham

Job reference: 2

Contract type: Permanent

Part-time: 22.2 hours, 3 days per week working between Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm 

Salary: £13,852.80 - £13,975.20 (Full time equivalent £23,088.00 - £23,292.00) per annum (dependent on experience) + Benefits

Benefits: 

• 25 days annual leave (pro rata)
• Cash Wellbeing Healthcare Plan Cover
• Death in service benefit
• Option to buy up to 5 days annual leave (pro rata)
• Discretionary shut down days at Christmas
• 1 Community Leave Day per annum
• Bike to work scheme
   

Job Information:

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.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a part time Independent Advocate to join our Birmingham team. The post will be home based working across Birmingham including providing support for the Deaf Mental Health secure hospital wards in our area.

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 Health Act 1983 (as amended, most recently by the Mental Health Act 2007), the Mental Capacity Act 2005, including the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards; 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 advocacy services with the main emphasis on Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Community Advocacy and NHS Complaints Advocacy roles. There may be a future need to also cover Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy and Care Act 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. A full induction and training schedule along with IAP (Independent Advocacy Qualification) will be provided as well as ongoing peer mentoring and support. 

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.

Due to a specific element of this role, a minimum of level 4 British Sign Language is required.

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 Birmingham border.

Download the full Job Description and Applicant Information Pack

How to apply

We’re keen to fill this role. If you think this sounds like the ideal job for you, please apply as soon as possible as we may close this job advert early if we receive a high number of applications.

Please submit your CV and cover letter (cover letter no longer than 1 side of A4) before the application deadline. In your cover letter please include your reasons for applying for the role, how you meet the person specification criteria, if you hold a current driving licence and have access to your own vehicle and your notice period.  

Please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter here.

Closing date: Midnight, Wednesday 8th May 2024

Interviews: TBC

Location of Interviews: Remote (via Microsoft Teams or Zoom)

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. 

For an informal discussion please contact 0300 456 2370 and ask for a call back from Emma Pritchard, Community Manager.

A DBS check will be conducted for this post.

POhWER is an equal opportunities employer, holder of the Investors in People Silver award and a member of the MINDFUL EMPLOYER scheme. We are a member of the Positive about Disability scheme and disabled applicants who meet all the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.