Academic Caseworker Jobs
This is a very exciting time to join our expanding Visiting Caseworker Service. We are seeking two new colleagues, who will join our current team of two caseworkers covering the UK and Ireland. These newly created positions will be regionally based, one covering South West England & South Wales, and the other North West England & North Wales (with other travel across the UK on occasion).
Visiting Caseworkers each deal with an approximate caseload of 70-100 cases / visits per year. Central to the role will be supporting and advocating on behalf of vulnerable applicants, or those who are living in particularly complex or challenging situations. The job will be wide-ranging and include elements of advocacy, support, income maximisation, mediation, partnership working and processing our own grants where appropriate, with the overall aim to reach long-term sustainable solutions for Anglican clergy households.
Working closely with the Visiting Caseworker Manager and the wider Charitable Services team, key responsibilities will include:
Receive referrals from applicants via the Grants & Services team, for potential casework and home visits
- Assess and prioritise urgent cases on a weekly basis.
Conduct home visit (or online meeting)
- Provide thorough assessment of current situation, taking into consideration time available and wellbeing of the applicant.
- Conduct general income maximisation check (welfare benefits, grants check etc), where necessary.
- Identify, discuss and escalate (to Designated Safeguarding Officer) any safeguarding concerns within the household.
- Gather information in order to create individualised action plans with the primary contact and other household members.
• Assess and prioritise urgent actions during the meeting.
Develop an action plan
- Complete a written summary of the meeting and draft an action plan for possible areas of help and support with allocated responsibilities and agreed timelines.
- Prioritise urgent actions and agree responsibility for each action with applicant.
- Liaise with other agencies (e.g., DWP, Social Services, NHS, other charities, voluntary organisations, occupational benevolent funds, Dioceses, CofE Pensions Board etc.) where necessary.
- Refer to our own partnership support services if appropriate for help and support.
- Research and identify any local organisations for longer-term support.
- Consider and recommend most appropriate grant support through our own internal grants programme.
- Advocate on behalf of the applicant (e.g., complete internal and external applications, liaise with other external agencies, members of the Church where necessary).
- Act as third party for complaints, mediation or appeal hearings with applicants, either in person, online, or helping prepare a written submission.
- Keep accurate and objective notes and communications within our CRM system and ensure this is kept up to date on a daily basis.
Follow-up
- Manage and update action plans, while keeping in contact with applicant on a regular basis.
- Encourage and empower applicants to complete their actions and know when to step in, as and when necessary.
- Only in exceptional circumstances, consider a further home visit, if deemed appropriate
Other reasonable duties and projects commensurate with the post
- Support and work closely with other VC colleagues sharing areas of expertise.
- In particularly busy times, act as an overflow for grant applications, to support colleagues in the Charitable Services Team.
These additional roles offer a unique opportunity for dynamic, solution-focused, empathetic, casework professionals, in a small, dynamic-charity, ready to embark on its next three-year strategy (2025-28).
To be considered for this position with great scope for growth and development potential, applicants should demonstrate:
- Significant experience of working within a charity / not-for-profit or grant making trust, supporting individuals and families with complex health and care needs, elderly, or vulnerable applicants, face-to-face, online and over the phone.
- Significant knowledge and experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Welfare benefits and submitting appeals or complaints.
- Mental health support
- SEN education advice including SEN support, EHCPs and SENDIST tribunals.
- Local authority and other statutory support such as Social Service Assessments and services, complaints, DFG entitlements.
- NHS services, continuing health care either for children or adults.
- Experience of working alongside and liaising with external agencies and organisations
- Excellent problem solving, prioritisation and influencing skills with a belief of empowering individuals
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding, knowing when to escalate concerns.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and high levels of attention to detail
- Willingness to work alone, with the support of line manager, and colleagues in the Charitable Services team.
If you are looking for an environment where you will be nurtured through our strong commitment to staff development (alongside an excellent package of benefits including generous annual leave including your birthday off), then we’d love to hear from you.
For this role, the post holder will be home-based, visiting households within a dedicated region, and on occasion, across the UK (travel expenses covered). Applicants should be car owners (with a full, clean driving licence and business use insurance cover) and/or located within easy reach of a main line railway station. Use of a dedicated home office will also be required.
Some travel to our London office will be required, in line with business need; this is likely to involve up to 20 office visits per annum (reasonable expenses covered), details of which will be discussed with candidates at interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!
We are looking for 3 x Advance Prison Advocates
Salary: £22,000 - £27,000 (pro rata)
Location: HMP Peterborough
Hours: x 2 - 35 hours per week AND x 1 10.5 hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term – until 31st March 2025 with a possibility of an extension to March 2026
This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.
About us
Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.
We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.
Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
About the role:
The Advance Prison Advocate will support women on remand and those unsentenced within the prison setting, providing pre-release support; focused on Accommodation, Finance, debt & benefits, Family & significant others and Social inclusion.
The Prison Advocate will develop a referral pathway with the Offender Management team within the prison, for women to access the service and will work in partnership with the existing service providers operating within the prison. You will co-design a person-centred support and action plan with women accessing support, enabling you to support them to address their needs and any risks in relation to the interventions identified above including providing ‘through the gate support’. The role will combine a casework- based approach, along with a signposting and advice service for the women in custody.
You will have demonstrable experience and understanding of working with women in a challenging multi-agency environment, ideally working with prisoners and/or their families.
You will build strong relationships with the Pre Release teams to ensure clients are able to maintain or access suitable accommodation, finance, benefits and debt, family and social inclusion support including negotiating terms on behalf of the women. Ensure that interventions are responsive to and meet the needs of women from diverse and minoritised backgrounds. This, together with referrals to wider partner organisations in the community, will ensure additional support needs are addressed post-release and continuity of support exists
A car may be desirable for this role, though not essential
About You:
To be successful as the Advance Prison Advocate you will need the below experience and skills:
Knowledge and experience of the criminal justice system obtained through academic study, experience of working in the criminal justice system (or closely associated social system).
The ability and experience as a caseworker delivering gender specific and trauma responsive interventions which support resettlement and rehabilitation of female adults in the criminal justice system whether in the community or in prisons.
You will possess excellent organisational skills, excellent communication skills and be able to work in a prison environment whilst remaining calm.
Knowledge and understanding of the requirements of managing a caseload including maintaining and updating records, remaining focused on action plan goals, and keeping to deadlines
You will have the ability to complete trauma informed, support and action plans in collaboration with the woman; to support in addressing their multiple and individual needs and enable them to engage with services, which will result in timely and prescribed outcomes being achieved.
How to apply:
Please submit your up to date CV along with a covering letter to the Talent email address - PLEASE WRITE THE JOB TITLE IN THE *SUBJECT*
· Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 4th August 2024 @23:59
· Interviews are taking place on: Thursday 15th August 2024
· *Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.
What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:
- A 35-hour working week
- An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)
- Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
- Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
- Pension scheme
- Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
- Employee eye-care scheme
- Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
- Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
- Organisation wide away days
- One-week paid carers’ s leave
- Career development pathways
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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.
Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.
Safeguarding
Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.
As one of our Grants & Services Officers, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that grant applications are processed efficiently and applicants are dealt with holistically, compassionately and professionally.
As we help record numbers of people, the successful candidate will be required to:
Deal with applicant enquiries
- Ensure a pleasant, helpful and empathetic welcome to applicants who contact the Charity by email, web form, grant application or telephone.
- Provide guidance to applicants in relation to the Charity’s grants criteria, services and process, ensuring they understand how to apply and that their request fits within our criteria.
- Identify any potential safeguarding concerns at an early stage, escalating appropriately
Process applications and referrals to services in a timely manner
- Verify that applicants are eligible beneficiaries and meet the Charity’s criteria.
- Prioritise any applications with particularly urgent requests
- Check that each application is complete and follow up with applicants as required to ensure all information and supporting documents have been submitted.
Provide guidance and information to applicants
- Provide clear guidance to applicants throughout the application process.
- Inform applicants of other potential sources of help and support
- Respond to applicant queries quickly and accurately throughout the application process.
Recommend appropriate grant decisions
- Prepare objective, non-judgemental reports for each case, with appropriate, clear recommendations in line with the grants policy.
- Consider if cases should be referred to Senior Management or Trustees, in line with the existing Grant Making Policy.
To be considered for this position with great scope for growth and development potential, applicants should demonstrate:
- Previous experience within a grant-making role or proven knowledge of the grant-making / benevolent sector.
- Proven experience of providing help and guidance, predominately over the phone and via email, offering support to applicants throughout the grant making process, and other sources of potential help.
- Previous experience of using databases / CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce).
- Ability to interpret grant criteria effectively and make clear decisions.
If you are looking for an environment where you will be nurtured through our strong commitment to staff development (alongside an excellent package of benefits including generous annual leave including your birthday off), then we’d love to hear from you.
We operate a 'mixed-mode' working model, where staff work both from home and from our spacious offices in Westminster with an average of one day per week in our Westminster office.
Clergy Support Trust is an inclusive and supportive organisation. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, and believe a diverse workforce leads to fresh ideas and creative thinking.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.