Supervising Advocate – Parental Advocacy Specialist

Community Connex is a campaigning organisation and a multi-project service provider supporting adults, young people and children with learning disabilities, mental health issues and other disadvantages, along with their families and carers, to ensure their needs, rights and aspirations are met.

Community Connex are seeking a Supervising Advocate – Parental Advocacy Specialist to lead advocacy services within the Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme and to provide critical support to parents, ensuring their voices are represented throughout their interaction with social services.

The Role

In this leadership role, you will deliver advocacy services for parents and other vulnerable adults, support the Service Manager with overall service delivery, and mentor team members to maintain high standards of advocacy practice. You'll be instrumental in raising awareness about advocacy services across Luton, actively engage with local authorities, and work closely with various health and social care professionals to enhance support for parents and vulnerable individuals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Oversee the Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme advocacy project and supervise the delivery of parental advocacy services.
2. Manage and triage referrals, ensuring efficient case allocation across the team.
3. Mentor, coach, and support the professional development of advocacy team members.
4. Support clients in self-advocacy efforts, providing representation when needed, and assisting with statutory meetings.
5. Monitor legislative changes related to child and adult welfare and advocate for policy updates as needed.

What we are looking for:

1. Experience in advocacy services, ideally with parents and vulnerable individuals.
2. Knowledge of relevant legislation (e.g., Children Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act) and best practices in safeguarding.
3. Strong leadership skills, with experience in coaching, mentoring, and managing team performance.
4. Ability to prioritise and manage a diverse caseload while overseeing team functions.
5. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to effectively represent clients in key meetings.
6. Familiarity with local authority processes and advocacy for client rights, including complaints and support services.

What We Offer:

1. Hybrid working with equipment provided
2. Mileage expenses for travel
3. Pension contribution up to 5%
4. 23 days of annual leave + bank holidays (increases after 2 years of service)
5. Health cash plan
6. Ongoing training and development opportunities
7. Wellbeing Hub
8. Blue light Card
9. Cycle to work scheme
10. Death in service insurance