Advocate

Location: Field Based - Barnsley

Contract: Permanent, Full Time - 35 Hours

Salary: £26,457

DBS Check: Enhanced with Adults & Children

At Rethink Advocacy, advocacy is about more than representation. It's about empowering people to understand their rights, make informed decisions, and ensure their voices are heard when it matters most.

We’re looking for a passionate and skilled Advocate to join our Barnsley Advocacy Service. Whether supporting someone in a hospital ward, care home, supported living setting, or their own home, you’ll help people navigate complex situations and influence decisions that affect their lives.

Every day is different. You’ll meet people from all walks of life, listen without judgement, build trust, and champion their wishes while remaining fiercely independent in your practice.

What you’ll be doing

As an Advocate, you’ll manage your own caseload and deliver high-quality statutory and non-statutory advocacy across Barnsley. The service covers a range of advocacy remits including IMHA, IMCA, ICAA, Community Advocacy, Children's and Young People's Advocacy and Paid Representative Person roles, depending on service demand.

• Support people to understand their rights, choices and options.
• Ensure individuals have their views, wishes and feelings heard in decisions affecting their care and treatment.
• Deliver both instructed and non-instructed advocacy where appropriate.
• Work confidently within legislation including the Mental Capacity Act and relevant health and social care frameworks.
• Prepare reports and documentation to a high professional standard.
• Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
• Build effective relationships with professionals, carers and partner organisations.
• Promote advocacy services through presentations, awareness sessions and community engagement activities.
• Maintain accurate records and case management information.

This is a field-based role, so you’ll be travelling across Barnsley to visit clients and attend meetings, training and service events. You’ll enjoy the autonomy of managing your own diary while being supported by an experienced and collaborative team.

What we're looking for

We’re interested in people who combine strong advocacy skills with genuine compassion and a commitment to empowering others.

You’ll ideally have:

• A Level 3 National Advocacy Qualification or Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, or a Level 2 Award in Independent Advocacy with a commitment to progressing your qualification pathway.
• Experience managing an advocacy caseload in a paid or volunteer capacity.
• Knowledge of advocacy principles, empowerment and relevant legislation.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to adapt your approach to different individuals and circumstances.
• Strong organisational skills and confidence managing a busy and varied workload.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications.
• The ability to travel throughout Barnsley and occasionally elsewhere in England for work-related activities.

Why join us?

When you join Rethink Mental Illness, you’ll become part of a team that believes everyone deserves to be heard, valued and supported.

We offer:

• Meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to people’s lives.
• Ongoing training, supervision and professional development.
• Opportunities to complete specialist advocacy qualifications and modules.
• Supportive colleagues and reflective practice sessions.
• Flexible, field-based working with autonomy over your schedule.
• A culture built on our CARES values: Connect, Accountable, Respect, Evolve and Success.

Who we are

At Rethink Mental Illness, people are at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our values of Passion, Commitment, Openness, Hope, Expertise, Understanding and Equity, we work to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness and related challenges.

Why join Rethink Mental Illness?

We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, valued and able to be themselves. You’ll benefit from:

• An inclusive culture, with colleague-led staff networks for Disability & Neurodiversity, Race & Ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, Gender Equality and Menopause.
• Flexible working and 25 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with the option to buy or sell leave.
• Wellbeing support including our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions and Unmind.
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Financial and family benefits including a contributory pension, enhanced family leave and travel schemes.
• Recognition and rewards including discounts, cashback offers and a Blue Light Card.
• Referral bonus where you can earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team.

Our commitment to inclusion

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. We’re also committed to becoming a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider supported by a multi-year equity, diversity and inclusion programme of work. For more information please view https://www.rethink.org/media/hdtjjy5b/revised-edi-plan-rethink.pdf

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and want everyone to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and experience. If you need reasonable adjustments during recruitment or when in your role, please let us know and we will work with you to understand what support you need.

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