Advocate

Make a real difference to children and young people in care

We are looking to recruit an Advocate to work 25 hours per week to provide independent, confidential advocacy to children and young people in Local Authority care across Durham.

In this role, you will empower children and young people to express their wishes and feelings, ensuring their voices are heard and respected in decisions that affect their lives. You will support them to understand their rights, explore their options, and make informed choices while ensuring they are treated fairly throughout the process.

What you will do

You will work directly with children and young people to ensure their voice is central in decision-making. This will include:

• Attending meetings with young people and ensuring their views, wishes, and feelings are clearly represented
• Providing impartial, accessible information to help them understand their rights and options
• Supporting young people to raise concerns or make formal complaints
• Asking questions of professionals on their behalf when needed
• Signposting to relevant services and additional support
• Promoting understanding of outcomes and helping young people make informed decisions

About you

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting children and young people and committed to ensuring their voices are heard.

You will ideally have experience working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults in a relevant setting, and be confident communicating with both service users and professionals.

You will be:

• A strong communicator and active listener
• Able to remain impartial and professional at all times
• Confident working independently and managing your own caseload
• Committed to safeguarding, equality, and promoting rights

You do not need previous advocacy experience. Full training will be provided, and you will be supported to achieve an Advocacy qualification through NYAS.

Location requirement

This role requires you to work across Durham, therefore you must live within the local geographical area to meet the requirements of the role.

What we offer

We offer a supportive working environment with a strong focus on wellbeing, development, and work-life balance:

• 26 days annual leave, rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Occupational sick pay (subject to qualifying period)
• Enhanced pay for family-friendly leave
• Group stakeholder pension scheme
• Access to BHSF health cash plan
• Employee Assistance Programme (confidential support service)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free parking at some offices
• Structured support and supervision from your line manager
• Learning and development opportunities, including support to gain an Advocacy qualification

Safeguarding & recruitment

NYAS is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk. All successful applicants will be subject to:

• Enhanced DBS check
• Reference checks
• Digital risk assessment

In accordance with UK immigration law, candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

About NYAS

NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is a leading rights-based charity ensuring that children, young people, and adults are fully respected, represented, and supported in expressing their views and having their rights upheld.

We work with care-experienced individuals who often rely on statutory services and may be impacted by gaps in provision. Our advocacy and legal services help ensure their voices are heard and acted upon.

We are an inclusive employer committed to equality and diversity. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of background. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, guaranteeing interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please visit our website and complete the online application form.

Please ensure you refer to the person specification within the job description and clearly demonstrate how you meet the required criteria in your application.

The job description and person specification are available on the vacancy page of our website.

If you are passionate about advocating for children and young people and want to help ensure their voices are heard, we would encourage you to apply.