Community Advocate
Location: HF Mencap Office, W14 0DT, with flexible home working by agreement
Contract: Fixed-term for 4 years (subject to continued funding), with the possibility of extension for up to a further 2 years
Hours: 21 hours per week (to be worked over 3 or 4 days)
Salary: £28,000 – £32,316 per annum (£16,333 – £18,097 pro rata)
About HF Mencap
HF Mencap is a local charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and other support needs, as well as their families and carers. We work to reduce inequality, increase opportunities, and ensure local people are supported to live the lives they choose.
About the Role
HF Mencap is seeking a committed and values-driven Community Advocate to join our team supporting adults across the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
This post is funded by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) in partnership with the Libra Partnership, supporting HF Mencap to strengthen and grow community advocacy provision for local residents. HF Mencap has delivered advocacy support for the local community since 1999.
The Community Advocacy service provides advocacy support to adults aged 18+ living in the borough who may have one or more of the following:
-
Learning disabilities and/or autism
-
Mental health needs
-
Brain injury
-
Physical disabilities
-
Sensory impairments
-
Older people and people with dementia
-
Long-term illness
-
Profound and multiple disabilities or complex health needs
As a Community Advocate, you will empower people to have a bigger voice, to be heard, and to be actively involved in decisions that affect their lives.
You will support individuals with issues including wellbeing and health, housing and benefits, accessing services, organising and attending meetings, and ensuring their rights are upheld.
You will work in partnership with statutory and voluntary sector agencies to remove barriers and improve outcomes for people.
Key Responsibilities
You will:
-
Provide one-to-one advocacy support to adults in Hammersmith & Fulham
-
Enable people to have greater choice and control over their lives
-
Encourage self-advocacy and support informed decision-making
-
Support individuals to challenge services or decisions where necessary
-
Manage a caseload of up to 12 active cases at any one time
-
Support people with a range of communication needs using accessible approaches (signs, symbols, photos, multimedia etc.)
-
Ensure individuals have access to appropriate communication support where needed
-
Provide accessible information about rights, options and services
-
Attend meetings and forums alongside clients
-
Work collaboratively with social services, healthcare providers and other partners
-
Promote equality and challenge discrimination
-
Participate in campaigns and awareness-raising activities facilitated by HF Mencap
-
Maintain accurate records and contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements
-
Attend supervision, training and appraisal processes
-
Work in accordance with HF Mencap’s policies and procedures
The role may involve working in community settings, care settings, hospitals, secure settings, courts and other professional environments.
Person Specification
Essential
-
Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification
-
Experience managing a complex caseload
-
Ability to build professional and appropriate boundaries
-
Experience supporting people with diverse communication and support needs
-
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
-
Ability to research options to support informed choice
-
Good organisational and IT skills
-
Ability to manage risk appropriately
-
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
-
Flexible and positive approach
-
Knowledge of advocacy good practice
-
Knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Health Act 2007, Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998
-
Understanding of non-instructed advocacy
-
Knowledge of public and voluntary sector services
-
National Advocacy Qualification (or willingness to work towards it)
-
Knowledge of the local area
Special Requirements
-
Ability and willingness to travel within London boroughs (and beyond if required)
-
Work must be within reasonable daily travelling distance of your home
-
Willingness to work occasionally outside normal office hours, including evenings or weekends
-
Attendance at meetings within and beyond the borough as required
Benefits
-
Generous annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (full-time equivalent)
-
Full-time (37.5 hours): 25 days annual leave (187.5 hours) + 8 bank holidays (60 hours)
-
Part-time (21 hours): 14 days annual leave (105 hours) + pro-rata bank holidays (33.6 hours)
-
-
Employee Benefits scheme (Sodexo)
-
24/7 GP access (remote doctor appointments and medical advice)
-
Employee Assistance Programme (confidential counselling, legal advice and wellbeing support)
-
Flexible working arrangements
-
Ongoing training and supervision
Sick pay is provided in accordance with HF Mencap’s Sick Pay Policy and Statutory Sick Pay regulations.
How to Apply
To apply, please send:
-
An up-to-date CV
-
A covering letter (maximum two sides of A4) outlining how you meet the essential criteria
Email applications to: [email protected]
Subject line: Community Advocate Application
Closing Date
Applications close: [Insert date]
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.
Interviews will take place: [Insert date]
Safeguarding and Recruitment
HF Mencap is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk. Appointment to this role is subject to:
-
Satisfactory references
-
An Enhanced DBS check
-
Proof of eligibility to work in the UK
Equal Opportunities
HF Mencap is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of disability, neurodiversity, or using advocacy services.
Data Protection
HF Mencap will process your application in line with data protection legislation. Information provided will be used solely for recruitment purposes and stored securely.
Support Workers
As of April 2025, we raised our support staff salaries to the London Living Wage, increasing the hourly rate from £12.54 to £13.85.
This change shows how much we value the work our team does for clients with learning disabilities and autism and their families. Raising staff salaries requires careful budgeting and support through government funding for social care. While we can't always guarantee to match the London Living Wage, we will always strive to pay our Support Workers a fair wage that our charity can sustain.
Did you know that 43% of adult social care workers in England earn less than the real Living Wage? It doesn’t have to be like this. Scotland ensures care workers are paid the real Living Wage, and campaigns in Wales led to a commitment from the Welsh Government to do the same starting in 2023.
At HF Mencap, we support the Living Wage for Social Care campaign, which asks the UK Government to ensure that all social care workers in England earn at least the real Living Wage.
Living Wage for Social Care campaign - Citizens UK
