HELPLINE REFERRAL AND INFORMATION ADVOCATE

HELPLINE REFERRAL AND INFORMATION ADVOCATE  

Location: Home based 

Salary: £22,500 - £26,000 per year pro-rata.

Contract Type: Full Time

Position Type: Permanent 

All applications by midnight Monday 9 September

About the role

Using your excellent customer service and communication skills you will efficiently and effectively handle person-centred inbound calls, emails, webchats, and other forms of enquiry to the Helpline.

You will provide accurate, empathetic, timely responses to all clients and professionals that contact the Helpline.

You will sign post and empower by providing self-help information.

You will process referrals working to defined targets including key performance indicators and VoiceAbility Advocacy standards.

You will process referrals and advocate remotely assessing vulnerable people’s needs.

About you

You must have experience of working or volunteering in a call centre / helpline environment.

Desirably you will have some experience of working in advocacy, or providing welfare, supporting, or caring for Adults or young people who have support needs, ideally for those with a variety of communication needs, mental ill health, physical health issues, or barriers to accessing education and support.

You should have worked or volunteered in health, social care, welfare, support services, education or young person’s services, call centre environment, or advice and guidance.

Key requirements

Person Centred - You will have a natural ability to connect with people and provide the advocacy they need. Customers can be at the most stressful point in their life, and you may be the first person who has really heard them

Empowering - You can quickly understand and explain complex information using plain English or other appropriate communication techniques.

Digitally skilled – you possess Strong digital and data inputting skills, using phone, webchat platforms, Office 365 and customer relationship management systems.

Motivation: You are motivated not only by a desire to make a difference, but, also by achieving and exceeding goals. 

Agile – you will be able to work at pace. The helpline is a fast-paced working environment dealing with complex information. with multiple technological platforms

Behaviour – you seek to self-develop and improve yourself professionally and the services you deliver with kindness and respect for others at all times

Voiceability believes targets and standards help us live our values and achieve our goals in driving quality. Each goal achieved enables us to deliver the best possible quality of support to people, so they are heard, respected, safe and in control of their own lives. 

How will you make a difference?

You will be responsible for ensuring the individual’s wishes, feelings, beliefs, needs, and values are met to create positive outcomes for the people you support.

You will support people to speak up for themselves and grow in confidence, equip them to understand and exercise their rights and options, and will assist them in the decision-making process relating to their care, treatment, and support.

You will work resourcefully and collaboratively with the individuals you support.  You’ll be creative in your approach to empower our clients by ensuring you meaningfully explain people’s options and rights to them.  You’ll support individuals to fully participate in decisions affecting them and will make sure they have their voices heard. 

Professional Development?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your professional abilities and you will make a real difference every day. Advocates are expected to be willing to gain or to already hold the level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice Qualification with disciplines suitable for the role they work in.

Benefits:  

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pro-rata 
• 5% employer pension & 3% employee contribution 
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme 
• Separate Life Assurance Cover 
• Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays etc 
• Discounted Gym Membership; Employee Assistance programme 
• Supportive working environment fostering a good work/life balance 
• Support with continuous professional development 

Equality and Diversity 

VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential. 

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. If you need to apply in a different way, please contact us. 

How to apply 

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account on our website

Important Dates: 

Closing date for applications: midnight on Monday 9 September

Interviews to be held: 17, 18 and 19 September

Don’t forget to read the person specification so you can tell us about yourself and how your skills, abilities and experiences match the criteria outlined in the person specification. 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

NB:  If you don't already hold the Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, and you are successful in your application, it is a requirement that you complete the core element within 12 months of commencing the training. VoiceAbility will fund this training.