Job Title:Development Worker (Community Collective Advocacy)

AdvoCard

Job Description

Accountable to:Board of Directors

Responsible to:Director

Working hours:18 hours per week

Salary:£23,781, rising to £26,325(pro-rata)

Function of the Post

The main purpose of this post is to assist people who use mental health services in the City of Edinburgh to have a say in shaping mental health services and policy making, through the development and use of collective advocacy.

The Development Worker will work with existing groups of service users as well as helping to create new groups, which may be either geographically or issue based. The worker will promote and support links between service users in Edinburgh, the Lothians and elsewhere.

The Development Worker will provide support to service user representatives participating in mental health planning groups and in the direct development, management and evaluation of mental health services. They will support service users involved in providing training to people working in the field of mental health as well as working directly with professionals, project staff and workers to enable service users to play an active part in the development of the services they use.

To work independently and as part of a team to ensure that the service proceeds within the policies, procedures and guidelines as approved by the AdvoCard Board of Directors.

Duties and Responsibilities

produce newsletters, reports, short articles, minutes, correspondence;

summarize local and national policy documents;

using IT, manage the preparation of reports, promotional material, databases, communication within and out-with the project, and to gather information;

organise, participate in and facilitate meetings;

facilitate and assist service users to give presentations;

develop training materials and deliver training to service users and professionals;

support service users to run their own groups;

support service users to play an active part in the development of policy and strategic planning;

support service users to play an active part in the development, management and evaluation of services;

support service users to play an active part in the training of people with an interest in the field of mental health;

support people who use mental health services to represent their expressed views and interests;

build and maintain effective partnerships between service users and professionals;

promote the development of independent advocacy;

when appropriate, to refer people on to other services;

handle petty cash transactions relating to collective advocacy;

recruit, train and support service users participating in research and the evaluation of mental health services;

in conjunction with management, set targets for the work, record, monitor, review and evaluate the work done;

work independently, prioritise work load and meet deadlines;

support the work of the AdvoCard staff team and contribute to the smooth running of the organisation;

have a commitment to and ensure the practical application of AdvoCard policies and procedures and that their own actions in their work meet the standards as set by AdvoCard;

any other duties deemed relevant to the post.

Training

You will be expected to participate in training as identified by your line manager through supervision and appraisal. You may also request specific training and AdvoCard will endeavour to meet such requests dependant on available resources.

Contacts

Mental health service users and other members of the public

Mental health service policy makers, planners and commissioners

Mental health service providers and professionals

Other advocacy and voluntary organisations and their staff

AdvoCard Board of Directors, staff and volunteers

Employer and Management

Your employer is the AdvoCard Board of Directors and you are line managed by the Director.

Location and Premises

The post will operate within the City of Edinburgh in a suitable premises identified by AdvoCard within the City of Edinburgh.

Funding

AdvoCard is funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Lothian.

Working Hours

These are between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday but the post will require regular evening work, and occasional weekend work. Time off in lieu will be awarded for hours worked over the contracted amount.

Disclosure

This post is subject to a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland, with further checks every three years.

(Updated May 2014)