Area business manager jobs

Money Advice Support Officer.

This is a community-based role requiring regular face-to-face appointments with clients across Exeter. We're looking for people who genuinely want to make a difference. You don't need to have worked in money advice before. If you're an excellent communicator, a natural problem solver and enjoy working with people, we'll provide the training and support you need to succeed. This role is about much more than providing advice. It's about building trusted relationships with people who may be experiencing financial hardship, poor mental or physical health, trauma, disability, homelessness, digital exclusion or other barriers that make accessing traditional services difficult. If you're compassionate, resilient, organised and committed to helping people rebuild their confidence and financial stability, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Purpose:

The Client Liaison Officers are the first point of contact for individuals referred into the Crisis & Resilience Service and play a vital role in ensuring people receive timely, compassionate and person-centred support. Acting as the gateway into the service, you will build trusted relationships from the very first contact, undertaking holistic assessments to understand not only an individual's financial situation but the wider circumstances affecting their wellbeing and resilience.

You will respond quickly to people experiencing financial hardship or crisis, helping to stabilise their immediate situation through income maximisation, welfare benefits advice, crisis planning and practical support. Working closely with partner organisations, you will ensure every client is connected to the right support at the right time through a coordinated 'no wrong door' approach. You will maintain regular contact with clients throughout their journey, preventing disengagement and ensuring individuals feel supported whilst awaiting ongoing casework. Through empathy, knowledge and flexibility you will remove barriers to engagement, helping clients prepare for specialist advice and supporting them to build the confidence and skills needed for long-term financial resilience.

The role combines triage, welfare benefits advice, crisis intervention, client engagement and case coordination to provide an accessible, responsive and trauma-informed service for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Client Engagement and Triage

· Act as the first point of contact for all referrals into the Crisis & Resilience Service.

· Contact new referrals promptly, normally within one working day wherever possible.

· Build positive, trusting relationships from the first interaction.

· Complete holistic needs assessments to understand each client's circumstances, priorities and support needs.

· Identify risks relating to homelessness, utility disconnection, enforcement action, safeguarding and financial crisis.

· Assess barriers to engagement including poor mental health, disability, trauma, digital exclusion, literacy, caring responsibilities and rural isolation.

· Undertake and maintain appropriate risk assessments, including those relating to lone working, to support and safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of clients and staff.

· Agree preferred communication methods with each client and tailor support accordingly.

Crisis Intervention

Provide immediate practical support to help stabilise clients experiencing financial hardship by:

· Maximising household income through welfare benefits advice and applications.

· Supporting Crisis Fund applications where appropriate.

· Completing benefit entitlement calculations.

· Assisting clients to gather supporting evidence.

· Developing emergency budgets.

· Identifying priority debts.

· Negotiating with priority creditors where appropriate.

· Supporting Breathing Space applications.

· Protecting essential services including fuel and housing.

· Arranging emergency support including food, fuel and other crisis assistance where available.

Aim to stabilise urgent situations within three working days wherever possible.

Welfare Benefits Advice

· Provide high-quality welfare benefits information and advice.

· Complete benefit entitlement checks.

· Support new claims and changes of circumstances.

· Assist clients with mandatory reconsiderations and appeals where appropriate.

· Identify opportunities to maximise household income.

· Keep knowledge of welfare benefits legislation up to date.

Client Journey and Case Coordination

· Allocate clients to the most appropriate adviser based on complexity and need.

· Maintain oversight of client journeys.

· Ensure no client disengages or is lost within the system.

· Maintain regular contact with clients awaiting specialist advice.

· Support clients to engage with "Get Advice Ready" sessions to help clients prepare documentation and understand the advice process.

· Make warm referrals to partner organisations with client consent.

· Support seamless transitions between crisis intervention and longer-term casework.

Outreach and Accessibility

· Deliver support flexibly through telephone, video, secure digital communication, outreach venues and home visits where appropriate.

· Remove barriers preventing individuals from accessing advice.

· Adapt communication styles to meet individual needs.

· Promote financial education opportunities and encourage participation where appropriate.

Partnership Working

· Develop positive working relationships with partner organisations.

· Liaise with statutory agencies including housing, adult social care, DWP and health services.

· Attend multi-agency meetings where appropriate.

· Promote the "No Wrong Door" approach to service delivery.

Systems, Recording and Compliance

· Maintain accurate and timely case records using AdvicePro.

· Complete all monitoring requirements.

· Record outcomes, interventions and client progress.

· Maintain GDPR compliance.

· Use digital systems including client portals, Open Banking and automated workflows where appropriate.

· Ensure safeguarding concerns are recorded and escalated immediately.

Continuous Improvement

· Participate in supervision and reflective practice.

· Contribute ideas for improving systems and processes.

· Support service evaluation through client feedback and case studies.

· Keep professional knowledge up to date through continuous professional development.