Advocate

Job Title: Advocate

Service: Coram Voice

Contract Type: Part Time, permanent

Hours: 10 hour per week

Salary: £6,531 (FTE £22,858.53)

Location: Home based with travel to a Secure Children’s Home, South Gloucestershire (near Bristol)

We are looking for a dedicated Children’s Advocate to join our team and visit a secure children’s home in South Gloucestershire, near Bristol, to represent and amplify the voices of young people aged 10 to 18 who are in secure care.

About Coram:

Coram is committed to improving the lives of children and young people. We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

About Coram Voice:

Coram Voice exists to enable and equip children and young people to hold the system to account, to challenge and support it to do its job properly and to uphold the rights of children and young people and empower them to actively participate in shaping their own lives.

About the Role:

As a Children’s Advocate, you will be an essential independent voice for the children in this secure home. You will regularly visit the home, meet with the children, and ensure their voices are heard in the decisions that affect their lives. Your advocacy will be pivotal in promoting their rights, safeguarding their well-being, and ensuring that their concerns and wishes are respected within the care planning process.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build trusting relationships with the children, creating an open and safe environment for them to voice their concerns.
• Conduct regular visits to the secure home to meet with the children, ensuring they feel safe and supported in expressing their views.
• Represent children’s interests ensuring their voices are heard in decisions about their care, treatment, and rehabilitation.
• Advocate for the children’s rights, ensuring they understand their entitlements and are fully informed about decisions affecting them.
• Collaborate with care staff, social workers, youth offending team workers and other professionals to ensure a holistic approach to safeguarding and supporting each young person, as directed by the wishes of the child.
• Ensure that safeguarding issues are identified and addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience in children advocacy, youth work, or social care, particularly with children and young people in residential, secure, or care settings.
• Knowledge of children’s rights, safeguarding practices, care and youth justice system.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage children or young people from diverse backgrounds and support them in expressing their views.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A commitment to ensuring that children’s voices are heard and that they are supported in making informed decisions about their lives.
• Empathy, professionalism, and a passion for making a positive difference in the lives of children and young people.

Why Join Us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of young people. As an independent advocate, you will have the chance to ensure that children & young people’s voices are always heard, that their rights are upheld, and that they are supported in making decisions about their future.

What you will receive:

We wish to reward and recognise the valuable contributions our staff make to the organisation and offer an attractive benefits package to do so. Coram Voice benefits package includes a competitive salary, a matched pension scheme up to 5% of salary, generous leave entitlements of up to 25 days’ annual leave plus an additional 3 days paid leave between Christmas and New Year. A supportive work environment fostering a good work/home life balance and a suite of family friendly policies, which promote employee wellbeing.

Further Discussion:

If you have any questions about the role please contact Annmarie.Ahtuam@coramvoice.org.uk , mobile: 07849 300 299

Recruitment process:

Shortlisting will be undertaken by our Children’s Rights Managers. Successful candidates will then be invited for interview. The interview process comprises of a written exercise and a panel interview. Successful candidates will have a further one to one interview in accordance within Warner recommendations.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

• We cannot accept CVs.
• When completing your application form, you need to address each point of the person specification and demonstrate how you meet it.
• Applications must be fully completed.

Closing date: Monday 10th February 2025 at 12pm

Interview date: Week starting 17th February 2025

General consideration for applications:

• DBS checks: All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check.
• Training: All successful candidates are required to complete our compulsory training programme which includes training in Advocacy (Being a Voice) Safeguarding and Diversity.

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.