JOB DESCRIPTION

 

 

Post:                 Children & Young Persons Advocacy Worker

Responsible to: Advocacy Project Manager/Chief Executive

Hours:              18 hours per week

Salary:              £13 per hour (flexible times)

 

 

Background

Your Voice, Your Choice (YVYC) is a dedicated advocacy service for children and young people involved with Harrow’s Children’s Services (HCS). The service assists children and young people to have a voice and get practical help and support when trying to resolve issues with HCS.

 

Aims

To assist in the development and delivery of a dedicated advocacy service in order to represent and support the children and young people of Harrow. The post holder will be accountable to the Management Committee through the Advocacy Project Manager/Chief Executive.

 

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities are as follows:

 

Service Development

 

  • Provide and develop dedicated advocacy service for the children and young people of Harrow.
  • Co-ordinate the provision and delivery of Your Voice Your Choice (YVYC) procedures.
  • Maintain and develop good working relationships with other relevant statutory and voluntary organisations to promote the needs of our clients and services of YVYC.
  • To represent and support advocacy clients in line with the service specification as described in the Advocacy Service Plan, protocol and service level agreement.
  • Provide face-to-face advocacy as and when necessary.
  • Represent clients at Appeal Hearings throughout the Borough as and when required.
  • Assist in the development of fundraising initiatives to secure and maintain future services.
  • Travel throughout the Borough to deliver talks to various health professionals and other agencies and attend conferences and seminars as determined by the APM.
  • Develop good referral network with various health service providers, including GPs, health clinics, social work department, health promotion, home care organisations in order to promote and represent client needs and to direct appropriate clients to our advocacy services.
  • Maintain services development/delivery within a set budget allocation and ensure efficient and accurate recording and monitoring of the service.
  • Participate in the recruitment and selection of a team of volunteers to undertake administrative, advocacy and fund raising events on behalf of the group.
  • Work with all partners, committees and officers associated with YVYC and its parent organisation Kids Can Achieve.
  • Be willing to attend evening and/or occasional weekend meetings as and when required.
  • Develop and produce publications and associated material relevant to the advocacy service.

 

Supervision & Management

 

  • Ensure good practice is maintained in all aspects of the service in line with the KCA’s policy and procedures.
  • Manage, supervise and support volunteers.
  • Deal with advocacy enquiries and issues from client and young people, their carers and families and where appropriate seek assistance from relevant agencies.
  • Provide regular monitoring reports to the Management Committee via APM on the progress and operation of all aspects of advocacy service development.

 

Administration

 

  • Carry out all administrative/monitoring duties effectively and efficiently in accordance with YVYC procedures.
  • Implement and maintain efficient and effective systems including filing and confidential record keeping.
  • Maintain and update all databases including statistical information and produce regular analysis reports for the Management Committee and Commissioners, as and when required.

 

Liaison

 

  • Maintain and develop links with key similar voluntary and statutory agencies including health, education and social care.
  • Liaise with and supervise other staff/volunteers, as necessary, in the collation and provision of financial information, statistics and other information as appropriate.

 

Training

 

  • Responsible for identifying and providing training and support including day to day supervision to volunteers.
  • Undertake appropriate training courses identified by the APM, as and when required.

 

Other Duties

To undertake any other duties in support of the Advocacy Service and APM which can be reasonably expected and which are necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of the service.

 

 

This job description is provided as a guide to the role.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive description of duties and responsibilities.  It will be subject to periodic revision as the emphasis of and ways of working within the role changes.

 

Click here for the Person Specification for this role.