Guest Blog — Written by Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind

There are so many careers to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start, or what to change to if you want to try something different. If you’re looking for a career with real meaning, where you’ll be able to make a difference and genuinely improve people’s lives, advocacy could be for you.

What is advocacy?

An advocate is an independent professional that speaks for someone who may not be able to speak for themselves. Advocates help their clients achieve their goals by listening to them, helping them understand their rights, providing them with options and choices to help empower them to take control of their lives. Advocates do not make decisions on behalf of their clients.

Advocates all work towards the Advocacy Charter that underpins and governs the work they do.

What you need to work in advocacy

Empathy

Advocates need a high degree of empathy to be successful. Being able to understand how your clients feel, and why, is important in being able to help them be fully understood by organisations that have the power to make a difference in their lives.

Independence

You are working for the client and take instruction from the client to ensure their voice is heard.

Advocates must ensure, at all costs, that they take instruction from the client and do as instructed.

The advocate should not be influenced by other organisations or work in a way that disempowers clients.

Communication and Listening Skills

A good advocate is able to listen to their clients and understand what their clients’ issues are.

A good advocate is also able to communicate effectively to everyone they work with, whether that’s their client, the organisation they’re liaising with, case workers, or the local authority.

With the client, and advocate needs to be able to explain processes or situations. They need to take instruction from their client on how the client wants to proceed with their case. They also need to help empower the client to speak up for themselves.

With organisations, advocates need to be able to explain the needs of their client, why their clients want certain changes made, and how this should proceed.

Communication isn’t only knowing what to say, it’s about knowing when to not say anything. Advocates often need to keep information confidential. This is incredibly important and helps keep people safe.

Why advocacy is a great field to work in

You directly help resolve clients’ problems

One of the most rewarding things about working in advocacy is that you get to help people improve their situations.

Whether it’s creating action plans, improving access to resources or infrastructure, or just helping a client feel understood, advocacy has a direct positive impact on people who need help.

Advocates may play a role in helping vulnerable people take the first step to recovery, or greater and more secure sense of wellbeing.

You help to improve services

A large part of working in advocacy is dealing with social services, community organisations, and government agencies. Advocates facilitate meetings to discuss their clients’ needs with the organisation that can help. Throughout this process, as an advocate, you have a unique position to point out how processes could be smoother, simpler, or more effective.

The systems that influence these processes aren’t set in stone. Advocates have regularly made the case for why things need to change or improve, and had a great impact on making things better for other advocates and clients who they will never even meet.

You help clients improve their self-advocacy skills

One of the most important things advocates do is help their clients improve their ability to articulate their own needs and desires, to make them able to advocate for themselves.

Advocacy often starts with gathering information on behalf of the client, helping them understand their position, their rights, and who they need to speak to in order to make changes.

Eventually, advocates may be able to help their clients understand this information, and act on it, to such a point that they no longer require an advocate at all.

At this point, the client can be considered able to self-advocate, and are better able to navigate things by themselves.

Advocacy is an incredibly rewarding field, where you can directly help people in difficult situations, and empower them to improve their own lives.

Learn more about advocacy, or check out Morgan Hunt’s candidate section.

Is the repeal of the 2017 and 2021 reforms to the off-payroll working rules as part of last month’s ’Mini Budget’ statement the good news our contractors, employers and agencies wanted? What do you think? Are you ready for a change and do we actually know what the new legislation will mean?

Dave Hedges is a tax partner at Azets and says there is “an absence of fine detail” around how HMRC will manage the transition over the coming months. “While the changes are welcome and have been lobbied for, we are advising clients throughout the engagement chain to tread carefully pending clarification,” he said.

Some questions remain following the chancellor’s announcement that the Off-Payroll Working (OPW) rules are to be repealed from April 6th 2023. There are three main reasons for this:

1. Is it really going to happen? Nothing has changed yet and we have a Budget coming up in November, preceded by a government already doing a U-turn on its 45p tax rate plan. The possibility of further U-turns therefore seems significant. Fingers crossed that this promised repeal of the OPW rules goes ahead. But it’s not certain.

2. End-clients (both public and private sectors), agencies, umbrella companies, accountants and IR35/OPW advisers are all taking stock and wondering how this could affect their business. And yes, that goes for me too!

3. Contractors are realising that unless they have always been outside IR35 and working for ‘small’ companies (not affected by the OPW rules), that their own circumstances are complicated.  Notably where the contractor is:

   1. currently with an umbrella, or

   2. holding an SDS where the client has stated ‘inside IR35’, or;

   3. regularly jumping between their PSC and an umbrella company depending on the IR35/OPW assessment.

At this stage (Q4 2022), nobody knows how the repeal of the OPW rules will work. That’s the unpopular, hard truth.  Many commentators are reaching for their crystal balls, with some suggesting that there will be new rules for contractors added onto the IR35 rules of old (2000), such as requiring contractors to complete Status Determination Statements. There’s even the odd whisper that end-clients will continue to determine IR35 status; that blanket bans on using PSCs will continue indefinitely, and that HMRC will declare some sort of ‘amnesty’ on prior SDSs with ‘inside’ results. As interesting as they are, these really are only opinions at this stage and should be taken as nothing more.

So what can we do now? Every part of the contracting chain needs to use this time to analyse the effects on their own businesses and it is vital that all get up to speed with IR35 version one (2000). 

• Keep watching the contractor press for developments (the contractor ‘press’ that doesn’t just stick a press release up!).

• Decide what you want to do -- if you could.

• Collect and keep all evidence including SDS outcomes, online IR35 status tool outputs, end-client correspondence, contract review results, and working practices changes/opinions.

• Find out about your personal situation now, to see what the options and (above all else) the risks are, and if a change in your status is feasible.

• Speak to your client and find out what their position may be come April 6th 2023, especially if you are contracting with an organisation that has banned PSCs.

• Take advice from only those that, as impartial as possible, understand all the rules (from 2000 onwards), and ideally those with hands-on experience of successfully defending IR35 HMRC investigations.

This could be great news for professional interim and self employed workers, it could be great news for large private companies and the public sector to attract and retain key skills to help them deliver growth and it could be great news for those involved in the supply of these people. For now, keep up to date, get planning and be ready, April will soon be here…

As we approach the start of the academic year, FE Colleges recruit staff at pace, to cover permanent gaps, sickness and respond to student enrolment. To help the community we’re releasing a two part series on temporary work in FE and how to find the right jobs and talent, the first in our series explores finding work.
 

FE Colleges have a huge range of courses and learners available, so there are often plenty of part time and temporary positions available. Temporary work is a great opportunity for those looking for flexibility, who may have their own business, have child care responsibilities  or are semi-retired and want to continue to work part time in their industry area.

There are some do's and don'ts to finding temporary work in FE and some benefits you might not have realised. Read on to find more information on temporary work and some tips to improve your chances of landing the job you want and getting the most out of it.
 

Finding the right temporary job for you
 

Make the most out of agencies
Registering with recruitment agencies may seem daunting at first and you may think it will require lots of work. However agencies will prioritise candidates they are working with on a more exclusive basis, and thus increasing your chances of finding the perfect role.

At first you may think registering at every agency you can find would increase your chances of finding a job, however it can be tricky keeping tabs on different contacts at multiple agencies, providing vetting information to multiple companies and having your referees contacted by multiple people. We recommend you choose one or two agencies; enabling you to build a good relationship with the agency and the agency’s staff, so that they can fully understand your requirements and match you with the College that’s right for you.

Be flexible
Try to be flexible in your requirements, your recruiter will try and find you the most suitable job based on what you are looking for, however the ‘perfect’ job doesn’t always exist. It may be you need to travel a bit further than you ideally wanted to, teach a broader range of levels, pick up an extra day's work or look at shorter term contracts.

You will likely miss out on opportunities if you aren’t receptive to needs, as temporary staff recruitment moves very quickly, as colleges do everything they can to accommodate their learners.

Be available
This one may seem obvious, but being available is crucial when it comes to temporary work, as Colleges will recruit new staff quickly to cover sickness and student enrolment, you may miss out on job opportunities if you are not keeping on top of your correspondence. So make sure to keep your phone on you, keep on top of your personal emails and keep in touch with your chosen agencies.

Nail the basics
With so many people competing for the same jobs it’s important to stand out from the crowd. So make sure you’ve got the basics covered, your CV needs to be kept up-to-date and it’s a good idea to brush up on your interview skills, so that when you’re applying for jobs, you’re confident and prepared. You can find extensive guides available here: morganhunt.com/career-advice

Now you’ve found temporary work
 

Express your availability
Just because you start a position on a part time basis, due to the size of some colleges provisions, you may find you are offered more hours after you start work, either in the same or different departments. So if you’re looking for more hours, make your manager aware you would be interested in picking up more work and they can try to accommodate you and introduce you to other managers who can utilise your skills.

Keep in contact with your agency
If there’s no additional work available in the College you are initially placed in, make sure to ask your agency to keep you posted about work at other organisations that fit around your timetable. It's often hard for agencies to find someone who can work for 1-2 days per week, so knowing a candidate who is already working for them and looking for additional hours can work well for both parties.

Unsure about temporary work?

If you are newly qualified or have recently finished a permanent job and are ideally looking for a new permanent opportunity, make sure to keep an open mind about temporary work as this can often lead to longer term opportunities.
 

Misconceptions in FE Temporary work
Temporary teaching work in the FE sector is generally not the same as day to day supply teaching, most synonymous with schools. Generally, unless there is a very short gap to be covered, there is an expectation that temporary Lecturing staff in Colleges will complete and undertake lesson preparation and marking for their classes, which is usually included in the hourly or daily rate. A temporary lecture job in FE isn’t just about managing the class.

Benefits of FE Temporary work
You will be an integral part of the team when approaching a temporary contract in FE. You will be included in team meetings and often gain access to CPD opportunities, and will play an important role in the success of your department and the learners.

Possibility of permanent
If you’re ultimately looking for permanent work, make sure to find out from your agency about why there is a vacancy. If it is because someone has left a permanent role or they have been unsuccessful in recruiting for the permanent equivalent, then this creates a great opportunity for you to go in and demonstrate your skills and aptitude for the job to the College, putting yourself in a great position to be offered a permanent role.

Find your next job
 

By applying the tips in this article, you’re sure to find the right job for you in no time.  If you are looking for a new role in FE why not reach out to our Education Recruitment Team, they have over 100 years combined experience and are proud to be a key supplier of staff to FE. You can email our team at education@morganhunt.co.uk or why not explore the vacancies we’re currently recruiting for.