Job Vacancy: Universal Advocate

ADVONET; Leeds; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 26,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 31 days

Health plan

Flexible working

Inclusive environment

Job summary

The Advonet Group in Leeds is seeking a Universal Advocate to support individuals to have a voice and advocate with and for them. You will work across all advocacy areas, with training provided, and may pursue IAQ certification.

Salary: £24,784.50 FTE, rising to £26,284 FTE from 1 October 2026; Hours: 20 hours per week; Location: Advonet’s office in Leeds. We offer a welcoming, inclusive environment with flexible working arrangements, up to 31 days leave incl.

Qualifications

• Ability to develop trusting and positive professional relationships with people who use services.
• Effective communication with diverse audiences in various settings and formats.
• Ability to build strong relationships with partner organisations and statutory services.
• Good IT skills to research online, produce reports and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality independent advocacy within service boundaries.
• Keep timely, accurate client contact and records using the organisation's databases.
• Empower clients to build on strengths and promote self-advocacy.
• Use appropriate communication to establish clients' views, wishes and feelings.
• Work towards achieving the Independent Advocacy Qualification (IAQ).
• Manage referrals and enquiries, recording information accurately and processing efficiently.
• Collaborate with First Contact Team to balance workloads and meet deadlines.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection policies.

Skills

Communication skills

IT skills

Data protection basics

Record keeping

Tools

Databases

Job description

• Salary: £24,784.50 FTE – will uplift to £26,284 FTE from 1st October 2026
• Hours: 20 hours per week – 37.5 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent and Fixed Term – 12 months
• Location: Advonet’s office at the Unity Business Centre, Leeds LS7 1AB
• Closing Date: Friday 18th September 2026 at 12 Noon
• Interviews on: Monday 28th September 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about upholding people’s rights to work as a Universal Advocate and join our existing team of advocates who provide this service across Leeds.

About the role:

You will use your knowledge and proven skills working with and supporting individuals to have a voice and advocate with, and for them. You will be expected to work across all the advocacy areas (both statutory and non-statutory) as required within the Universal Advocacy model and training will be provided.

You will be expected to:

• Within service boundaries, to provide high quality independent advocacy.
• To keep timely, accurate client contact and other records using The Advonet Group’s database and any other recording system in place.
• To empower clients to build on their strengths and promote self-advocacy as appropriate.
• To work in an instructed manner wherever possible or use a non-instructed approach to establish as far as possible, the clients’ views, wishes and feelings, using appropriate forms of communication with clients.
• Be willing to work towards achieving the Independent Advocacy Qualification (IAQ).

Key expectations of the role include:

• Providing a welcoming, professional and responsive service to all clients, staff and external stakeholders.
• Managing incoming referrals and enquiries, ensuring information is recorded accurately and processed efficiently.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues within the First Contact Team to ensure workloads are managed effectively and deadlines are met.
• Using a range of computer systems, databases and software confidently and accurately to maintain records and support service delivery.
• Communicating clearly and effectively with clients, colleagues and partner organisations, both verbally and in writing.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information appropriately, ensuring compliance with data protection legislation and organisational policies.
• Demonstrating excellent attention to detail when recording information, managing referrals and completing administrative tasks.
• Developing and maintaining a good understanding of the organisation’s services to provide accurate information and guidance.
• Supporting continuous improvement by identifying issues, sharing information and contributing to team objectives.
• Undertaking training and development opportunities to build knowledge of advocacy services and organisational procedures.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Ability to develop and maintain trusting and positive professional relationships with people who use our services.
• Ability to communicate effectively with different audiences in a variety of settings and using different formats.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a range of stakeholders e.g. partner organisations, statutory services.
• Good IT skills in order to be self-supporting, including online research, production of reports and presentations.

About us:

Established in 2001, The Advonet Group is an independent advocacy charity based in Leeds. The Advonet Group is comprised of statutory and non-statutory advocacy services and specialist inclusion services (Asking You, Autism AIM). All our services support individuals to have their voices heard and their rights upheld.

We are united in our commitment to uphold the nationally recognised advocacy principles and have a diverse staff team of 80 people working within the organisation. We are a Disability Confident and Mindful Employer with Investors in People and Volunteers accreditation, and have achieved the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark.

The Advonet Group values and respects the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge that staff, volunteers and job applicants bring. All our staff undertake mandatory training on both Equality and Diversity and LGBTQ+ Awareness to increase awareness and understanding of discrimination both in and out of the workplace, with a view to reduce the impact this has on our colleagues and the wider community. This creates a workplace where staff feel comfortable to be themselves and empowers them, and our service users, to use their unique experiences to inform their work.

Benefits of working with us:

• Up to 31 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Access to a cashback health plan and Employee Support scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment