Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA)/Community Advocate

The application deadline is 13 April; however, we will begin shortlisting candidates for interviews from 1 April. If you are interested, please submit your application as soon as possible.

Essential

• The post holder must hold the National Qualification in Independent Advocacy (City and Guilds Level 3)
• Be in possession of or working towards unit 305 (providing independent mental capacity advocacy) and unit 310 (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

Overall Purpose of the Post

• To deliver independent advocacy to any vulnerable adult aged 18 or above who requires support to have their voice heard when important decisions are being made about their lives or to overcome issues that are impacting on their health and wellbeing
• To apply and promote the NHS CAS seven key principles: Empowerment, Accessibility, Confidentiality, Resolution, Independence, Partnership and Value for Money
• To adhere to the principles set out in the Advocacy Charter
• To keep effective records and ensure case management to agreed standards
• To work within agreed timescales and share any difficulties working within the service framework with Senior Advocate and Service Manager in a time sensitive manner ((Referral acknowledged within 1 day, Allocated within 3 working days, Assessment made within 5 working days, case completed and report sent to referrer within 10 working days)
• To be able to deliver support across multi-statutory advocacy areas and community advocacy support areas
• To promote self-advocacy wherever possible, enabling individuals to understand their options, express their views, and take an active role in decision-making. This includes delivering workshops to residents to promote self-advocacy knowledge and skills (this could include some evenings and weekends)
• Resource Development – to contribute to the creation and dissemination of guides, toolkits and communication channels to ensure advocacy information reaches all community members
• To be fully familiar with all internal policies and procedures and adhere to these
• To ensure continuity of support for patients being discharged from an inpatient psychiatric stay ensuring there are no gaps in statutory or community advocacy provision
• To uphold MHBD’s Operating Principles, Vison and Values

Partnership & Promotion

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with professionals (NHS, local authority, social care, voluntary agencies) to increase understanding of IMCA, IMHA, NHS complaints and Care Act Advocacy.

Promote the service to statutory and voluntary sector organisations, carers, and community groups.

Explore opportunities to deliver advocacy from community sites to improve accessibility.

Key Responsibilities

Advocacy Delivery

1. Act on referrals and undertake casework in line with Community Advocacy, IMCA, NHS and Care Act
2. To communicate regularly and appropriately with clients including face to face meetings at a range of locations
3. To enable clients to participate in decisions being made about their lives and make informed choices by providing them with accurate and accessible information using a range of communication tools and techniques
4. To support clients to express their own views, wishes and beliefs wherever possible to gather sufficient evidence to ensure the person is at the centre of best interest decision making and their rights are upheld
5. To liaise, communicate and negotiate effectively with a range of health and social care professionals
6. To deliver workshops to local residents promoting the Advocacy service and self-advocacy skills
7. To deliver workshops and presentations to stakeholders and other external professionals and organisations to promote the Advocacy service
8. To signpost and refer people who do not fall within the contractual remit of the service
9. To prioritise work to meet the needs of clients and comply with required timescales
10. To identify conflicts of interest associated with cases and help ensure they are appropriately managed
11. To keep accurate and up to date electronic case records on our case management system including details of all client contact, upload relevant reports/documents and accurately record time spent on each action
12. To promote the Advocacy service to key stakeholders and members of the public. This may involve providing information and training sessions
13. To implement work to promote equal opportunities
14. To keep up to date with relevant legislation, case law and internal/external practice guidelines

Professional Standards

• Uphold the independence, integrity, dignity, and rights of service users at all times.
• Ensure accurate, confidential record-keeping in line with GDPR and organisational policy.
• Work in line with relevant legislation, including the Mental Capacity Act, Human Rights Act, Equalities legislation and safeguarding duties.
• Attend supervision, training, and team meetings as required.
• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to demonstrate service impact.

General Duties of All Mind in Havering, Barking and Dagenham Employees

• Participate in induction, training, team meetings, and appraisals.
• Support effective systems for service user records, finance, and communication.
• Deal with complaints in line with organisational policy and report service concerns.
• Share responsibility for good health and safety practices.
• Undertake administrative tasks independently.
• Work within all organisational policies, including Equality, Health & Safety, and Confidentiality.
• Respect the rights of clients’ privacy and confidentiality within legal and safeguarding frameworks.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required to support the effective delivery of advocacy services.

Flexibility & cross-project working

• As a not-for-profit charity reliant on external funding, our projects and services evolve in response to the changing needs of the communities we serve. As such, all staff are expected to demonstrate flexibility in their role, including a willingness to work across different projects where needed.
• Project workers should have, or be open to developing, transferable skills that allow them to contribute effectively across multiple areas of the organisation. This may include supporting different teams, adapting to new funding priorities, or working with different service user groups. Where necessary, staff may be reassigned to different projects to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible support to those who need it. This collaborative and adaptable approach is key to sustaining our work and making a lasting impact.
• The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation.