Advocacy Service Manager (Dublin Mid Leinster and Dublin North East)

EPIC is looking for an Advocacy Service Manager (Dublin Mid Leinster and Dublin North East) who has a positive approach to influencing change. You will manage a high performing team of experienced advocates to ensure consistency of practice and will continually strive to improve our service to care experienced young people.

If you are passionate about making a real difference to the lives of children and young people, we would love to hear from you. EPIC can offer the right candidate learning opportunities to grow and develop skills, an improved work/life balance and the opportunity to work in a well-established organisation that sets high standards on improving the lives of children and young people with care experience.

The right candidate can expect excellent managerial support, a healthy work culture and opportunities to be at the forefront of research and evaluation. There will be space for the candidate to create new approaches or evidenced based ways of working that are nationally significant.

The purpose of this senior management post is to provide leadership and oversight of EPIC’s Dublin advocacy service team. The successful candidate will develop and lead all advocacy initiatives and services within the region in line with the goals and objectives of EPIC’s Strategic Plan, 2022-2027, and will contribute to the achievement of EPIC’s operational plans annually as a member of the organisation’s management team.

• To assist in the delivery of the goals and objectives of EPIC’s Strategic Plan 2022-2027 and the implementation of EPIC’s annual operational plans.
• To provide leadership, oversight, and support to the Dublin advocacy service teams, including through regular supervision.
• To establish and maintain strategic relationships with key partners within the region and the wider sector, to ensure effective inter-agency and inter-disciplinary collaboration, and to represent the organisation as required.
• To manage and implement the advocacy referral system for the Dublin offices and be responsible for the compliance of services, ensuring that all services provided by EPIC meet agreed service levels, standards, and outcomes.
• To promote a children’s rights-based approach to practice.
• To develop, monitor, and continually improve standards of the advocacy services under your remit.
• To manage the relevant financial budgets, operations, and HR responsibilities in line with EPIC’s financial and administration procedures.
• To develop and maintain successful cross-functional collaboration between EPIC’s advocacy service, participation programme and policy and research workstream.
• To provide analysis and generate findings from EPIC’s advocacy service to support EPIC’s national research and policy work.
• To contribute to the organisation’s policies and procedures in line with local and national strategy and legislative change.
• To ensure that appropriate, detailed, records of work undertaken are maintained on the organisation’s salesforce database in line with organisational policy, and to undertake monitoring and reporting of statistics from the Dublin based advocacy service caseload.
• To oversee the preparation of quarterly and annual reports, based on the agreed outcomes for each area of responsibility and attend management meetings as appropriate.
• To perform any other duties commensurate with the post as agreed by the line manage.

Demonstrable knowledge of:

• The Irish care system and issues affecting children and young people in care, or with care experience.
• Children’s rights and child protection.
• The principles and good practice of advocacy and provision of robust advocacy services.
• Current policy and practice in relation to children and young people in care in Ireland at national level.

• Ability to strategically plan and execute work to achieve organisational objectives and operational aims.
• Strong people management approach, and ability to manage time, workload, and staff effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to form positive relationships with children and young people.
• Data management experience and use of Salesforce or similar database. 

• Motivating and leading teams.
• Supervising individual staff members.
• Managing budgets and performance targets.
• Working directly with children and young people, both individually and in groups. 
• Working in an inter-agency and inter-disciplinary environment, including with statutory agencies and civil society organisations.
• Report writing, analysis, and development of evidence-based practice. 
• Delivering presentations and training to a range of audiences.

• Commitment to the vision, mission, and values of EPIC. 
• Flexibility and adaptability in response to strategic opportunities.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Commitment to, and understanding of, a working environment that promotes equal opportunities and has regard for race and ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or gender identity and other diversity.

• A relevant degree (Social Work, Human Rights, Law, Social Care).
• Management experience of a busy team in a related area.
• A full clean current driving licence.
• Applicants must have a legal right to work in Ireland.

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. We also welcome candidates with care experience.  

The job description attached does not define all responsibilities within the role but offers a detailed overview of the role. It is envisaged that the post-holder will be flexible in using their own initiative to develop the role in line with the objectives and mission of EPIC and the needs of the children and young people they will be working with. 

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), with a six-month probationary period. 

Annual leave entitlement of 25 day per annum, increasing to 27 days after 2 years’ service.  In addition to annual leave, the office is closed for one day at Easter and three days at Christmas. 

Participation in the company pension scheme is matched by a 5% Employer contribution on completion of the probationary period. 

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

This post will involve travel within Ireland and have regular evening and occasional weekend work. Travel expenses and additional hours will be compensated in accordance with EPIC’s Mileage and TOIL Policies. 

The post holder will undertake training on Children First (Tusla e-learning programme) and abide at all times by this and by EPIC’s policies on child protection and welfare. 

All roles within EPIC are subject to Garda Vetting. 

Reports to: EPIC CEO, Wayne Stanley.

Reporting Lines: Management of 7 staff.

Closing date for applications :  Tuesday 28th October at 5.00pm

Salary: Pay scale commencing at €63,000 per annum commensurate with experience.