Lead Trustee for Advocacy

Summary

Identified as one of our strategic priorities in our 2019-2024 strategy, our advocacy services help people make their views heard and break down the prejudice they can encounter. This is part of our commitment to involve people who use our services in how services are designed and delivered at both a national and local level.

Through our advocacy services, we now support more than 1,600 people across the country. We aim to support people in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable, so we carry out this work in a wide range of settings – from hospitals to the community. We also provide advocacy services in a number of secure mental health facilities.

We have a strong reputation in advocacy and carry out our services to the latest best practice guidelines, ensuring that our service users are receiving the highest quality support available.

Duties and Responsibilities

In addition to those duties and responsibilities performed by all Trustees, the Lead Trustee for Advocacy:

• has a deep understanding of the value that advocacy brings organisationally and to service users;
• is a champion for advocacy, both organisationally and externally;
• is familiar with Together’s Policies on Advocacy for all types of Statutory Advocacy, alongside non-Statutory Advocacy;
• acts as a key consultee for any updates or changes to those policies;
• is knowledgeable about the wider context that affect changes in the delivery of Advocacy, through reviewing the information publicised by the members of the Law Commission and by the Department of Health;
• acts as an advocate for Together’s Advocacy, ensuring that there is full and appropriate review of investment in recognising the requirements of this specific service within Together and consider that recommendations are heard by the Board as appropriate;
• acts as a point of reference and advice for the CEO, COO and/or Head of Quality Improvement who will contact them as appropriate;
• acts as point of contact and link with other Trustees
• undertakes visits to our advocacy services;
• meets with staff and managers in our advocacy services in order to understand the different forms of advocacy delivered.

The Lead Trustee is supported to discharge their duties and responsibilities through briefings and contact with the relevant staff within the organisation.