Location: Home Based in the West Midlands area.

Hours: 21

Fixed Term Contract  April 1 2021 – March 31 2023

The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading fostering charity, bringing together everyone who is involved in fostering and in the lives of children to make foster care the very best it can be.

A unique opportunity has arisen for a motivated and energetic individual to join a well-established team of homeworkers providing an independent Advice and Mediation service to foster carers and fostering staff in the West Midlands covering Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull fostering services.

 If you are a qualified social worker with experience of working with foster carers, and you are passionate about ensuring that foster carers receive good quality support and are treated fairly at all stages of their fostering career, then we would be interested in hearing from you.

You must be able and willing to travel widely across these local authorities and make visits to London for the team and other meetings; have excellent communication skills including excellent IT skills, good powers of argument, persuasion and negotiation, and an ability to make effective relationships with foster carers and staff.

If you are innovative and cooperative in your approach to your work and pride yourself on your ability to work professionally then we would like to hear from you.

Closing date is Monday 8 February 2021

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on Friday 12 February

CV’s not accepted.

To apply please email your application form to the recruitment team. Details and further information can be found on The Fostering Network's website.

Please complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring, which can be found the vacancy on the website.

The Fostering Network is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.  The Fostering Network is a registered charity in England and Wales 280852 and in Scotland SC039338.

“Providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice”

Citizens Advice Southwark has a track record of delivering high-quality services from its offices in Peckham and Bermondsey and outreach locations across Southwark and South East London. We sort out problems together, for good, by providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice across all areas of social welfare law, and through using the experience of our clients to bring about positive change through research and campaigns. 

Generalist Advice Worker/Advice Session Supervisor (or Trainee position)

Salary scale SO1 - £31,455 to £33,290 per annum
Full-time

Permanent Position

Post funded by Southwark Council. 

The post is suitable for an experienced Advice Session Supervisor (ASS) or as a development opportunity for a Certificated Generalist Advisor to train to become an ASS within six months of starting in post. If applying without existing experience of supervising volunteers and of undertaking the role of Advice Session Supervisor the starting salary will be Scale 6 - £29,194 whilst undertaking training.

The post holder will be required to work across all of our offices and outreaches in Southwark according to operational needs.

The role includes:

• Providing advice to the public and undertaking casework on social welfare law issues
• Supervising advice and gateway assessment sessions
• Supporting and supervising volunteers

To be successful you will need:

• Have achieved the Generalist Advisor Certificate and have experience of Generalist Advice Casework
• Either experience of supervising volunteers and undertaking the role of Advice Session Supervisor or be able to demonstrate the ability to undertake this role with training provided within 6 months of starting
• To understand, empathise with and be committed to the Service’s aims, principles and equal opportunities policies

Closing date: 9.00 am Monday 1st February 2021

Interviews Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th February 2021

For further information and an application pack please visit our website.

We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, an employer matched pension contribution up to 10% salary, and training and development opportunities to continue your professional development.

Citizens Advice Southwark is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all applicants who meet the person specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.

The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.

Advice and Guidance Welfare Benefits Manager

London, Birmingham, Glasgow or Belfast office or home based

£33,134 - £39,218 per annum 

(Glasgow, Birmingham or Belfast office or home based)

£36,517 - £43,279 per annum 

(London office)

35 hours per week

Permanent

We are looking for an exceptional self-starter for this new Welfare Benefits Manager role. 

The post-holder will join our thriving Advice and Guidance department which comprises of Helpline, Advice and Guidance Officers and an Education Appeals team. The teams’ provide information, advice and guidance for deaf children, young people, families, carers and professionals, taking a child centred approach, on a range of subjects including education, communication, social care, discrimination, independence and welfare benefits.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the implementation of the department’s ambitions in meeting National Deaf Children’s Society’s strategy, specifically in relation to Welfare benefits.  They will lead the development and delivery of specialist Welfare benefits services and ensure that accessible, good quality welfare benefits related information, advice and guidance is available to our beneficiaries through a variety of channels, largely digital.

The role will include planning and delivering targeted welfare benefits advice and guidance sessions to different audiences using a variety of channels and line manage the Advice and Guidance Appeals Specialist (Benefits), fixed term contract, and oversee their case load.

You will have significant experience of delivering complex advice and guidance in Welfare benefits, to families and young people within the third or public sector, or equivalent (including digitally). You will have excellent in-depth knowledge and understanding of the policy and political context in which services, specifically welfare benefits, operate across the UK. 

You will also have excellent communication and influencing skills, experience of managing partnerships and in designing and delivering accessible training to different audiences, using a range of formats. 

The successful candidate will receive a full induction and training, including deaf awareness and British Sign Language (BSL) along with continuous learning and development opportunities.

To apply for this role you will have to complete an online application and specify how you meet the person specification criteria, as outlined in the job description. To do this, we suggest that you download the job description from our website prior to starting your application.

Currently, the application process works best on desktop / laptop devices. 

The closing date for applications is on Monday, 1 February 2021 at 23:59.

We expect interviews to be held remotely on Thursday 11 February 2021. 

A disclosure check will be sought in relation to the successful applicant for this post. This will be shared with Human Resources and may also be shared with the Safeguarding Manager and the relevant management team. All applicants must also complete a self-disclosure form. 

We strive to provide an accessible recruitment process. If a disability or long term condition makes it difficult for you to complete our application form, please contact us to discuss alternative formats. If you require reasonable adjustments for taking part in the interview, please indicate this in response to the corresponding question in the application form. 

Additional information about the support we offer is on our jobs page. 

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to offering interviews to candidates who request to be considered under the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum requirements of the person specification.

The National Deaf Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young adults and expects staff and volunteers to share that commitment. 

We are also committed to promoting work-life balance amongst our staff.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Money Advice Worker to join us based in London. You will join us on a full time, fixed term contract (lasting 12 months) and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £27,041 per annum plus pension and other benefits.

About the role:

We have recently secured funding to recruit a Money Advice Worker to enable us to deliver this much needed service to our clients. This post sits within our Client Development Team consisting of Employment and Training services, Mentoring, Welfare Rights, Destitution services, Immigration legal services, Private Rented Sector Housing support and the Irish client’s service. The Passage has been delivering Money Advice services to clients since 2004 and has a longstanding relationships with Financial Institutions.

Our Money Advice Worker will assist clients to be better able to manage their finances and to ensure their income is maximised including identifying which benefits they are entitled to and by engaging in therapeutic group work.

Key responsibilities of our Money Advice Worker will include:

- Carrying out client assessments and formulate action plans aimed at maximising their income and minimising their debts
- Together with the Group and Engagement Worker, setting up and running appropriate groups for instance:  Gambling, Budgeting and Money management
- Assisting clients with basic debt advice and help them talk to creditors, debt recovery agencies, fines officials, benefit deduction orders, the child maintenance service and other like bodies
- Assisting clients to open bank accounts and reactivate dormant accounts where appropriate
- Assisting clients to assess their pension entitlements via the BR19 service
- Assisting clients to recover any outstanding assets due to them
- Assisting clients by performing ‘better off calculations’ so that they can tell how much they need to earn or earn and claim in order to make employment economically viable
- Identify with clients when this level of Money Advice is insufficient and refer to appropriate alternative services

Our ideal Money Advice Worker will have the following skills, experience, and knowledge:

Experience

- Experience of delivering money advice on a one to one level
- Experience of working with people who exhibit challenging behavior
- Experience of working with and referring to partner agencies
- Experience of devising and monitoring personalized action plans with clients
- Experience of advocating on behalf of clients. 

Knowledge

- Intermediate level knowledge of the benefit system, particularly ESA, JSA and Universal Credit
- Knowledge about working with monetary addictions like impulse buying and gambling
- Knowledge of the Credit Services Agency, code of practice
- Knowledge of different types of bank accounts particularly, basic bank accounts, jam jar accounts and Post Office Card Accounts
- Knowledge of debt management, particularly Individual Voluntary Agreements and other less formal repayment plans on the market

The Closing date: 1st February 2021 at 10am 

The interview date: 11th February 2021

If you would like to join us in the role of Money Advice Worker, please click ‘apply’ now – we would love to hear from you!

Prospectus is supporting a London-based homeless charity which provides the highest quality support to men and women who find themselves rough sleeping in Westminster. They are currently looking to recruit an Administration & Advice Worker to support the wider team, as well as provide benefits advice to their clients. This role is offered initially on a 6-month fixed term contract, with the possibility of extension.

As their Administration and Advice Worker, you will provide admin support to the wider team of the assessment centre, ensuring their financial accounting and client database systems are kept up to date. Offering direct benefits advice to their clients, you will also be responsible for managing housing benefit claims and general benefit support to ensure their clients are in receipt of financial support, enabling their journey of a life away from the streets.

To be successful in this role, you will have previous experience of the benefits system and maximising housing benefit income, combined with a knowledge and understanding of the varied needs of homeless people and those at acute risk of homelessness. This is a crucial role for the service, and as such you must also be a confident administrator with the ability to engage with varied stakeholders including clients, statutory bodies, colleagues and housing benefit departments.

If you are interested in finding out more information about this new opportunity, please register your interest and submit your CV by clicking 'apply now' below. The position is subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews scheduled with the client, on an on-going basis.

As a specialist Recruitment Practice, we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you in your application.

We are Age UK Croydon and our vision is a Croydon where everyone can love later life. Our mission is to lead the way in empowering, enabling and supporting older people in the London Borough of Croydon to live well, healthily and independently. The ASC Service (Advice Services Croydon) is a partnership delivering information and advice to older people in various key sites across the borough.

The ASC service offers drop-ins, appointments, home appointments and advocacy (specialist team) and is part of a new and exciting development to take the service out into the community where we can reach and support more older people locally. We also operate a helpline 5 days per week.

The voluntary sector is experiencing significant changes in Croydon which will include modifying the service to a blended model of online, telephone and face to face delivery which is fully accessible and delivered locally.  London Borough of Croydon are reducing their information and advice services from April and alongside this the new Locality Model of service delivery will provide opportunity to grow and expand our I & A service.

To successfully achieve the necessary transformation, we are looking for a manager with excellent people management skills, the ability to contribute to the strategy and vision which will transform the service to a model that can meet those objectives.  We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Information and Advice Manager to lead and build the team of outreach advisers and helpline advisers. If you are passionate about making a difference to the lives of the older people who use our services and want to support older people then we would love to hear from you.

This role will require an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check. 

Large print application form is also available.

CVs will not be accepted.

Closing date for applications: 09:00am - 25th January 2021

Interview Date: 29th January 2021

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

To apply please follow the steps in "How to Apply" above.

Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing & Hounslow Mind provides mental health services in the boroughs. We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and hardworking individual to joining our Adult Services Team.

The Role

An opportunity has arisen within with the Ealing Advice Service (EAS) to provide advice, information, and guidance to adults living with a mental health problem.

We’re looking for an experienced Mental Health Advice Caseworker to provide advice and guidance to adults living with mental health problems in the borough of Ealing on practical issues such as welfare benefits, housing, financial issues (including debt), and employment, as well as supporting clients in accessing numerous community services.

The successful candidate will support colleagues on the Ealing Advice Service (EAS) team with enquiries relating to mental health. The Ealing Advice Service (EAS) is a consortium of charity sector organisations, working in partnership to provide advice and guidance to a range of clients with various support needs.

The Mental Health Advice Caseworker will be working from home during the pandemic. However once the pandemic is over, the candidate will be based at the HFEH Mind office in Ealing for approximately three days per week. For the remainder of their time, they will be based across the borough of Ealing at different sites within the community. 

You should have excellent negotiation skills, as well as knowledge of the local area and its population (or a willingness to learn). You must be able to empathise with service users, whilst giving impartial advice in a non-judgmental way. You must be able to demonstrate your effectiveness as an adviser and be comfortable dealing with complex cases with minimum supervision. As the role is focused on providing advice to clients with mental health needs, you should be confident, patient and able to deliver supportive advice in a manner that is easily understood. 

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing and lively charity, where your ideas and contributions will be highly valued and your professional development supported. It is an extremely exciting time to join an organisation with big ambitions to further support those living with mental health problems in West London.
 

This is a fixed term contract for 35 hours per week until 31st March 2023(contract renewal dependent on performance and funding).

Post is subject to an enhanced DBS check

Please apply by sending your completed application form. 

Advice Officer (Housing)

Permanent

Part Time - 2.5 days a week

Up to £30,000pa pro rata (depending on experience)

Do you want to make a positive impact on people’s lives? Our Advice Service exists to improve opportunities and reduce poverty in London. Working primarily with people who identify as Irish, the service works to empower people using a strengths-based approach. We are looking for a compassionate and enthusiastic individual with experience delivering advice on housing and welfare to join our friendly and dedicated team. 

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and with partner agencies to achieve the best outcomes for clients, the Advice Officer will provide advice on housing and welfare benefits as well as advocating with third parties. The role requires good knowledge of the housing and benefits system for people of working age and older people

Since March 2020, our advice service has been delivered remotely, with advisers working from home until further notice in response to government guidance.

ABOUT THE LIC

The London Irish Centre is the Irish Heart of London. Our Mission is to empower and enrich lives through Irish community and culture. For over sixty years, we’ve been proud to provide vital frontline welfare services to multi-generational Irish diaspora in London, whilst instilling positive impact within local communities through education, entertainment and cultural awareness; courtesy of our vibrant venue and home: The London Irish Centre. As a charity, we represent all that is celebrated about Ireland: warm, welcoming, inclusive, diverse, unique, and open to every generation.

The deadline for applications is Monday 1st March 2021, 9am.

The London Irish Centre is a London Living Wage and Equal Opportunities employer.

We actively encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce and all opportunities provided by the LIC. Whilst our offices have some barriers to access, we are taking steps to resolve these, and in the meantime continue to encourage interest from applicants who require reasonable adjustments within the workplace.

Staff Benefits

• Free tickets to LIC core cultural programmed events (subject to availability and may not apply to fundraising events and partnership events at external venues)
• 50% discount on LIC education courses (subject to availability)
• 20% staff discount at the LIC shop and 10% staff discount a the LIC bar
• Mindfulness App membership
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Tech Scheme
• Team socials and activities

“Providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice”

Citizens Advice Southwark has a track record of delivering high-quality services from its offices in Peckham, Bermondsey and Walworth, and outreach locations across Southwark and South East London. We sort out problems together, for good, by providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice across all areas of social welfare law, and through using the experience of our clients to bring about positive change through research and campaigns. 

Money Advice Caseworker

NJC Salary Scale SO1 - £31,455 to £33,290 per annum pro-rata

Full-time

Permanent

We are looking for a full-time debt adviser to provide casework services to our client groups from our three offices in Southwark. You will join our friendly and hard-working team to ensure the ongoing successful delivery of our specialist services. The post is funded through Debt Free London, a London-wide partnership of organisations that provide free debt advice to Londoners who are experiencing or at risk of financial exclusion and debt

You must have:

• Recent and ongoing paid or voluntary experience of managing one’s own caseload of money advice and income maximisation cases.
• Ability to write detailed up to date case notes, letters and reports as required in plain English.
• Ability to manage a challenging caseload, meet targets and prioritise work in the face of competing demands on your time.
• Ability to respond sensitively to clients from a variety of backgrounds who are under pressure and negotiate with third parties in order to minimise conflict.

Closing date: 9.00 am Monday 8 February 2021

Interviews: Friday 12 February 2021

For further information and an application pack please visit our website.

We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, an employer matched pension contribution up to 10% salary, and training and development opportunities to continue your professional development.

Citizens Advice Southwark is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all applicants who meet the person specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.

In response to Covid 19, the Gateway team has recently taken over the Council’s Vulnerable Helpline to continue providing support to Lambeth residents.  This line is open to anyone with questions or concerns around accessing support and services. Queries range from access to food and shopping, access to medications and offering reassurance and emotional support.

If you have the passion to help and see people’s lives change for the better, then this role would suit you. We are looking for a friendly MYcommunity Gateway Helpline Worker looking to develop their career in a fast-paced charity team.

For more information, please read the job description that has been attached. 

Age UK Lambeth staff are given the room to grow and develop their skills. This role will be a great chance to do so as you contribute to helping the most vulnerable and isolated clients in our community.

What you’ll benefit from

• Brixton based - close to good transport and vibrant town centre but for now, you will currently be based at home)

• Generous pension provision - 7% employer contribution

• 26 days holiday a year rising to 31 days after 5 years

• A great staff team 

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a letter of application answering the following 4 questions (in no more than 250 words per question). 

1. Why do you want to join us at Age UK Lambeth? And why now?

2. MYcommunity has core values at the heart of our service: kindness, person-centred, solution focussed, impartial and objective. What are some of your key values that you would bring to this role?

3. How would you define good customer care?

4. Describe what you think are some of the key issues facing the Lambeth population due to Covid and the current lockdown?

Closing Date:  04th February 2021, at 5 pm.

Interview Process

Interviews will be held virtually.  If you are selected for an interview we will write to you as soon as possible to let you know what the interview process will entail.

“Providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice”

Citizens Advice Southwark has a track record of delivering high-quality services from its offices in Peckham, Walworth and Bermondsey and outreach locations across Southwark and South East London. We sort out problems together, for good, by providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice across all areas of social welfare law, and through using the experience of our clients to bring about positive change through research and campaigns. 

Generalist Advice Caseworker

NJC Scale 6 - £29,194 to £30,754 per annum pro rata

Part-time or full-time (minimum 21 hours per week)

Fixed Term to 31 March 2022

We are looking for an experienced Generalist Advice Caseworker to deliver a high quality advice service. You will be required to work across our three offices in Southwark according to operational needs. The role includes providing advice to the public and undertaking casework on social welfare law issues.

To be successful you will need to have:

• Six months recent experience of providing Generalist Advice to the public
• An understanding of the advice needs and issues of the local community in a diverse, inner city area
• To understand, empathise with and be committed to the Service’s aims, principles and equal opportunities policies

For further information and an application pack please visit our website.

Closing date: 9.00 am Monday 1st February 2021

Interviews Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th February 2021

We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, an employer matched pension contribution up to 10% salary, and training and development opportunities to continue your professional development.

Citizens Advice Southwark is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all applicants who meet the person specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.

Funded by London Borough of Southwark.

 Careers Adviser/Guidance Worker

ASCEND

Based in South Oxhey, South West Hertfordshire

£14k part-time

Are you passionate about improving people’s life chances and help move them on in their lives? Can you advise people on how to improve their skills and get a better job? Do you want to work with people who are committed to the Social Justice agenda?

If so, then come and join our award-winning team and lead our Advice and Guidance work with clients in South West Hertfordshire.

Careers Advice/Guidance Worker

ASCEND has long experience in providing high quality advice and guidance to our clients.  We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic self-starter with strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to work successfully in a small team.  You will be a good listener who is sensitive to people’s development needs and able to work with clients of varying skill levels.  You will have experience of guidance work and be willing to work towards a level 4 or above qualification in Information, Advice and Guidance. You will share ASCEND’s values, our commitment to social justice and our empathetic and person-centered approach to our clients.

The role involves supporting clients to make career action plans and helping them to gain the skills they need to access opportunities.  It will involve close liaison with ASCEND’s Training Coordinator and Client Mentor.   The adviser will be responsible for overseeing the ‘Back to Work’ programme, for one-to-one advice with clients and for managing Job Clubs within the local community

The role is for 21 hours per week for twelve months in the first instance.  Under the COVID restrictions most staff members are working online most of the time.  However, once the restrictions allow we envisage a return to face-to-face working with clients.

To apply:   Please send your CV to our CEO, Christine Wyard who will send you an application form.  For any further information, please view our website or contact Christine.

Closing Date:  21 December 2020

Responsible for:

Providing advice, guidance and support vulnerable young people aged 18-24 years. This role may include working with those in crisis, and / or those at risk of immediate homelessness.

Job purpose:

To manage an effective and successful sub-contract and delivery of a floating support contract across Hertfordshire.  Floating support assists vulnerable young people to set up and or / sustain their tenancies thus helping to prevent repeat homelessness. You will provide housing advice and support, including information on the relevant benefits and will assist them to identify other support needs, including mental health issues, offending behaviour, issues around family breakdown, neighbourhood disputes, behavioural problems, anti-social behaviour and parenting support. You will help co-ordinate a solution focused action plan that involves other agencies as needed and encourages the young person to take responsibility for all areas of their lives and promote healthy, successful outcomes that are holistic, yet realistic.

Benefits of working for hyh:

• 25 days per annum pro rata increasing by one day a year after 5 years’ service to a maximum of 28 days (in addition to Bank & Public holidays)
• An additional day annual leave to have your birthday off
• Contribution of 5% of basic salary to The People’s Pension on behalf of the staff member
• Group Life Insurance benefit of 4 times salary
• Complete Employee Assisted Programme offering legal advice, financial counselling and up to eight face to face sessions of counselling support for issues affecting mental health
• Monthly draws to win either “lunch on your manager” or a “leave work early” token
• A comprehensive Induction to hyh and your role
• One to one supervision with your line manager every 4-6 weeks
• Ongoing training relevant to your role

How to apply for this role:

If you are interested in applying for this role, please forward your CV along with a covering letter or statement to us.  The covering letter or statement must outline how you feel you meet the person specification criteria on the job description, and it must be a one page document of between 250 to 500 words.  If you have any questions regarding the role or wish to discuss it with us, please contact a member of the team as we will be happy to help.

Closing date: 9am on Monday 1st February 2021

Headway East London is currently looking for Community Support Workers to join our team, working one to one and collaboratively with survivors in their own homes and the local community.

All of the roles and skills at Headway East London contribute to our success. If you are interested in the role and you think you don’t have all the desirable experience but are passionate and care for our community and have skills you think will be beneficial to Headway East London we would still love to receive an application from you.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 3rd February at 5pm. Interviews will commence the week beginning 15th February 2021.