You will have at least two year’s experience managing an Advocacy Service and have a proven track record of delivering high quality case work in the field of Mental Health, either as a Generic or Statutory Advocate. A working knowledge of legislation such as the ‘ Human Rights Act’ the ‘ Mental Health Act’ and the ‘Mental Capacity Act’ will be essential, as will the ability to network effectively and to be a confident public speaker.

To apply for this post please send a C.V along with a cover letter to joel@ocdaction.org.uk

Your cover letter should be no more than 1,000 words and outline how you meet the person specification given below.

• Job Description
• Person Specification

If you would like an informal discussion regarding this post please contact Joel Rose, OCD Action Director on 020 7253 5272.

Closing date 5pm Monday 16th January 2012

Cliff was invited to be the carer representative on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) OCD Guideline Development Group. His role was to advise the group on carer issues, their feelings and experiences including carer needs and the nature and availability of services and how they should be offered. To get as much up to date information from as wide a range of families and carers as possible he undertook a study into the effect on the families and carers of people with OCD. The study sought to describe the experiences and feelings of carers and to outline their needs, which as far as possible, were described in the terms of the carers. Previous studies have looked at the effect on families from a clinical perspective but this study sought to describe the current situation for carers as they see it. A number of individual testimonies were also collected to give a more detailed description of carer experiences in order to convey the extent of distress and suffering and the effect on other family members and on family life.

Click here to view the complete document. Click here to see the NICE Guideline.

Cliff is in the “pool” of Service User Representatives for the NHS National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (HTA) where he frequently assesses topics for research and treatment into OCD and also “referees” applications for research funding. He sits on the HTA Mental Health Research network OCD Group and is also a Lay Member of the NHS National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technical Appraisal Committee.

I am now retired and working with OCD Action is a hugely important part of my life. By training I am a scientist and electronics engineer. In the early part of my career I worked with big companies but subsequently I spent the last 25 years starting three entrepreneurial businesses, involving telecommunications, information technology and marketing. My major hobby is DIY and I am now building a very low energy home for my retirement. My big ambition is to get a better deal for all those suffering with OCD, as well as their carers.

After training on local newspapers in the late 1970s, Robert became a freelance journalist. His feature articles, often whimsical in tone, have appeared in many national newspapers and periodicals, including The Times, The Spectator, The Independent, The Sunday Express, The Sunday Times, The Daily Express, The New Statesman and The Observer. He is also an experienced public speaker and broadcaster.

Robert Eddison now aims to become a full-time professional playwright. To this end, he has recently spent three years studying Acting and Drama . He is a namesake younger relative of the late actor, Robert Eddison, and lives in London.

Robert Eddison’s first play, White Suicide – a short black farce – won a good review in The Times, headed: “Amusing first play shows promise”. He is currently working on a new play and on a book of original aphorisms on subjects ranging from political correctness to cannibalism. Joe Orton’s Last Laugh, co-written with Robert J Francis, was read at AWL in January 2004.

Robert’s first produced full-length play, Commanding Voices, is arguably the first stage play to deal, among other things, with OCD. The play enjoyed a longer-than-average five-week run in June/July 2002 at the New End Theatre in London’s Hampstead. The celebrated cast included West End and Royal National Theatre veterans: Jeremy Child, Katherine Hogarth and John Burgess. The play won great critical acclaim.

Her research has been published in many major scientific journals and she has recently edited a well-received book for health professionals on the practical management of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Professor Fineberg runs a specialist OCD treatment service at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City. Ongoing research involves investigating biochemical, psychological and neurological factors in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, clinical symptoms, and new medical and psychological treatments including treatment for resistant illness.

Dr Heyman also works at the World famous Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, where she runs a clinic for young people with Tourette Syndrome, many of whom also have OCD.

She has also been involved with OCD Action for the last five years and continues to be its vice chair, a job she has held for the last two years.

Dr Heyman founded and continues to run a national specialist clinic for young people with OCD when it became clear that the condition was under – recognised and goes frequently undiagnosed in children. Currently involved in teaching and research, together with her team she has assessed and treated several hundred children and adolescents with OCD.

As such I am very excited and enthusiastic about my
new role as Trustee in charge of Communications. Supported by an impressive and highly respected Board, I am really keen to get started on the new initiatives we have planned because let’s face it, I believe we are at something of a seminal point in the history of OCD and perhaps, mental health in general, particularly in the UK.

As a private practitioner dealing with OCD I have noticed many changes over the last few years. Due to the sterling work of organisations such as OCDA building awareness, many of our clients are already “OCD-educated” before they even receive treatment. As far as I am concerned, this is very heartening and I look forward to the next 5 years.

Having OCD as an adult is alienating and debilitating enough but if we can reach out to confused, lonely and frightened young people, we won’t have so many adults in crisis. My remit will include figuring out how to create a safe forum and environment for them to step forward and get help.

It is important that the message shouldn’t be bleak. There are so many of us with OCD (me included) who are living full and enriched lives and, ahem, using my OCD to my advantage every day (I hesitated because I know this may be a new concept to some). All of my staff have OCD and with good reason. They are simply the best, most effective people to have. If more successful and highly performing people who are affected could be encouraged to speak out, so that those that are struggling could realise that they can be too, we will have achieved a great deal.

I am looking forward to further understanding the people we can help, identify where they are, listen to them and appreciate and respect their needs. Then to communicate this accurately and effectively to the wider community, the media, public sector, healthcare professionals and those who make decisions that may affect people with OCD. In short to continue what OCD Action has been doing for a while. To really care and give a damn and go out there and assertively say it, over and over again, or as long as it takes, on your behalf.