EPIC Empowering People in Care: Advocacy Officer – Dublin Regions - deadline Friday 25th April

To provide skilled independent advocacy support to children and young people in care who wish to raise concerns about their care or make representations.

Job Purpose

• To provide skilled independent advocacy support to children and young people who wish to raise concerns about their care or make representations.
• To empower care leavers either by enabling them to represent their own views or by speaking on their behalf, or both.
• To ensure the child’s viewpoint is heard and, to assist the child/young person in seeking a satisfactory resolution to any issues raised.
• To provide information, support and advice to children and young people about their rights.
• To promote the participation of children and young people in decisions about their care.

Main tasks associated with role

• To provide one to one advocacy to children in care and care leavers.
• To facilitate both individual and group advocacy projects that support the participation of children and care leavers in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.
• Ensure the recording and reporting of unmet need within your area of responsibility.  Work in line with local child protection procedures in respect of ‘Children First’ and issues raised by Children and Young People.
• To establish and maintain strategic relationships with key partner organisations within the sector.
• To represent the organisation regionally and nationally as delegated by the Advocacy Managers.
• Contribute to the organisations policies and procedures in line with organisational strategic planning at local and national level and legislative change.
• To develop and sustain partnerships with individuals, other organisations and local authority departments to ensure effective inter agency, inter disciplinary working.
• To ensure that appropriate detailed records of work undertaken are maintained in line with organisational policy and undertake monitoring and reporting of statistics.
• Promote/ Assist the participation of children and young people locally/ nationally in collaboration with EPIC’s Youth Engagement and Participation Teams around EPIC’s #CareCommunity and related initiatives.
•  To build trusting relationships with children and young people seeking or receiving advocacy support.
• To promote and support the participation of children in care and aftercare planning.
• To identify need and undertake responsibility for the development of advocacy, advice, and information appropriate to children and care leavers in care and aftercare settings.
• To develop and undertake an information and publicity strategy which ensures that those children and care leavers who have need of advocacy are aware of and can acess it.
• To liaise with agencies in the care and aftercare sector and ensure that care professionals in the statutory and private sectors are appropriately informed and can refer to the Advocacy Service.
• To undertake and develop advocacy training and information for other care professionals.
• To improve and enhance professional competence and practice through continuing professional development and regular supervision.
• To attend and participate in such meetings in the internal and external work environment as may be required for the efficient development of the advocacy service.
• To contribute to the activities, promotion and development of EPIC as an agency working on behalf of children and care leavers.
• To work in collaboration with the Research and Policy, and Youth Engagement and Participation Teams.
• Contribute to quarterly and annual reports which are based on the agreed outcomes for your area of responsibility and attend liaison meetings as appropriate.
• Promote a children’s rights-based approach to practice.
• Ensure that all services provided meet agreed service levels, standards and outcomes.
• Adhere to EPIC’s policies, procedures and values at all times.

Terms and Conditions

• This is a one year fixed term contract for a full-time post (35 hours per week), with a six-month probation period.
• The successful candidate will be based out of our Dublin Office at the 7 Red Cow Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7.
• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per annum.
• The office is closed for one day at Easter and three days at Christmas. These holiday days are additional to the annual leave entitlement.
• Participation in the company pension scheme is matched by a 5% Employer contribution, commencing on completion of the probationary period.
• All roles within EPIC are subject to Garda Vetting.

EPIC, Empowering People in Care believes in the value of a diverse workforce and encourages applications from people from all ethnic, cultural, religious, and social backgrounds: in particular, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic and LGBTIQ+ people. We also welcome candidates with experience of the care system.

This role will be flexible in line with EPIC’s current hybrid working model – requiring some office-based work and some remote work – within the working hours of the organisation. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

Salary: €50,000 per annum commensurate with experience.

Closing Date for applications (CV and cover letter): 5pm, Friday, 25th April 2025

To apply please send your resume and a cover via HireLocker: https://login.hirelocker.com/epic-empowering-people-in-care/jobs/31776/…

Click here for more information and to apply.