Registered Charity No: 1125679

Company Registration No: 6599429

Lead Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA)

Job Description

Based at:BathOffice (with possibility of home working and a requirement to travel throughout Bath and North East Somerset and Mendip (Somerset) areas.

Responsible to:IMCA Manager

Salary: £21,214 pa Pro rata

Hours:Up to 30 hours, per week, hours negotiable

The post holder will be required to undertake the Diploma in Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy DoLS Qualification (City & Guilds level 4) if not already held and complete specific units within 6 months.The post holder would also be required to undertake the Care Act unit.

Main Purpose

To support and deputise for the IMCA Manager in the continued delivery, development and promotion of high quality Independent Advocacyfor eligible service users across Somerset.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

  1. Delivery
  1. Provide direct IMCA support to individual clients.
  2. Ensure the delivery of a high quality, responsive IMCA service which meets the specific requirements set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Care Act 2014.
  3. Ensure people requiring advocacy have access to information which is presented in an appropriate manner for their individual needs about their rights and appropriate support services.
  4. Work alongside service users, to ensure their individual issues and needs are clearly represented.
  5. Promote and attend regular meetings of service users to share information about services, air and discuss ideas and concerns about them, seeking where appropriate a collective view.
  6. Network with other agencies in order to maintain effective communication and joint working for the benefit of service users.
  7. Ensure all referrals and instructions meet the national criteria for the IMCA service and any locally agreed discretionary powers.
  8. Promote self-advocacy as a strategy to build confidence and independence for service users, encouraging them to play a fuller role in the community.
  9. Ensure collection of relevant information which can be used to alert health and social care services about what is, and what is not working well, thus contributing directly to the planning and development of future service provision
  10. Ensure the delivery of services and projects in line with contract and funding requirements.
  11. Promote the rights, equality, diversity and needs of service users by ensuring they are respected and valued as individuals.
  12. Provide supervision and ongoing support to team members.
  13. Deputise for IMCA manager as appropriate.
  1. Organisational/personal responsibilities
  1. To effectively manage a complex case load.
  2. To take responsibility for line management of IMCA advocates.
  3. To adhere to and work within the guidelines set out in all the company policies and procedures.
  4. To contribute to the ongoing planning & development of the organisation.
  5. To obtain the Independent Advocacy Qualification and participate in ongoing training to keep up to date with services, procedures, guidelines and legislation.
  6. To take individual responsibility within the organisation for all health and safety matters, and general organisational needs and issues.
  7. To participate in regular team meetings and supervision.
  8. To complete and submit expenses forms in a timely manner.

The above describes the normal duties envisaged from the role of advocate. It is necessary however for all employees to be flexible in this respect, and all employees may, from time to time, be required by the employer to cover other reasonable duties within the day to day running of the organisation. Employees may also request to undertake other duties and responsibilities as part of their personal development within Swan.

Sept 2016