Care Home Advocate

Job Description:

Care home advocates make sure the views and wishes of residents in care homes are heard.

Job Category:

Health Care & Social Assistance

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What you will do:

In your daily tasks you could:

make sure residents are treated fairly and with dignity
help residents explore their options and make informed choices
make sure residents have access to their care plan
help residents speak for themselves or speak on their behalf
go with residents to meetings to give support or attend meetings on their behalf
work with care home staff and other agencies

Skills:

You’ll need:

counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
the ability to understand people’s reactions
knowledge of psychology
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

As well as:

patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations (adaptability skills)
sensitivity and understanding
the ability to work well with others (teamwork skills)
to be thorough and pay attention to detail (organisation skills)
a desire to help people
problem-solving skills
advocacy skills – to effectively represent the interests and rights of the residents.
cultural sensitivities – a diverse range of residents may require advocates to be sensitive to different cultural backgrounds and perspectives.

Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

To become a Care Home Advocate, you’ll need a combination of skills, qualities, and potentially relevant subjects that can help you succeed in this role.

While specific subjects are not typically a strict requirement, certain subjects can provide a strong foundation for the skills and knowledge needed in this role:

English: Strong communication skills, including reading, writing, and speaking, are essential for effectively interacting with care home residents, their families, care staff, and other professionals.
Psychology: Studying psychology can help you understand the emotional and mental well-being of care home residents and enable you to provide appropriate support and advocacy.
Health and Social Care: Courses in health and social care can give you insights into the healthcare system, the rights of residents, and the challenges they may face.
Sociology: Sociology courses can help you understand social dynamics, cultural diversity, and the factors that affect the well-being of care home residents.
Law or Legal Studies: Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and residents’ rights is crucial for advocating effectively on behalf of care home residents.
Mathematics: Basic math skills can be useful for tasks such as managing schedules, tracking budgets, and handling administrative aspects of advocacy.

Post School

a college course
an apprenticeship
volunteering
applying directly
a course run by a private training provider

College
A college course can give you some of the skills and knowledge you need to be a care home advocate.

You could do a diploma in health and social care.

Apprenticeship
You could start by doing an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship.

After this, you could get some experience in advocacy to get a job as a care home advocate.

Volunteering
Volunteering as an advocate would be a good way to get experience. As a volunteer you’ll get training and support to develop your skills.

Direct Application
You could apply directly to become a care home advocate. Employers are likely to value your skills more than your qualifications.

You may find it helps to get a job if you:

have experience working in social work,
counselling or at a care home
know about the needs of older people
show a positive attitude to ageing
have used an advocacy or care service personally

Working Hours and Environment:

Typical working hours are 37-39 hours of work each week.

You could work between 8am and 6pm

You could work at an adult care home or in an office.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience, you could progress to a more senior role, like advocacy coordinator. You could also train other people in advocacy.

Care Home Advocate