Independent mental health advocate jobs in bristol, city of bristol

North Bristol Advice Centre (NBAC) is recruiting a Welfare Benefits Advice Caseworker to provide one-to-one advice support in communities.

This is a varied and exciting role leading our outreach work, working with partner organisations based in the heart of communities.  As a Welfare Benefits Advice Caseworker, you will provide specialist welfare benefits advice, based at our office in Lockleaze and outreach locations across North Bristol and South Gloucestershire. You’ll provide one-to-one support to address a range of issues from benefit checks and supporting with claims, to casework and providing representation at appeal tribunals, helping people to maximise their income and secure their legal entitlements.

The ideal candidate would have experience of providing welfare benefits advice and the ability to carry out casework. However, we are willing to offer a trainee position to the right candidate who has transferrable skills. Ideal previous experience for a trainee candidate would include experience of supporting vulnerable people, working as a support worker, providing information and guidance or someone already volunteering in an advice setting. 

North Bristol Advice Centre is an innovative and forward-thinking charity that has been delivering advice support in communities since 1984. We are inclusive, values-driven and prioritise excellence and quality, as well as providing caring and person-centred support. We actively support the wellbeing of our staff with flexible/hybrid working, relaxed dress-code and an active Wellbeing Group, and provide ongoing training and opportunities for professional development. 

Applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: Monday 28th April 2025 

Interviews to be held:  Thursday 1st May 2025 

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week​

Location:​Home-based with frequent travel to projects across Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool​

Contract:Permanent​

Do you want to work with multiple award-winning charity, FoodCycle? As Regional Manager you will represent, manage and co-ordinate FoodCycle for your allocated regional Projects. Our Projects are spaces where volunteers are empowered to run their own community meals using surplus food.​

You will manage local relationships with supermarkets, volunteer recruitment channels and venues to enable this to happen. As an excellent communicator, you will manage the volunteers at each Project ensuring they are trained, supported and on-message with FoodCycle strategy, ensuring that volunteers are confident enough to self-organise and make a success of their Projects.​

You will have experience of programme planning and delivery, and working with volunteers. You will be experienced in building relationships with a range of stakeholders, and be passionate about food and cooking.​

There will be frequent travel to our projects in the North East, with some evening and weekend work needed to cover our projects. A full driving license and access to a vehicle for work purposes is essential for this rewarding role.​

Benefits: We offer 26.5 days holiday plus bank holidays, and additional holiday for length of service (pro-rata for part-time). Our healthcare package allows staff to claim money back on healthcare bills and includes access to telephone counselling and online GP appointments.​

How to apply:Please upload a CV of no more than two sides, and a covering note/letter of no more than two sides explaining why you are suitable for the role, via our vacancy website.

Deadline for your application:11.59pm on Wednesday 30 April 2025.

Interview process: Shortlisted candidates will need to complete a 30 minute task prior to being invited to interview.

Inclusivity: FoodCycle is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We are a Disability Confident Scheme member. 

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – FoodCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. This role will therefore require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.

Please note that you will need to have existing Right to Work in the UK to apply for this role. We are unable to provide visa sponsorship.​

​

​

​

​

Respect is the UK charity stopping perpetrators of domestic abuse. We want a world where everyone is free from domestic abuse. Where it is never ok to control, harm or cause fear. Where those who perpetrate domestic abuse are stopped, held to account and given the chance to change. We will not stop, until domestic abuse stops. Founded in 2000 by Jo Todd CBE, who is still at the helm, Respect was established to focus on perpetrators of domestic abuse, and this, including our vital work with young people who cause harm, remains our key priority. Alongside this work, we deliver expert support to male victims of domestic abuse. Everything we do is shaped and driven by our values: we are pioneering, collaborative, accountable, and respectful.

This role is based within the Drive Partnership and be part of the pilot for the roll out of the positive requirement element of the DAPO’s.

We would particularly welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and across all protected characteristics1, particularly from people from the following under-represented groups:

• Black and minoritised people 

• Disabled people

We always welcome and support applications from those who have personal experience of domestic abuse.

About The Drive Partnership

The Drive Partnership, formed by Respect, SafeLives and Social Finance, is working to transform the national response to perpetrators of domestic abuse. We work to end domestic abuse and protect victims by disrupting, challenging, and changing the behaviour of those who are causing harm. Together we have developed the Drive Project to address a gap in work with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse. We also work to advocate for systems and policy change- to develop sustainable, national systems that respond more effectively to all perpetrators of domestic abuse.

 The Drive Partnership vision 

Our vision is that by 2026 there will be a consistent approach which sees agencies in all PCC and local authority areas across England and Wales – backed by national leaders – working together to disrupt abuse and change behaviour to increase safety for victim survivors, including children and families.

Our Focus  

Respect was founded to focus on perpetrators of domestic abuse and this, including our vital work with young people who cause harm, is our key priority. Our work with male victims is an important, distinct, project.   

Our Vision   

We want a world where everyone is free from domestic abuse. Where it is never ok to control, harm or cause fear. Where those who perpetrate domestic abuse are stopped, held to account and given the chance to change.   

Our Mission  

We work with our members, partners and allies to stop the harms done by those who perpetrate domestic abuse. With innovative practice, robust research and quality data, we build evidence of what works, promote safe, effective practice and drive high standards. We use our voice, in collaboration with others, to call for a response to domestic abuse that matches the scale of the problem. We will not stop, until domestic abuse stops.   

Our Values  

• Pioneering:  We explore innovative ideas and develop new approaches with curiosity and rigour  

• Collaborative:  We work in partnership with our members, partners and allies to bring about individual, societal and systems change  

• Accountable:  We listen to survivors and centre their needs in our work. We hold perpetrators to account for their behaviour and hold ourselves and our members accountable for ours  

• Respectful:  We live up to our name. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. We are honest, compassionate and boldly challenge injustice  

Our way of working

Partnership is fundamental to our way of working. We are second-tier organisation focusing on the continuous improvement of service models, sharing best practice and supporting specialist service providers to deliver. 

 We have three core strands of work: 

The Drive Project is our flagship intervention working with high-harm, high-risk and serial perpetrators of domestic abuse to prevent their abusive behaviour and protect victims. The Drive Project challenges perpetrators to change and works with partner agencies – like the police and social services – to disrupt abuse. It is currently being delivered in 9 police force areas. 

Restart is an innovative pilot project providing earlier intervention for families experiencing domestic abuse. It brings together domestic abuse services, children’s social care and housing teams to identify and respond to patterns of domestic abuse at an earlier stage. Restart is currently being delivered in five London Boroughs.  

The Drive National Systems Change programme works across the domestic abuse specialist sector, public sector partners and beyond to develop sustainable, national systems that respond to all perpetrators of domestic abuse.  We identify systemic gaps and build solutions that keep survivors safer by addressing those causing harm.

Background for the role

In April 2021 the Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent. The Act introduces a new civil Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (DAPN) to provide immediate protection following a domestic abuse incident, and a new civil Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) to provide flexible, longer-term protection for victims. DAPOs can impose both prohibitions and positive requirements on perpetrators. Positive requirements can be in the form of interventions aimed at reducing and managing risk, meeting the needs of an individual (for the factors that are not the causation of abuse but impact on risk e.g. mental ill health, substance misuse) and behaviour change interventions.

We were commissioned by the Home Office to design a triage model that will assess individuals for the suitability of these interventions, this triage model launched in November 2024 and will be tested and evaluated in order to prepare for national roll out in 2026.

 Purpose:   

The DAPO Service Manager will manage the operational, and strategic delivery of the DAPO team pilot working closely with the Practice and Development Lead and Programme Manager.

The postholder will have responsibility for managing all DAPO triage teams who are working locally and remotely in the DAPO pilot sites.

This role will require 

a) the effective line management of Triage Team Leaders (who in turn manage triage workers and IDVAs), in providing a high-quality frontline service triaging DAPO referrals for positive requirements

b) the development and maintenance of a multi-agency infra structure that actively engages with the triage team and the triage process 

c) working with the Practice and Development Lead and Programme Manager to ensure safe and effective delivery of the DAPO pilot triage process. 

d) support the development of the DAPO triage model through learning and analysis of the pilot delivery e.g. to initiate, develop, maintain and monitor multi-agency links through procedures and protocols, and to keep safety central to all services for perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse.   

For further information, please review the job description.