At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe everyone should be heard — especially when facing important decisions about care, treatment, and living arrangements. Our Advocacy Team stands alongside people at their most vulnerable moments, ensuring their voice, rights and choices stay at the centre of every decision. We’re now looking for a Trainee Multidisciplinary Advocate to join our Wandsworth & Richmond Advocacy Service — someone passionate about empowering others and ready to grow into a qualified, confident, and skilled advocate. This is a part time (17.5 hours) role. Salary is £11,141.01 plus £1500 London Allowance
About the role As a Trainee Multidisciplinary Advocate, you will begin your journey into independent advocacy by completing the Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, supported with protected study time. You’ll shadow experienced advocates, learn the foundations of instructed and non instructed advocacy, and gradually build up to managing your own caseload. You will work with people across a variety of settings — including hospitals, care homes, supported living, secure units, and out in the community. Every day will be different, but your purpose will stay the same: to stand alongside people, help them understand their rights, and ensure their voice is heard. The role covers multiple advocacy remits, which may include: IMHA, IMCA, ICAA, IHCA, CYP, Community and Paid RPR. You’ll manage your own calendar, plan client visits, maintain accurate case records, and work closely with colleagues across Wandsworth and Richmond. You’ll also support promotional activity, awareness sessions, and contribute to case discussions and reflective practice.
What you’ll be doing • Learning how to deliver both instructed and non instructed advocacy, building confidence in choosing and explaining the right approach • Supporting people to understand their rights, their choices and any decisions affecting them • Helping people communicate their wishes and be more involved in their care planning • Visiting clients across a range of community and care settings • Maintaining high quality, factual case records and reporting safeguarding concerns appropriately • Managing a developing caseload using a person led, issue based approach • Working within clear professional boundaries, supported by regular supervision • Building knowledge of key legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and Care Act • Promoting the advocacy service through talks, information sessions and outreach
About you We’re looking for someone with the passion, values and commitment to become an outstanding advocate — experience isn’t essential, because full training will be provided, however, it would be of benefit if you has experience in the social care sector, volunteering or paid. You’ll thrive in this role if you: • Are ready to complete the Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification • Are motivated by empowering others and defending people’s rights • Communicate clearly, respectfully and adaptively with people who may have diverse needs • Can travel across Wandsworth and Richmond and manage your own schedule • Have strong written, verbal and non verbal communication skills • Are organised, reflective, and able to maintain accurate records • Work well independently but also value being part of a supportive team • Believe in equity, inclusion, and person centred decision making Whether you bring previous experience, transferable skills, or lived experience — if you share our values, we will support you to grow and succeed. If you’re passionate about ensuring people are heard, respected and empowered — and you’re ready to train with a leading national advocacy service — we’d love to hear from you.
Why Work With Rethink Mental Illness? At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe that when you feel supported, you can make the biggest difference. That’s why we offer a range of benefits to help you thrive: • Inclusive Culture: Join staff networks that champion diversity and inclusion. • Wellbeing Support: Access our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, and the Unmind mental health app. • Recognition & Rewards: Enjoy discounts, cashback offers, and celebrate achievements through our PULSE platform. • Flexible Working & Generous Leave: Starting at 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with options to buy or sell extra days. • Learning & Development: Grow your career with structured onboarding and training opportunities. • Financial & Family Support: Contributory pension scheme, enhanced family leave, and travel benefits like season ticket loans and cycle-to-work schemes. • Referral Bonus: Earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Diversity is important to us, and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.
Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
