Advocate in Morden

This three-year pilot project aims to deliver a coordinated Advocacy Resilience and Financial Wellbeing Service supporting adults recovering from mental health crises and experiencing financial hardship, mental health challenges, or risk of homelessness.

Our client will provide a dedicated Advocacy Resilience Officer to support adults moving from detention under the Mental Health Act, discharge from Community Treatment Orders, or stepping down from statutory advocacy. Support (for up to two months) will include:

• Regular face-to-face sessions to improve wellbeing support post-crises.
• Supporting clients to understand financial pressures and develop strategies.
• Assisting clients in finding sustainable housing options.
• Helping clients to develop their confidence and self-advocacy skills.
• Referring clients to mental health, counselling, and social prescribing services where needed.
• Supporting individuals to move from crisis intervention to sustainable recovery and stability.

This new service will holistically support individuals to have financial and mental health resilience at a time when many people are struggling. This intervention will stabilise individuals post-crisis, reducing repeat statutory intervention and breakdown.

About Our Client: Our client is a locally rooted advocacy organisation, which exists to give people a voice through one-to-one advocacy and self-advocacy groups. They believe that Bigger Voices = Better Lives. Their approach is person-centred, empowering, and rights-focused. They place a strong value on supporting people to be as independent as possible. They believe that being fair, valuing diversity, and involving people are extremely important. They support clients to express their views, assisting them in safeguarding their rights and ensuring that those who are particularly vulnerable or excluded have an opportunity to take forward issues which are of importance to them.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• To provide holistic short-term 1-1 advocacy support to help people who use the service achieve positive outcomes.
• Enable people to explore their thoughts and feelings, identify key problems, and work towards smart goals.
• Help people access community services, especially housing and mental health services.
• Support people to understand and manage their housing options.
• Support people to develop strategies for cost-of-living crisis and money management.
• Work in partnership with other local charities and agencies.
• Use own initiative to make links with local and regional organisations, in order to promote the project and the rights and choices of people using the service.
• Support with the production of promotional materials for the project.
• Maintain records, databases, and files, as needed.
• Ensure that all discussions and meetings concerning the client are focused on their needs and aspirations.
• Involve people in discussions about their support in meaningful and appropriate ways.
• Communicate in such a way that the individual has a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities and are aware of what support is right for them.
• Work with each person/group identified who requires support to meet his or her individual needs. Support all individuals in a way that promotes dignity and respect.
• Empower individuals to challenge situations where they are not being offered adequate support, in order to foster independence and self-management in their ongoing mental health journey.
• Travel within the Sutton borough, as the needs of the project dictate.

Person Specification:

• A good standard of education to at least NVQ Level 3/A-level, or equivalent.
• A willingness to undertake training and continuing development.
• Formal advocacy-related qualification or training.
• Learning disability-related qualification or training.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of supporting people with mental health difficulties.
• Understanding of advocacy.
• An awareness of the needs of people with mental health issues.
• Experience of using outcomes frameworks to measure progress.
• An awareness of the importance of data protection and GDPR.
• An awareness (and a commitment to) the importance of equal opportunities.
• An awareness of adult safeguarding.
• Experience of creating promotional material.

Ability:

• To independently manage a caseload - working with learning disabled adults using self-advocacy.
• To recognise the importance of professional boundaries and clear guidance.
• To multi-task, manage own workload, and meet deadlines in a busy environment where lone working might be required.
• To use Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint.
• To work productively as part of a team and under own initiative in a lone-working role.
• To work flexibly and outside of office hours, as required.
• To travel freely across the Sutton borough.
• To represent our client and the project at events.
• To maintain and manage social media sites of various natures.
• To produce newsletters, e-bulletins, and other publicity materials to a high standard.

Communication:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• An ability to respond to enquiries in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Able to keep calm under pressure and prioritise accordingly.
• An awareness of person-centred working.
• An ability to network and foster collaboration with outside organisations, to further develop the project.