Telephone Adviser (Birmingham)

30 hours per week

£16,365  (£20,183 FTE pro rata plus pension and healthcare scheme benefits)

The opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our Advice Team focusing primarily on advice via telephone. Ideally you will be able to demonstrate excellent people and communication skills, with an ability to gather and interpret information to help clients navigate their difficulties. You will also have experience of generalist advice work including working with Welfare Benefits.

The ideal candidate

This is a forward thinking, energetic role for someone passionate about delivering high quality service to older people. Ideally, you will have proven experience of advice work in the advice or third sector and experience of working within a fast paced environment handling administration and information systems and client interactions. You must have excellent communication and organisational skills, with a commitment to provide a high quality service.

The organisation

We are a locally foused charity with over 160 staff and volunteers across Birmingham and Sandwell. We provide free, impartial advice and information on a wide range of issues to people aged 50 and over. We are looking to grow and expand to reach more of the older people in Birmingham and Sandwell.

Application forms must be completed fully; CV’s will not be accepted.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Sukie Binning, Head of Operations.

The deadline for applications is Monday 2nd December 2019.  Interviews to be arranged between 9th December and 13th December.

Women and Girls Network (WGN) is looking for an experienced, dynamic and innovative practitioner to join our highly successful Advice Service as a Caseworker.

We are looking for a highly skilled professional who is experienced in delivering survivor-led, strength-based and trauma-informed advice, advocacy and casework support services for survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG); and who will thrive working as part of a team in a multi-cultural feminist environment.

This is a fast-paced role, delivered through an intersectional, anti-oppressive feminist framework, offering a unique opportunity for a self-motivated and driven practitioner to be part of a service which aims to improve responses, access and support for survivors of VAWG in London. If you have the right skills and experience we would love to hear from you.

WGN’s employee benefits include: 3% pension contribution, generous annual leave entitlement, access to accredited training and development opportunities & an Employee Assistance Programme.

This role is based in Ealing and involves some travel across London.

This post is subject to satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS Check.

WGN is an equal opportunities employer. The above post is exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9 Part 1.

Talkback is a charity and is known as one of Bucks and West Berks leading providers to people with needs.

Are you a person with a passion to help people? If so, would you like to work alongside like-minded, committed colleagues who enable people with a learning disability to increase their self-esteem, have more say, and control over their lives? Talkback has been working with people with a learning disability since 1998, aiming to achieve choice, opportunity and respect. Talkback is user led and knows what life is like when you have a learning disability.

We are currently recruiting for:

Learning Disability Project Workers - £18000 - £19200 p.a. (pro rata for part time roles)

Both full and part time roles available (minimum of 3 days/week)

No shift work or evening/weekend work

Within Talkback, the Nclude Me project was established 8 years ago and provides support and life skills training to people with a learning disability and/or autism, enabling them to speak out and make their own choices. The Project is expanding and we have a Learning Disability Project Worker vacancy to deliver a range of services to promote and encourage independent living and lifelong learning. Current projects include gardening and allotment groups, social and life skills training, men’s and women’s groups, a drama group which puts on regular shows, an upcycling and woodwork project and a creative arts group.

You will work across Buckinghamshire at both our High Wycombe and Aylesbury buildings, plus out in the community. You will work alongside people with a learning disability to meet their individual needs to achieve positive outcomes.

To succeed you will be able to work both as part of a team and independently and have a 'can do' attitude. As part of the role as an Nclude Me Learning Disability Project Worker, you will deliver a range of services for people with a learning disability. You will need to have good communication skills and an understanding of both self-advocacy and inclusion. We can teach you all you need to know, you just need to have the passion and care.

You will have the opportunity to help someone develop and grow as a person whilst making a difference that will live with you forever. And, as one of our team said ‘Working with people with a learning disability is the most rewarding and fulfilling role’

Closing date:     Thursday 12th December

Interview dates: November and December 

8 hours per week

Contract: Fixed-term until 31.03.2020 (there may be potential to extend)

Citizens Advice Taunton delivers a service called “Universal Credit: Help to Claim” which offers end-to-end support to check whether Universal Credit is the right benefit to claim, help people make a new Universal Credit claim and be ready for when their first payment arrives.

We are looking for a UC Help to Claim adviser with good IT skills to deliver the service, support volunteer advisers with Help to Claim and help gather essential information about how the service is performing. You will also have a commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice Service.

For full details of the role please view the Job Pack attached.

The closing date for completed application forms is: Friday 29th November 2019

Interviews are scheduled for: Thursday 5th December 2019

CARAS offers advocacy and casework with the aim that people who attend our groups can access support to address issues in a timely, supportive, informative and friendly manner.  Our focus is on connecting people to knowledge and services so they are able to resolve their issues as independently as possible.  We work with people to support them to understand their options, take steps to address issues and know where they can seek specialist advice.The main areas of work are social care, immigration, housing, benefits, employment and education. This role focuses on support for the young people who access CARAS’ services; they are predominantly UASC. We work with a highly diverse community, with most of our youth work consisting of contact with newly arrived asylum seekers. 

Our project is designed to complement specialist provision by signposting to the most suitable support, clarifying and unpicking issues, writing clear referral letters and wherever possible giving guidance as to how people can resolve issues themselves. We are OISC level 1 accredited.

We are seeking to recruit a youth case worker as maternity cover (8 months).  We want an experienced worker with specialist knowledge of working with unaccompanied minors.

The successful candidate will be joining a small but hard-hitting team. In recent months, our caseworkers have supported young people to find and access education places, challenge local authority decisions on their care and find solicitors to apply for family reunion for younger siblings who are alone in 3rd countries. We are exceptionally proud of this work and want to find a candidate who will carry on this strong tradition of working with young people to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

Salary: £28500 pro rata 

Extra benefits: CARAS is a member of an auto-enrol pension scheme. Contributions are currently 8% (3% employer, 5% employee).

Key information:  

Role: Caseworker  

Maternity cover: 8 months

Location: predominantly office based 

Hours: part-time (2.5 days per week). The days are fixed at Wednesday, Thursday and every other Saturday.

Salary and entitlements:  as above 

Responsible to: Managing Director 

Main purpose of the role:  

 One of our key drivers is to work with people to help them build the skills and knowledge they need to become independent. All of our casework therefore builds in opportunities for beneficiaries to make informed decisions, set their own goals, and ultimately thrive on their own. 

The youth caseworker will be working in a small team alongside a caseworker for adults, the youth team and volunteers, ensuring that beneficiaries have their casework needs met in a timely and professional manner.

Main activities:  

•   Manage a case load, sharing duties and delegating to volunteers where appropriate 

• Support the recruitment, training and development of a specialist volunteer team 

• Maintain excellent case notes

• Work well with interpreters 

• Triage requests for casework support and offer holistic assessment to new

beneficiaries 

• Make thorough referrals to specialist services and support beneficiaries to access

them  

• Provide direct casework support to beneficiaries  

• Deliver workshops to young people on the child looked after/care leaver system 

• Research and remain up-to-date with specialist advocacy/advice services available

to beneficiaries  

• Follow-up each outward referral with the beneficiary and agency  

• Where appropriate, liaise with foster carers, key workers, social workers and others in the professional network 

• Ensure that all safeguarding concerns are reported to the safeguarding lead  

• Participate in operational, strategic and trustee meetings as required  

• Monitoring and evaluation of the project  

• Grant reporting  

• Share outcomes, trends and learning with the wider CARAS team and policy networks

as appropriate to influence wider strategic change 

   Person specification  

We are looking for a highly motivated individual who has a commitment to supporting empowerment through casework.  The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including cultural sensitivity and the ability to quickly build positive relationships. 

Essential 

• A high level of written and spoken English 

• Experience of one-to-one advice and advocacy work with UASC 

• A good understanding of the social care system for children looked after and care leavers 

• A good understanding of the asylum system for UASC 

• Experience of recruiting, training and supervising volunteers  

• Experience of working in, or in partnership with, the third sector

• Ability to problem-solve and research information  

• Experience of delivering workshops to young people 

• Ability to word process, familiarity with common data management systems (Lamplight) 

Desirable 

• Social work registration 

• Experience of managing and developing projects 

• Experience of developing and delivering training  

• Knowledge of Tigrinya, Arabic, Somali, Pashtu, Farsi, Urdu 

To apply, you will need to complete an application form. We do not accept CVs. 

Interviews will take place the week beginning 9th December 2019, with an intended start date of 13th January 2020. 

Hospitality Action is the trade charity for the hospitality industry. We have recently re-branded and updated our website and services. We are now looking to recruit a Caseworker to join our dynamic services team to complement our expanding service provision.
We are looking for someone who has experience of working in service provision for a charity or similar organisation ideally within a grant making department. The Caseworker will provide support to the Head of Grants and also manage a personal caseload of applications for financial assistance 

We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We’re here to make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support; in total over 20,000 people in Oxfordshire access our services each year. With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem at some point in their lives, people need Mind more than ever. Our work includes:

• The Transitional Supported Housing Recovery Service (part of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership).
• The TalkingSpace Plus psychological therapy service in partnership with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
• The Oxfordshire Mind Wellbeing Service, which is part of both the TalkingSpace Plus and Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnerships and includes:
• Five Wellbeing Centres throughout the county
• Public Wellbeing & Information Services
• Physical Activity and Wellbeing
• Benefits for Better Mental Health, a welfare benefits advice service
• Volunteering and Peer Support Opportunities
• Raising awareness and campaigning activity.

We employ over 100 staff and operate in 28 locations around the county.

Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner IAPT
Hours: 37 Hours per week
Salary: £27,905 – £29,636 (SCP 24-26) per annum
Holidays: 28 days plus bank holidays
Probationary Period: 6 Months
Pension: Auto enrolment scheme in place
Place of work: Based in localities throughout Oxfordshire

About TalkingSpace Plus

TalkingSpace Plus: Oxfordshire ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies’ Service

We are expanding our Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service, TalkingSpace Plus in Oxfordshire and we are looking for a Senior PWP. TalkingSpace Plus is a partnership between Oxfordshire Mind, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Principal Medical Limited.

We offer excellent supervision and CPD and training to support career progression. We actively encourage innovation and research with opportunities for collaborations with Oxford Academic Health Science Network, University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry and Department of Experimental Psychology.

The post holder is required to have achieved the Post Graduate Certificate in Evidence based Psychological Treatment (IAPT Pathway) and completed or be undertaking the IAPT Accredited PWP Supervisor Training.

Purpose of the Job

This post holder will:

The Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners will work with the Head of IAPT for Oxfordshire Mind and Lead PWP to provide robust and clear leadership to Step 2 staff.

The Senior PWPs will provide case management supervision to up to 6 people in their team and line management to everyone in their team.

The Senior PWPs will support the PWP involvement in key areas of work to reach people with anxiety and depression currently not accessing the service including patients with comorbid LTC/PPS.

The Senior PWPs will deliver clinical skills supervision to trainee PWPs.

They will liaise closely with Oxford Health clinical supervisors who also deliver case management supervision, clinical skills supervision, work on service developments etc.

The Senior PWPs will be line managed by the Oxfordshire Mind Head of IAPT and will be accountable to the Oxford Health Clinical Lead or a delegated Clinical Supervisor for the clinical service.

They will carry out clinical work with an adjusted caseload of clients with and without LTC/PPS.

They will lead on the development of good practice and systems within the PWP team and will work closely with colleagues in Oxford Health to ensure that high quality clinical services are delivered by PWPs in accordance with NICE recommendations; best practice guidance; and Oxford Health clinical governance frameworks.

Closing date: 21st November 2019
Interview date: 3rd December 2019

Please note shortlisting will be taking place on Monday 25th November 2019 therefore please ensure you keep the interview date free.

TO APPLY AND FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you would like to find out more about this position and to apply, please click the Apply button to be directed to our website. There you can download the job description and application form. 

Oxfordshire Mind is fully committed to the principles and practices of equal opportunity and diversity.

We are a Mindful Employer.

No agencies please.

SKILLS PLUS TRAINER, EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS, NOTTINGHAM (VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE), PERMANENT, FWRK08 £20,531 - £22,212 FTE, 37 HPW

Are you passionate about helping disadvantaged people to succeed and move forward in their lives? Would you like to work for an organisation that values your input and gives you the freedom to be creative?

We have an exciting new opportunity for a dynamic and hardworking individual to deliver our Skills Plus life skills programme to people living in Framework’s accommodation services.

Framework is a charity delivering housing, health, employment, support and care services to people with a diverse range of needs. We empower people to achieve financial stability, social inclusion and independence. As Skills Plus Trainer you will be responsible for planning and delivering a range of classroom based sessions, designed to give our service users the skills they need to move towards positive independent futures. You will empower them to build confidence, self-esteem and life skills to improve social inclusion and enable a move towards gaining and maintaining independent tenancies and preventing repeat homelessness. 

This job might be for you if:

• You are great at helping people to learn new skills. You may come from a background in teaching or training.

• You communicate clearly on all levels. You write well and can explain just about anything to anyone.

• You have a great way with people. You are non-judgemental, compassionate and enjoy engaging with people from all walks of life.

• You enjoy managing your own workload and thrive in a constantly evolving environment. You are proactive and keen to take on new challenges.

• You would be happy delivering sessions covering a range of topics such as managing your money, looking after your health and wellbeing or developing skills to manage your home.

• The role will be delivering to groups of people in a number of Framework’s homeless accommodation services which are located across Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire. Therefore a drivers’ licence and car available for work is essential along with a willingness to travel.

This post is part funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

If this sounds like the role for you then please see the person spec and job description and complete our online application.. If successful you would need to be available for an assessment on 02/12/19 and interview on 10/12/19

For more information please contact Pip Morrison - Service Manager (Mon - Wed) or Tracy Campbell - Team Leader

What we offer: Life Assurance, Pension (up to 4% matched by FHA), Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Benefits, Additional Annual Leave Purchase Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, Learning programmes tailored to suit different roles and services, Health Cash Plan.

Framework supports all employees to achieve a better work/life balance. Should you wish us to consider flexible working or job share as part of your application please state this on your application in the supporting statement section.

97% of the workforce in a recent staff survey said they were proud to work for Framework.

Framework is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Registered charity No: 1060941.

As a Disability Confident employer we warmly encourage job applications from people with disabilities. Framework is committed to offering opportunities to people from diverse communities. If you have specific requirements or adjustments please let us know if there is anything we can do to support your application

CVs will not be accepted

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Talkback and Nclude have worked for over 20 years in a person-centred way with over 1000 people who have learning needs and/or autism. We provide people with opportunities for education, life and social skills and employment. We enable them to share a voice and be recognised equally in their community. We are committed to creating a society where Individuals with a learning disability and/or autism are inspired to live fulfilling lives.

“This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults with care and support needs and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment”

We are currently recruiting:

Engagement Facilitators

To work on a zero hours basis, 1 to 2 days a week

To work in the Reading area

We are looking for students, with either a minimum of 2 years study in Psychology or Social Care, or MSc and PhD students with more in depth experience, with an ability to think outside the box and work with Talkback to run Community Engagement sessions. These are run across varied client groups, including learning disability, mental health, autism, dementia and physical and sensory. We support people in a variety of ways and the roles would be in Reading.

The core of our work is focused on supporting people to speak up and have their say on local issues. We do this by facilitating groups and sharing feedback in a variety of creative ways at professional meetings. These are exciting and varied roles, with a range of opportunities and development within various areas such as Advocacy, Training and Positive Behaviour Support.

You need to be a strong, independent person who can use your initiative and enjoy a wide variety of work and being part of a team, supporting each other.

We believe everyone is unique and needs to have a voice. Do you want to be a person who can enjoy the satisfaction of making that happen?

We give training and support to all our team.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process will be undertaken on successful applicants including a Disclosure & Barring Service check (DBS) including checks with past employers (Applicant Declaration must be completed and returned with application).

We currently have full (37.5 hours per week) or part time (16,22.5 or 30 hours per week) opportunities available in Essex in our Independent Living Team. The team provides one-to-one/group support to older Deaf adults and those who have a learning disability and/or mental health condition. We provide training and monthly one-to-one supervision sessions. We also hold regular team meetings when you can get together with your colleagues to share experiences and ideas. This role requires you to be a car driver with access to a vehice you can use for work. 

We welcome applications from Deaf and hearing people (Sign language skills are essential  BSL Level 2/Native user). 

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, two references and medical questionnaire. Allo have to be satisfactory to RAD. 

Closing date: Monday 11th November 2019 . Interview date: Wednesday 20th November 2019 (Interviews will be held in Colchester, Essex) 

We currently have part time (16,22.5 or 30 hours per week) opportunities available in Surrey in our Independent Living Team. The team provides one-to-one/group support to older Deaf adults and those who have a learning disability and/or mental health condition. We provide training and monthly one-to-one supervision sessions. We also hold regular team meetings when you can get together with your colleagues to share experiences and ideas. This role requires you to be a car driver with access to a vehice you can use for work. 

We welcome applications from Deaf and hearing people (Sign language skills are essential  Makaton/BSL Level 1 or 2/Native user). 

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, two references and medical questionnaire. All have to be satisfactory to RAD. 

Closing date: Monday 2nd December 2019 . Interview date: Thursday 12th December 2019 (Interviews will be held in London) 

We fund amazing people to learn from the world and transform lives across the UK. We're looking for an outstanding creative to help our expanding communications at an exciting moment.

The Churchill Fellowship funds inspiring individuals to travel the world in search of solutions for today’s most pressing problems. Our Fellows research the UK’s key challenges – marine pollution, gang crime, food poverty, homelessness and more. They come back with new ideas to make change happen in their professions and communities, transforming lives in every area of society. 

We are well-established, prestigious and ready to grow our profile. This is a new post in a small and busy team. Joining at a time of innovation and change, it is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in an evolving area.

As Content Editor, you will help to define a new content strategy across all channels. You will manage our website and social media, commission blogs and podcasts, write and edit articles, and develop our use of photos and film. Working closely with the Communications Director, you will be central to three landmark projects in the year ahead: rebranding the charity, rebuilding the website and launching a new engagement strategy. 

The ideal candidate will be experienced at managing a powerful content strategy, skilled at writing sparkling copy, and comfortable with growing our digital marketing. Above all, you will be passionate about finding and telling great stories in words and images. 

We have a wealth of amazing stories based on hundreds of Fellows’ achievements – and we need you to tell the world. If you’re an ‘ideas person’ with creative flair and a social conscience, we’d like to hear from you.

Salary £30-35,000, 25 days’ annual leave. Based in our office in Westminster.

To apply, please download the application pack from our website. Deadline 5pm on 18 November 2019. Interviews on 28 and 29 November.

We are looking for a part-time Project Manager (3 days per week)  to run our succesful Women off to Work (WoW) project in Westminster. The job is offered with an 8-months fixed-term contract with potential of extension. 

The Abbey Community Association is a charity operating out of a large community centre and hub in the heart of south Westminster, bringing together local people and organisations to address local community needs. 

We are recruiting a Project Manager for a programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund (National Lottery Community Fund). Through this project, we have developed a holistic training and into-work programme for women in south Westminster and neighbouring areas, particularly those from Muslim and Arabic-speaking backgrounds. We deliver life and vocational skills training, and promote wellbeing and general employability through work experience placements, internships, job brokerage and practical advice on self-employment and micro-businesses. We provide women with opportunities to gain formal and accredited training qualifications, and provide support with tailored into-work action plans.

The Project Manager will play a crucial part in continuing the successful delivery of this important programme.

Details of the post are available, along with an application pack on our website. 

Deadline for receipt of applications: 8th December 2019

Interview date:  12th December 2019

The Connection at St. Martins is based in the heart of London, near Charing Cross Station and Trafalgar Square. The Connection has been helping homeless people since the First World War and is one of London’s largest homelessness charities. The Connection helps thousands of people each year through delivery of services for rough sleepers and people who are vulnerably housed.

Our services include:

• A Day Centre supporting 2500 people a year to engage in mainstream services.

• A Night Centre providing 750 people a year with access to emergency accommodation.

• Advice for 900 people a year so that they can access housing and improve wellbeing.

• Enterprise and Employment helping 700 people a year to move into work, learning and volunteering.

Our new strategy from April 2018 includes our aim to develop our services in new ways. This includes implementing a strengths-based approach to client work, consolidating the implementation of a new service model, creating better pathways for clients into health and treatment services and improving our systems to demonstrate impact. Along with a number of other developments, we have created a new ‘Knowledge and Innovation Team’ which works alongside the direct service delivery teams to act as the ‘engine room’ for innovation, quality assurance and best practice. The team takes a lead on areas of work including evidence and impact, volunteer development, policy and good practice, advocacy and client involvement. In 2019, The Connection began using the ‘In-form’ (salesforce-based) client database.

The Data Analyst role will perform a key function in the Knowledge and Innovation Team, drawing on the Inform database and other sources of information to ensure all parts of the charity have access to the data they require to fulfil their roles.

About you:

This role requires someone with the ability to use and interpret quantitative data and databases and the ability to explain quantitative data to non-technical audiences. You will be able to support colleagues to develop their abilities to collect, use and interpret quantitative information confidently. You will also have experience of gathering and synthesising data from multiple sources and the ability to communicate their conclusions orally and in writing.

You will be passionate about the value of data as an asset to shape improvements to services for clients in a busy and dynamic charity. Finally you will enjoy working with colleagues (including clients and frontline workers).

So, are you ready to take on this exciting opportunity?

To apply, you will need to submit an application form. Please read and then complete the application form ensuring that you have clearly demonstrated you meet the requirements of the role set out in the person specification.

Closing date: Friday 6th December 2019

Interview date: Wednesday 18th December and Thursday 19th December 2019.

This is a 12 Month Fixed Term Contract.