Partners in Advocacy has established itself as one of Scotland's leading providers of independent advocacy, delivering exceptional advocacy services since 1998.

We are thrilled to present a wonderful opportunity within our supportive and welcoming Edinburgh team. As an independent advocacy worker, you will have the privilege of providing one-on-one independent advocacy to individuals aged 16 and above with learning or physical disabilities, autism as well as older people. Through this role, you will ensure that their voices and wishes are heard, enabling them to make informed choices, protect their rights and have a meaningful impact on decisions that affect their lives.

Benefits of working for Partners in Advocacy include:

• Working for a values driven organisation that strives to support and empower staff
• Employment on a contract that has been secured until 31st July 2028 with the potential for a further two-year extension
• Working in a diverse range of community and clinical settings as well as the option of working from home and/or our Musselburgh based office
• Comprehensive training and ongoing support in your new role
• A generous annual leave and public holiday entitlement of 37 days with further annual increments
• Regular support and supervision sessions with your line manager
• Core hours daytime Monday to Friday working
• Frequent professional and reflective support sessions with your team
• Continuous professional development opportunities throughout the wider organisation
• Free access to mental health resources such as free counselling sessions
• Employer contributory pension scheme

We strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you believe your skills, experience, and expertise align with the criteria outlined in the person specification, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the application form, ensuring that you provide examples of how your knowledge and experience fulfil each aspect of the person specification.

Partners in Advocacy takes pride in being a Disability Confident Employer, fully committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment.

EARS is an independent advocacy provider – our mission is to ensure that people’s voices are heard, and their rights are respected.

This is an office-based post. The majority of the working hours will be spent working in Edinburgh and East Lothian communities, with the people who seek your support, and working from the West Lothian office to join meetings, record notes and compile reports. Mileage expenses are reimbursed for travel within work.

Applications

We especially welcome applications from people with any of the following:

• experience of providing advocacy
• working with individuals with a disability
• experience of the Health and Social Care Sector
• experience of the Third Sector

What are we looking for?

If you are a positive, caring, responsive, hardworking and professional practitioner who shares our values and our commitment to providing excellent unpaid carer services and support across Lanarkshire. The work within the Short Breaks team is demanding and diverse, requiring an organised and skilled approach. We operate public offices and outreach activities; carers contact us in many different ways. Lanarkshire Carers is a digitally enabled organisation, and you will be able to demonstrate the required skills in all aspects of your work. We are looking for people who understand the culture and value of this sector and nature of job roles within a carer led organisation.

Who are we looking for?

You will have a relevant experience in health or social care or preferable a relevant qualification to this post. We will consider someone who is qualified by experience with demonstrable relevant skills. You must have a good understanding of the impact of caring and the issues unpaid carers face.

Lanarkshire Carers

Lanarkshire Carers is a well-established, award winning carer led organisation built on a vision to work with and for carers to develop and deliver services that make a positive difference to their lives. A value-based organisation, our mission is to ensure that carers in Lanarkshire are identified, well informed, involved, supported, and empowered. We deliver information, advice and direct support services that enable unpaid carers to continue to care, whilst maintaining their own health and wellbeing.

Staff values and benefits

Our Board of Directors are committed to making Lanarkshire Carers a great place to work. Lanarkshire Carers works flexibly and is a carer positive employer. A generous annual leave and public holiday allocation provides 37 days leave rising to 42 days with increased length of service. A workplace pension scheme is available along with group life and critical illness cover and other benefits. We offer an Employee Assistance Programme and also Credit Union Membership. Our staff learning and development programme ensures you have access to continuous professional development, with progression routes across the organisation.

Lanarkshire Carers is an Equal Opportunities employer and all applicants for posts receive equal treatment irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religion, sexuality, and age.

Additional Information

Please view our website for more information about Lanarkshire Carers where you will also find our Annual Report - Carers at the Centre for 2022/2023. This provides a good overview of our work and job roles. Our staff team, many of whom are carers themselves, are committed to making caring a positive experience.

PVG

Post holders require a countersigned membership of the PGV scheme.

Our workstyles

Post holders will be based between our centres in Hamilton and Airdrie, and localities throughout Lanarkshire. Working from home/hybrid working may also be required. All staff work on an outreach basis in community, health and social care venues across Lanarkshire.

To lead the provision of relationship-based support delivered to young people and families in the community and to promote positive outcomes in line with the values and principles of includem.

Purpose & Context of Role

The postholder will manage their own caseload ensuring support plans are developed with the young person to respond to their individual needs and supporting them to improve outcomes in line with GIRFEC principles and includem’s model of support.

A project worker will demonstrate leadership and ownership over effective service delivery to young people by managing outcomes for young people through use of line managers, colleagues and organisational tools, processes, policies, and procedures.

The key responsibilities of the Project Worker include, but are not limited to:

Service Delivery

• To build relationships and deliver outcome-based support to young people and families, involving all key stakeholders.
• To be available for young people and families at critical times
• To explore values and attitudes with young people in a supportive manner, to affirm and validate their feelings and ideas, and nurture and confirm their learning.
• To ensure a focus on regular and appropriate case progression to help young people and families recognise progress.
• To assess and respond appropriately to situations where young people and/or families may be at risk of harm.
• To support with crisis management and generate solutions for young people and families using the Helpline, with risk enablement being at the heart of professional judgement and decision making.

People

• To understand the different coping mechanisms that young people and their families use to deal with stress and high emotions, and to respond appropriately.
• To demonstrate professional resilience when providing support with sensitive or challenging issues
• To use a strengths-based approach to empower individuals facing adversity to find solutions and make positive changes, ensuring resources are in place to sustain these changes.
• To establish mutually trusting, open and non-judgemental relationship with young people and their families
• To encourage and lead collaborative team work to provide a ‘scaffolding of support’ around each young person and their family.
• To respect and value the contribution of wider stakeholders and the delivery of includem services.
• Where opportunity allows experience of directing, supporting, and mentoring Assistant Project Workers/Sessional staff.
• Any other duties as designated by your line manager.

Resources

• To deploy time effectively to meet the needs of young people and families to ensure the service is available 24/7, 365 days per year.
• To maintain and produce accurate and timely records and reports.
• To ensure support is delivered in line with includem’s Policies Procedures, SSSC Codes of Practice & National Guidelines

Influence

• To gain commitment from other stakeholders with varying demands and priorities
• To ensure young people and families are empowered to make informed choices.
• To support young people and families to effectively communicate with others.
• To work with young people to identify goals aligned to wellbeing indicators and to positively influence progression towards these goals.
• To reflect on practice, share learning and promote continuous practice improvement within a team setting.
• To articulate and endorse the includem framework of intervention and the key aspects of the service delivery model to a wide audience.
• To role model appropriate practice standards and professional boundaries to others
• To ensure a high-quality service is delivered to young people and families.
• Demonstrate understanding of your impact on people and how they might see you.

Quality Assurance

• To be accountable for the quality of your work and be able to evidence this work effectively.
• To actively participate in formal supervision and continuous professional development.
• To generate creative and new solutions to issues faced by young people and families.

If you want to apply you must have full UK driving licence.

Full job description can be found here.