At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead advocacy services, empower voices, and drive meaningful change in communities.
- Company: Rethink Advocacy, a values-driven organisation focused on making a real impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, ongoing development, and a supportive leadership team.
- Other info: Flexible role requiring travel across Barnsley and County Durham.
- Why this job: Shape the future of advocacy and improve lives through empowering individuals.
- Qualifications: Experienced leader with advocacy knowledge and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 37406 - 37406 £ per year.
Location: Field-based – Barnsley & County Durham
Contract Type: Full-time (35 hours) - Permanent
Salary: £37,406
Lead change. Empower voices. Make a real impact. At Rethink Advocacy, we believe everyone deserves to have their voice heard. We’re looking for an experienced and passionate Advocacy Manager to lead high-quality advocacy services across Barnsley and County Durham. This is an opportunity to drive meaningful change – not just for individuals, but across entire communities. If you’re a strong leader who thrives on improving services, developing teams, and delivering impact, we’d love to hear from you.
About the role
As an Advocacy Manager, you’ll take overall responsibility for the delivery and performance of advocacy contracts in your area. You’ll lead from the front – supporting your team, driving quality, and ensuring people receive independent, person-centred advocacy that truly makes a difference. You’ll work across a range of services, including statutory and non-statutory advocacy, supporting people to have their rights upheld and their voices heard.
What you’ll be doing
- Lead and manage services
- Oversee contract delivery, ensuring services meet KPI targets and achieve positive outcomes
- Develop and deliver local service plans aligned to community needs
- Monitor performance, quality, and compliance with legal frameworks
- Inspire and develop your team
- Manage the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, development and performance
- Provide supervision, guidance and support to advocates
- Create a culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement
- Drive quality and innovation
- Ensure high standards across audits, reporting and case management
- Identify opportunities to improve and develop services
- Lead on action planning and continuous service improvement
- Build relationships and partnerships
- Work collaboratively with stakeholders, professionals and partners
- Represent Rethink at external meetings and local forums
- Strengthen networks to enhance service impact
- Ensure safe and effective delivery
- Oversee safeguarding, risk management and health & safety
- Manage incidents and complaints, embedding learning into practice
- Ensure robust systems, processes and compliance across services
About the services
You’ll oversee services including:
- Barnsley Advocacy Service – delivering a wide range of advocacy (e.g. IMCA, IMHA, Care Act, community advocacy)
- County Durham Specialist Mental Health Advocacy – supporting people in relation to mental health services
You’ll lead a team of trainee and qualified advocates, ensuring flexible and responsive support to meet local needs.
What we’re looking for
- A qualified advocate (who could be working towards additional remits)
- An experienced leader who can inspire and develop high-performing teams
- Confident managing performance, change and complex situations
- Organised, proactive, and able to prioritise competing demands
- A strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills
- Knowledgeable about safeguarding and advocacy frameworks
- IT confident, with experience of systems and reporting
- Flexible and able to travel across the service area
Above all, you’ll be passionate about empowering people and improving lives through advocacy.
Why join Rethink?
- Lead services that create real, lasting impact
- Be part of a supportive and collaborative leadership team
- Shape the future of advocacy in your area
- Access ongoing development and learning opportunities
- Work in a values-driven organisation with people at its heart
Important information
This role requires an Enhanced DBS check (Adults and Children). Regular travel across Barnsley and County Durham is required.
Ready to apply? If you’re ready to lead with purpose and help people have their voices heard when it matters most, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today and be part of something meaningful.
Advocacy Manager in Barnsley employer: Rethink Mental Illness
At Rethink Advocacy, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions meaningful change and empowers our employees to make a real impact in the communities of Barnsley and County Durham. Our supportive and collaborative work culture fosters continuous learning and development, ensuring that our Advocacy Managers not only lead high-quality services but also grow personally and professionally. Join us to be part of a values-driven organisation where your passion for advocacy can truly flourish.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Advocacy Manager in Barnsley
✨Get Involved Locally
Dive into local volunteer opportunities or social initiatives. This not only beefs up your CV but also connects you with like-minded folks in nonprofits. Plus, it shows your passion for social impact, which is key for getting noticed by Rethink Mental Illness.
✨Tap into Professional Networks
Join networks like the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) or local charities to meet professionals in the sector. Attend events and workshops to build relationships and learn about potential openings at organisations like Rethink Mental Illness.
✨Showcase Your Commitment
When prepping for interviews, be ready to speak about your personal connection to social issues. Dive into specific examples of how you’ve contributed to community projects – this will resonate with the mission-driven vibe at Rethink Mental Illness.
✨Utilise Online Platforms
We’re all about making connections, so use platforms like Idealist and CharityJob to hunt for full-time roles. And of course, you should keep an eye on our website for exciting opportunities at Rethink Mental Illness. Apply directly through us to stand out!
We think you need these skills to ace Advocacy Manager in Barnsley
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for the Cause:In the nonprofit sector, it's super important to demonstrate genuine passion for the mission of Rethink Mental Illness. Use your cover letter to showcase any personal experiences or volunteer work that connects you to their social impact initiatives. This emotional connection can really help your application stand out.
Highlight Relevant Experience:When crafting your CV, be sure to include any relevant projects or roles that showcase your skills in social impact. Whether it's community organising, fundraising, or advocacy, highlight what you've done and the difference it's made. Don’t just list tasks; quantify your achievements and the outcomes of your efforts.
Tailor Your Documents to the Role:For a full-time role like Advocacy Manager, ensure your CV and cover letter specifically address the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Use their language to describe your skills and experience, making it easy for the hiring team to see how you fit into their vision.
Emphasise Teamwork and Collaboration:Nonprofits thrive on teamwork, so make sure to emphasise your collaborative experiences. Whether you've worked in a team setting, partnered with community organisations, or facilitated group projects, highlight these experiences in your application. Show them you understand the importance of working alongside diverse individuals to achieve shared goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Rethink Mental Illness
✨Show Your Passion for Social Change
When we’re prepping for interviews in the nonprofit space, it's vital to demonstrate our genuine passion for social impact. Be ready to discuss not just your skills and experiences but also why you care about the mission of Rethink Mental Illness. Sharing personal stories or insights can really make us stand out.
✨Highlight Project Experience
We should focus on specific projects we've worked on that align with the goals of social impact. Whether that’s a community initiative, volunteering, or a class project, having solid examples that showcase our role and the outcomes will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Familiarity with Relevant Tools and Practices
Let’s brush up on tools and methodologies commonly used in the nonprofit sector, like project management software or outcome measurement frameworks. Being able to speak fluently about these will show that we’re not just passionate but also knowledgeable and ready to hit the ground running.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that evaluate our problem-solving skills in real-world social issues. Think about how we’d handle challenges in the nonprofit environment and prepare stories that demonstrate our critical thinking and adaptability. Role-playing with a friend could help us feel more confident!
