Trainee Care Act Advocate

Hours: 
37 hours per week

Location:Platt Bridge Community Zone

81 Ribble Rd

Platt Bridge

Wigan

WN2 5EG

Salary:£25,878

(Real Living Wage) (reviewed on completion of advocacy qualification, usually taking 12 months)

DBS:Enhanced

Accountable to:Chair of the Board of Trustees and working closely with the CEO

Holidays:24 days a year plus bank holidays

Closing Date:12th May 2026 (11pm)

Interviews:Week commencing: 1st June 2026

Start Date:June 2026

Period of Appointment:Permanent

Due to the launch of new service, we now have a vacancy for a Trainee Care Act Advocate. This is a really interesting and rewarding role where you will be supporting people who use Social Care who are 18+ in the Wigan Borough to secure their rights and get the support that they need.

About Embrace

We have been working in the Borough of Wigan for over 25 years. We are a Disabled People’s organisation which means that disabled people and those with lived experience shape the services and projects we deliver.

Our Values

These are the guiding principles that run through everything we do:

We are inclusive

By inclusive we mean ensuring everyone can be a part of our mission and organisation. This does not mean exclusively disabled people; it means all people. We achieve this by being non-judgemental, using inclusive language and treating everyone as an equal.

We are user-led

We are here because people in Wigan and Leigh wanted a charity that provided support using the social model of disability. We respond to the needs of the people who use our service and regularly seek their opinions.

We are part of our community

We have been part of Wigan and Leigh since February 2000. Our work is only possible due to our strong local connections and the respect we have within the community. All of our work must ensure that we retain our reputation and it is undertaken in conjunction with our partner organisations across the borough.

We strive to be an inclusive provider. We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different and that work does not always have to take place between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. We therefore offer our team a range of flexible working opportunities. If you would like to see what some of our past and present staff think about working with us, you can see their testimonies here: https://www.embracewiganandleigh.org.uk/category/jobs/.  

About the role:

You will be joining an experienced and supportive team, who will be on hand to offer guidance, support and shadowing opportunities. In your first year of employment, you will undertake a level 4 qualification in advocacy within your working hours. This training helps you to attach practical experience to theory and legislation. Whilst undergoing training you will manage a caseload smaller than your colleagues and receive weekly supervision. After you have completed your training, your salary will be reviewed.

The role covers three types of Advocacy provision:

Care Act Advocacy – this is where you would be working to support people who qualify for a Care Act Advocate to access social care assessments and support, and to ensure that the support they are receiving is right for them. You will do both instructed and non-instructed Advocacy and will be working with partners in the social care system and elsewhere in Wigan to advocate for people who are eligible for our service.  

Child Protection Advocacy – You will be advocating for parents with a learning disability who are involved in the Child Protection process. . This involves ensuring the voice of the parent is heard within Children in Need, Child Protection and Public Law Outline meetings and court. In addition, we provide advocacy for adults in relation to the Care Act. This is a piece of legislation that gives adults with eligible needs the right to support from social care. We ensure that adults views and wishes are heard through all Care Act processes, this includes safeguarding, care planning and assessments.  

General Advocacy – You will be supporting people who require support to access social care systems but do not qualify for a Care Act Advocate.  

Skills and experience required: 

We are a user-led organization and are passionate about providing the best service possible for disabled people and their families. You must be able to demonstrate that your values align with that of our organisation and that you are motivated by making a positive difference to the lives of disabled people.

Excellent communication skills are essential. The people you advocate for will have varying needs, therefore, being able to adapt your style, use communication aids and think creatively is required.

The service is demanding, therefore you will also need to deal with complex and difficult situations, manage a busy case load, demonstrate high levels of patience and understanding and feel comfortable acting assertively.

A significant portion of your time will be spent working face-to-face with the people we support and you will be expected to keep up to date case notes on Charity Log, send emails and attend online meetings. Therefore, strong IT skills are essential.

Your Advocacy qualification will be funded by the organization, but you will need to be well-organised and self-disciplined to ensure that you complete the training requirements alongside your work.

Finally, we are extremely proud of our local roots. We are therefore looking for candidates who have a strong understanding of the Wigan Borough, and who are passionate about local services and supporting local people.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

• To provide advocacy for learning disabled people, whose children are being assessed by children’s services.

• To provide advocacy for people to access and engage with the social care system

• To provide general advocacy as appropriate

• To attend multi-agency meetings, assessments and court hearings, alongside the people you advocate for to ensure they are able to fully participate.

• To work holistically with people, recognising other areas in their lives where support would be beneficial that does not directly relate to our service.

• To support parents to access help which will improve their parenting skills and confidence, for example volunteer ‘parenting mentors’ who can be matched with parents and work with them at home.

• To support parents to access help/advice/information they may need in relation to housing, benefits, physical/mental health issues etc.

• To ensure parents understand information in meetings, letters, reports and legal documents.

• To make information accessible so people understand what actions they are required to take.

• To work in collaboration and share knowledge with other professionals, so that they can develop how they work with disabled people.

• To travel across the borough of Wigan, and occasionally beyond, to deliver the service.

• To work inclusively with people of different age groups disabilities, gender identities, ethnic backgrounds and any other relevant groups. .

• Keep up to date case notes

• To be able to work out of normal office hours.

• Ensure that the views of the people who use our service are central to all that we do.

• Be involved with the wider work of Embrace. This means our fundraising activities, social events and in-house committees.

Ability to travel for meetings with the people we support (Access to Work can be used to assist with this if required)

Commitment to further training and development

Relevant degree or other professional qualification

Relevant experience of working with disabled people and their families and/or other disadvantaged groups

Experience and understanding of how to use the Microsoft Office software suite, CMS systems (for example Charity Log) and other IT and office equipment.

Understanding of the way health and social care services are provided

Empathy and understanding of family dynamics and the challenges the people we support face.

Experience and knowledge of safeguarding and working with vulnerable people

Proven track record of effective and efficient service delivery in a relevant area of work

Relevant knowledge of the needs/circumstances of vulnerable people and their families

Experience of working in partnership with different professionals and organisations and developing trust, respect and co-operation

Experience of recording, monitoring and evaluating service data

Practical experience and knowledge of advocacy

To have significant experience of advocating for people particularly in relation to the Care Act.

Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, policy and practice in relation to advocacy and service user groups

Excellent communication skills both written and verbal

Ability to motivate and negotiate

Ability to empower individuals and build up their confidence

Ability to work with others as part of a team

Ability to think and work in creative, flexible and innovative ways

Effective listening, diplomacy and mediating skills, with the ability to act upon what is heard

Ability to respect confidentiality.

Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and prioritise workload

Ability to work within the ethos of Embrace and to demonstrate a genuine commitment to promoting and achieving our core values (below).

Commitment to lead and motivate others to achieve positive outcomes

Employee benefits at Embrace:  

• Inclusive employer with a clear reasonable adjustments policy to ensure all of our disabled staff can thrive in our organization

• Free employee health and well-being offer

• Free onsite parking

• Flexible working arrangements

• We are an accredited Real Living Wage Employer

• Regular team building events

• Opportunities to get involved in other work in the organization

Guaranteed Interview Scheme 

We recognise that some people face barriers to getting into employment and we want to encourage Deaf / Neurodivergent / disabled people to join our organization.

Therefore, if you meet the minimum criteria for the role we will offer you an interview. We will also offer you feedback on your interview after the recruitment process has concluded.

Visibly Better Employer 

Embrace is very proud to be a member of the RNIB’s Visibly Better Employer scheme. This means that we are committed to providing an inclusive workplace for Blind and Visually Impaired People. We have been audited to check that our recruitment and employment policies and procedures are accessible.

We also offer a site familiarization visit prior to the interview day so that people visit our office before their interview date.

If you require us to make any adjustments to the recruitment process please contact us at jobs@embracewiganandleigh.org.uk or call us on (01942)233323. 

Reasonable Adjustments + Access to Work 

Access to Work is a Government Grant scheme that can provide funding to enable disabled people to enable them to gain employment and stay in work. The scheme can provide some support for interviews including communication support such as a British Sign Language Interpreter. If there are any reasonable adjustments that you require in order to access to application process please get in touch. If you are unsure what you might require please get in touch for an informal conversation.

To apply for this role please complete the online application before the closure date at the top of the page.

For queries about the role please speak to Chris Hamnett 
(01942)233323.