Advocacy worker
Advocacy workers help give people a voice in decisions about their health or social care.
Also known as: Independent advocate, relevant person's representative
- Starter salary£19,000 a year
- Experienced£30,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 39 a week
What you'll do
As an advocacy worker you could:
- support clients of all ages to have a voice in decisions about their care
- help people explore their options and make informed choices
- work with family and other professionals involved in your client's care
- make sure correct legal processes are followed
- write up case notes and reports
Working environment
You could work at an adult care home, at a children's care home or in an office.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- active listening skills
- the ability to understand people's reactions
- a desire to help people
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a advocacy worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- applying directly
- a course run by a private training provider
College
A course in health and social care would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You can gain some of the skills and knowledge you need through an Adult Care Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
You could then do further training on the job or through an independent training provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Volunteering
Starting as a volunteer advocate is a good way to get experience. As a volunteer you would receive training and support to develop your skills in the health and social care sector.
You may find relevant voluntary experience with Age UK or through NCVO .
Direct application
You could apply directly to become an advocacy worker. Employers are likely to place more importance on your skills than on your qualifications.
You would be required to complete a Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification within your first year of working.
Experience in care work, social work or counselling could give you an advantage.
It may be useful if you have experience of using advocacy or care services.
Other routes
Some private training providers offer nationally recognised qualifications in advocacy, like:
- Level 2 Award in Independent Advocacy
- Level 3 Certificate in Independent Advocacy
- Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
It may be useful to have a driving licence if the role involves visiting clients in different places.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move to a more senior job, like advocacy co-ordinator or a team manager.
You could work in a different type of advocacy role, such as children and young people or mental health capacity. Alternatively, you could choose to specialise in an area like independent health complaints.
Professional and industry bodies
You can find out about training opportunities and different routes within advocacy work from the Social Care Institute for Excellence .
Guides for this industry
Related roles
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0