Independent Advocate

JR United Kingdom; Stevenage; Remote; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Joining a leading organisation as an Independent Advocate in Hertfordshire means making a real difference in clients' lives. You will provide advocacy support, ensuring voices are heard about health and social care decisions while benefiting from full training, remote work, and flexible hours. The role requires strong communication skills, previous advocacy experience, and involves home-based work with necessary travel.

Benefits

25 days annual leave + Bank holiday

Cash Wellbeing Healthcare Plan covering Optical/dental/alternative therapy

Death in service cover

Bike to work scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in advocacy or a similar role within health, social care, or the voluntary sector.
• Working knowledge of public and voluntary organisations.
• Desirable: Experience in mental health.

Responsibilities

• Deliver persuasive verbal and written representations on behalf of clients.
• Collaborate with public and voluntary organisations to address client issues.
• Handle sensitive information confidently.

Skills

Communication

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Education

City and Guilds Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Excel

Word

Job description

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Are you passionate about making a difference in people's lives? Do you thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment? Are you ready to take on a role that impacts your community? We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Independent Advocate to join our vibrant Hertfordshire team!

The Independent Advocate is an integrated role covering the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and Care Act statutory services, and NHS Complaints.Successful candidates will be expected to become proficient across all of these services, so we are looking for people with a passion and willingness to build on current experience and strive to continually develop.

Your role involves delivering persuasive verbal and written representations on behalf of clients, collaborating with public and voluntary organisations, and taking directed actions to address client issues. This role demands flexibility, excellent communication, and the ability to handle sensitive information confidently.

Experience of working in mental health is desirable

Hours of Work: Full-Time: 37 hours, working between 9am - 5pm Monday Friday. (We are also open to part time positions for this role, please specify this on your application and we are happy to discuss this further)

Location: Home based with travel around Hertfordshire.

(Applicants should live in or near Hertfordshire area; have a full driver's licence and access to their own transport.)

Salary:£24242.40 per annum (Part-time will be Pro-Rata)

Contract Type: Permanent

• Strong communication and time management skills to successfully work remotely.
• Excellent IT skills, including the use of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, and the ability to learn software packages such as client management databases.
• Attention to detail to ensure accurate recording of records and reporting to meet tight deadlines.
• Previous experience in advocacy, information and advice, or a similar role within health, social care, or the voluntary sector.
• Demonstrable experience working with vulnerable adults affected by significant health and social care issues who find it difficult to speak up for themselves.
• Working knowledge of public and voluntary organisations.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holiday (Rising to 30 days after 5 years' service) with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave + your birthday off as an additional holiday day after 1 years' service!
• Discretionary shutdown days at Christmas with up to 4 additional days leave.
• 1 Community Leave Day per annum.
• Cash Wellbeing Healthcare Plan which covers Optical/dental/alternative therapy and more!
• Death in service cover.
• Bike to work scheme.

Meet the Organisation: Who We Are and What We Do

At POhWER, we are committed to empowering individuals and enabling their voices to be heard. We provide advocacy and information services to support people in making effective decisions about their health and social care. Our team is dedicated to listening, exploring options, and taking action to meet our clients' best interests.

We provide a full induction, training and equipment including a laptop and mobile phone.It is a contractual requirement that all advocates hold or are working towards an advocacy qualification.The most recognised qualification is the City and Guilds Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification (IAP) for practising advocates, previously completed City and Guilds Level 3 National Advocacy Qualification (NAQ).If you do not already hold an NAQ certificate or diploma or IAP qualification or equivalent, the expectation will be that you will gain the City and Guilds IAP qualification following successful completion of probation and pre-enrolment process. POhWER will fully sponsor this and provide a reasonable amount of study time and in return expect advocates to manage their time and complete within 12 months of registration.

Think you are the perfect fit for this Independent Advocate role? Don't wait! Apply Now with your CV and Cover letter!

Closing Date: 9AM, Friday 1st August 2025 (We reserve the right to close this vacancy early)

Interview Date: TBC

For an informal discussion please contact 0300 456 2370 and ask for a call back from the Recruitment Manager.

An Enhanced DBS check and National Offender Management Service vetting will be conducted for this position.

We're proud to support our colleagues from the armed forces signing the Armed Forces Covenant in August 2024.

Successful applicants will need to obtain business insurance for their own vehicle.

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 level 2 Disability confidence scheme employer, and disabled applicants who meet all the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

POhWER is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities, and particularly welcome candidates from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. Our goal is to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. This includes, but is not limited to, people with disabilities, women, men, Black, Asian and other racially minoritised people, LGBTQ+ who are currently under-represented in our workforce.

To help embed inclusion for all, from day one, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee networks to support people from different backgrounds.