Parent/Carer Advocate
This is a leading local Learning Disability and Autism charity delivering a range of projects within Hammersmith and Fulham (and beyond).
HF Mencap’s mission is to empower children and adults with learning disabilities and autism to get their voice heard, reach their potential and be included in their local community. They seek to promote their wellbeing and development in all areas of their lives as well as supporting their families and carers.
HF Mencap is seeking to recruit a Parent/Carer advocate to support parents and carers who live in Hammersmith and Fulham and are responsible for children and young people under the age of 25 with learning disabilities.
The Advocates will work in partnership with the parent/carer and will not offer any advice or take any action without their consent. They will not make judgements, offer their own opinions, or make decisions on behalf of parents.
In addition to providing 1:1 advocacy support, the advocate will also support parents/carers at Annual Reviews, CIN, EHCP and care planning meetings, solicitor appointments and at child protection conferences and core group meetings.
The Advocate will also signpost parents to other appropriate sources of support and information if needed.
The successful candidate will be an excellent team player with a strong understanding of the issues confronting children and young people with learning disabilities and autism, their parents, and carers today. He/she will need to be a good listener, compassionate and understanding of the issues of parenting a disabled child. The candidate will need to have the maturity and ability to liaise with and build relationships with professionals at all levels of the borough community, and at the same time have the confidence to challenge when necessary.
Kindly respond to the advertisement with your up-to-date CV along with a Supporting Statement responding to the Job Description and Person Specification
Last date to receive applications: 20th February 2021 9 am
Email completed applications to : Nandini.Ganesh@hfmencap.org saving your completed applications as Surname. Advocacy Post
HF Mencap
Job Description
Job Title: Parent/Carer Advocate (Children & Families)
Salary: £26,000 pro rata
Work Pattern: Part time
Hours: 21 hours per week
Location: Based at HF Mencap (Hammersmith) – homeworking during COVID-19.
When safe to do so, you are expected to be able to attend meetings within and beyond the borough as required.
To support and advocate for parents/carers of disabled children aged up to 25 years old and resident in London Borough of Hammersmith & FulhamJob Summary
- To support parents/carers to express their views and wishes regarding the services they receive for their children/young people.
- To support parents and carers at relevant meetings for their child.
- To promote social inclusion and equality.
Accountability
Parent/Carer Advocate will be responsible to the Parentsactive Lead.
Duties and key Responsibilities:
- To provide independent one to one advocacy for parents/carers of disabled children (aged 0-25)
- To represent views of families with disabled children at meetings as deemed necessary.
- To establish relationships with key personnel in Social Services, Education and Health Services.
- To work in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure disabled children and their families get the services they want and need.
- To be aware of current and proposed legislation and keep parents/carers informed to ensure changes are implemented locally.
- To network with local carer and support groups, schools, and other relevant organisations to ensure all parents are aware and have access to advocacy.
- To keep parents informed of any opportunities to attend consultations regarding services for disabled children.
- To support parents and their children through transition from children to adult service.
- To liaise and work with all services to ensure parents and young people receive timely and appropriate information to support them through transition.
- To administrate and organise own work to ensure that it is accurate and meets quality targets, reasonable deadlines, monitoring and reporting requirements.
- To work as part of H&F Mencap Team.
- To attend relevant training, events and consultations run by the Local Authority.
- To carry out the post within an equal opportunities’ framework.
Additional Responsibilities:
- To adhere to all the service standards, policies, and procedures of HF Mencap.
· To comply with the data protection regulations, ensuring that information on clients remains confidential.
Person specification – Parent/Carer Advocate
All the following requirements are essential, unless marked with a * when they are desirable, and will be assessed from a combination of information provided from the application form and interview process.
Education and qualifications
- Level 2 independent advocacy or equivalent qualification with relevant experience in providing advocacy.
- Willingness to take on the Level 2 qualification in independent advocacy within the probation period to meet statutory requirements if required.
Skill Requirements
- Understanding of issues faced by children and young people with learning disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families.
- Able to develop good working relationships.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive issues.
- Skill to research information.
- Able to understand complex policies and procedures.
- Excellent IT skills including the use of basic office software – Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Report writing/record- keeping skills – ability to write clearly and concisely for letters and reports.
- Good interpersonal skills on the phone and face-to-face,
- Confident and competent when dealing with people at all levels.
- Ability to prioritise workload.
- Conscientious and able to work on own initiative.
- An understanding of the type of work HF Mencap does, and a positive attitude to people with learning disabilities and mental health
- Willingness to travel within borough frequently for meetings, and out of borough on occasions.
- Knowledge of children’s and adult social services.
- Children & Families Act 2014, Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years 2014*
- Desirable
A knowledge of the local area will be an added advantage.
The post holder may need to occasionally work out of office hours, evening or weekends as is necessary.
