Advocacy Service Administrator at Adapt (NE)

Job purpose

To provide high-quality administrative support to the Northumberland Independent Advocacy Service, ensuring the efficient day-to-day operation of the service, accurate management of referrals, case records and management information, and effective communication with referrers, service users, partner agencies and commissioners. This is a varied and responsible role that is central to the smooth running of a busy statutory service. The post holder will be the first point of contact for many referrers and will play a key role in ensuring the service meets its contractual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Key responsibilities

Referral management and first point of contact

• • Act as the first point of contact for incoming referrals by telephone, email and online referral systems, responding promptly and professionally
  • Accurately log, triage and track all referrals in the case management system, ensuring they are ready to be allocated by the team lead within contractual timeframes
  • Monitor the referral inbox daily and flag urgent or time-sensitive referrals (e.g. Section 39a IMCA DoLS, Care Act Safeguarding) to the Team Leader promptly
  • Acknowledge all non-urgent referrals and urgent referrals within KPI requirements
  • Maintain and update the service waiting list, supporting the Team Leader to prioritise allocation based on urgency and statutory requirements
  • Liaise with referrers (including NCC social workers, NHS staff, DoLS supervisory body, care homes and hospitals) to confirm receipt of referrals, request additional information and communicate advocate allocation

Case records and data management

• • Support in maintenance of accurate, up-to-date and confidential case records for all service users within the case management system (Charity Log)
  • Input and update case data including referral source, advocacy type, contact records, outcomes and case closure information
  • Ensure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) data is recorded for all appropriate cases
  • Ensure any closed cases over seven years old are deleted and paper copies shredded as per GDPR guidelines

Management information and reporting

• • Compile and collate quarterly Management Information reports in line with the contract specification, including data on referrals, case closures, advocacy hours, KPI performance, EDI data, NHS complaints data and RPR active cases
  • Support the Team Leader to ensure reports are submitted to Northumberland County Council in a timely manner ahead of contract meetings
  • Maintain accurate records of out-of-area referrals
  • Support the preparation of compliments, complaints logs and quarterly narrative reports as directed by the Team Leader
  • Assist with any contract audit requests or additional data requirements from the commissioner

Finance and invoicing support

• • Maintain accurate records of service delivery to support invoice preparation and any financial reconciliation