Location: Field Based – Wandsworth & Richmond
Contract: Permanent, Full Time – 35 Hours
Salary: £24,015.68 (plus £3,000 London Allowance)
DBS Check: Enhanced with Adults
Looking for a career where you can make a real difference?
At Rethink Advocacy, we believe everyone deserves to have their voice heard. As a Trainee Advocate, you'll support people to understand their rights, make informed choices and have a greater say in decisions that affect their lives. This is a unique opportunity to start a career in advocacy while receiving structured training, professional development and support towards becoming a qualified Advocate.
Working across Wandsworth & Richmond, you'll support people in a variety of settings including hospitals, care homes, supported living services, secure facilities and people's own homes. Every day will bring new challenges, new learning opportunities and the chance to make a meaningful impact.
About the role
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is passionate about empowering others and wants to build a career in advocacy.
As a Trainee Advocate, you'll be supported to enrol on and complete the Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification, with protected study time and a structured development pathway. You'll work alongside experienced advocates, shadowing and learning from them before gradually managing your own caseload and provide statutory and non-statutory advocacy, focusing on IMCA and Care Act cases..
You'll receive training in a range of advocacy remits and develop the skills and confidence to:
- Support people to understand and exercise their rights.
- Help individuals have their views, wishes and preferences heard.
- Empower people to participate in decisions about their care and support.
- Deliver both instructed and non-instructed advocacy.
- Promote independence and self-advocacy wherever possible.
- Understand key legislation and frameworks that affect the people we support.
You'll manage your own diary, organise client visits and maintain high-quality case records while being fully supported through supervision, reflective practice and ongoing training.
Following successful completion of the Level 4 qualification, you'll progress into a qualified Advocate role.
What you'll be doing
- Learning how to deliver high-quality statutory and non-statutory advocacy services.
- Building positive professional relationships with the people you support.
- Managing and developing your own advocacy caseload.
- Preparing accurate reports and case records.
- Identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns.
- Working collaboratively with health and social care professionals.
- Delivering awareness sessions and promoting advocacy services within local communities.
- Participating in training, supervision and reflective practice sessions.
Who we're looking for
You don't need previous advocacy qualifications to apply. We're looking for people with the right values, attitude and potential to grow.
You'll have:
- A willingness to complete the Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification and additional advocacy modules as required.
- Transferable skills, lived experience, voluntary experience or professional experience that demonstrate your ability to build relationships and support others.
- A passion for empowerment, inclusion and social justice.
- Excellent communication and listening skills.
- The ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and with differing communication needs.
- Good organisational skills and confidence using IT systems and Microsoft Office.
- The ability to work independently while also being part of a supportive team.
- The ability to travel throughout Wandsworth & Richmond and occasionally elsewhere in England for work-related activities.
When you join us, you're joining a charity that's leading the way in improving the lives of people severely affected by mental illness and championing the rights of vulnerable people.
You'll benefit from:
- A structured career pathway into qualified advocacy.
- Funded Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification.
- Protected study time and ongoing professional development.
- Regular supervision, reflective practice and support.
- A flexible, field-based role with autonomy and responsibility.
- The opportunity to make a genuine difference every day.
Our CARES Values
If these values resonate with you and you're passionate about helping people have their voices heard, we'd love to hear from you.
Ready to start your advocacy career?
Join Rethink Mental Illness and help ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to be listened to, understood and empowered.
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.
