JOB DESCRIPTION

Title:Managing Advocate

Responsible to:Service Manager

Responsible for:Advocates

Location:Office Based (with some working from home)

Role Summary:

The jobholder provides specialist knowledge of a particular service or specialist aspect of the team’s work and is responsible for supervising a section of the staff and their role in delivering this work.

Responsibilities:

  • To provide leadership of either a distinct and specialist service within the wider team and/or to lead specific projects as briefed and agreed with the Service Manager in order to ensure achievement of organisational and team service delivery objectives.
  • To identify, propose, plan and monitor annual and sub-annual objectives for the work of their area/project in conjunction with the Service Manager, including developing, agreeing and reviewing appropriate quality service delivery standards in order to ensurecompliance with recognised good practice.
  • To identify, propose, plan and monitor the resources required for their area of responsibility, including staffing, budgets, equipment and any other requirements in order to maximise effective deployment and use.
  • To supervise and support team members reporting to them, including the full range of staff recruitment and performance management, work allocation, guidance and support in order to enhance staff experience and commitment to service delivery.
  • To liaise, consult and involve service users/Partners, colleagues and other stakeholders in developing and monitoring the work of the team as appropriate to the area(s) of activity covered in order to continuously improve our work.
  • To establish, foster and maintain good working relationships with relevant partners such as service user groups, service commissioners, partner agencies and others as relevant in order to promote and reinforce the work and reputation of VoiceAbility.
  • To provide subject-specialism training, guidance and information to colleagues outside of the immediate team as appropriate to service needs and by agreement with the Service Manager in order to ensure service consistency and compliance with good practice by all team/VoiceAbility staff members.
  • To carry their own caseload of providing advocacy support directly to individuals as agreed with the Service Manager.
  • To assume responsibility for other projects and work on an as required basis by agreement with the Service Manager in order to maximise the effectiveness of the wider service.
  • To deputise for the Service Manager for specifically agreed areas of work and also in the Service Manager’s absence in handling any issues with a clear need for immediate response in order to assist effective service and appropriate decision-making.
  • To assume responsibility, in conjunction with the line manager, for ensuring continued personal professional development and maintenance of appropriate and up to date subject knowledge and understanding of good practice in order to discharge effectively the responsibilities set out above.

All Job Descriptions and Accountabilities shall be subject to periodic review

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person specification – managing advocate

FACTOR / ESSENTIAL (E)
or DESIRABLE (D)
QUALIFICATIONS
  • General management qualification – i.e. Certificate in Management, Diploma in Administrative Management, Member of the Association of Project Managers
/ D
EXPERIENCE
  • Managing and Delivering a service to users
  • Experience of Delivering Advocacy to users
  • Experience of working with, including complex case management of, people with a range of characteristics that make adults and children vulnerable, such as mental health issues, learning disabilities, frailty, as well as people in stressful circumstances such as bereavement
  • Experience of leading, motivating and coaching others
  • Effective management of expenses budgets
  • Managing relationships
  • Representing an organisation externally
/ E
E
E
E
E
E
E
KNOWLEDGE
  • NHS Complaints structure, processes & regulations
  • Charity and Third Sector
  • Contract Management
  • Advocacy
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Mental Health
/ D
E
E
E
D
D
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
  • Strong leader and motivator of people
  • Ability to manage change and lead people through change
  • Excellent communicator
  • Strong relationship builder
  • Ability to “sell” the benefits of the organisation to prospective funders/commissioners
  • Encourage and implement opportunities for innovation
  • IT skills – a working knowledge of Word, Excel and Powerpoint and databases
  • Be a champion for the work we do – inspiring and educating people
/ E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
PERSONAL QUALITIES/STYLE
  • Professional
  • Strong business acumen
  • Enthusiastic and engaging
  • Good listener
  • Empathetic
  • Self-motivated
  • Strong personal impact
  • Positive “can do” attitude
  • Organised with good time management
/ E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
MOTIVATION
  • A passion for the third sector
  • Strong commitment to service excellence
  • Leading and developing people
/ E
E
E
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
  • A commitment to undertake the IAQ and complete within six months of being appointed
  • Ability to undertake occasional weekend and evening work and to travel across London and to out of region training, meetings and events
  • Ability to work without close supervision
  • Ability to travel to a variety of locations depending on the needs of the role
/ E
E
E
E

Job Description – Managing Advocate – June 2013