Debt And Benefits Advisor Jobs in Bracknell, Berkshire
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
WHO WE ARE
We are a leading mental health charity on a mission to support Londoners with mental health challenges find and remain in good employment as part of their mental health recovery journey. We have been changing lives for almost 30 years and we have just secured a large contract, submitted in partnership with Shaw Trust and Smart London, to provide Employment Advisors to support NHS Talking Therapy teams across West London. This is therefore an incredibly exciting time to join a thriving organisation at the beginning of an innovative mental health support service.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are now inviting suitable candidates to apply for the role of Employment Advisor. We need to swiftly build a team of around 20, so there are multiple opportunities available to applicants. This new team will be guided and supported by Senior Employment Advisors and a Service Lead, as well as Twining’s established and experienced Senior Leadership Team and Trustees.
THE OFFER
In return we offer a friendly and supportive working environment, flexible working, career development opportunities, a comprehensive training and induction programme, a generous holiday entitlement and competitive financial rewards. We also practice what we preach in terms of creating a positive working environment to support our own employee’s wellbeing.
Working format – based at NHS Talking Therapy sites, as well as some possibility of working from home
THE ROLE – EMPLOYMENT ADVISORS
The new Employment Advisors (EAs) will work within the West London NHS Talking Therapies provision. They will work one-to-one with a caseload of clients referred by NHS Talking Therapies therapists to find employment, remain in existing work if they are struggling, improve their working environment, return to work following sickness or positively leave or retire from work.
You will primarily fulfil these duties by providing information, as well as advice and guidance to clients who choose to receive employment support. The work should empower clients to make better decisions about their working lives, as well as communicate better with colleagues and managers in existing roles. You will also signpost clients to other relevant support agencies, as appropriate.
This role would suit someone with a background in employment support, psychology, counselling, human resources or recruitment.
EMPLOYMENT ADVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
1. Engage a mixed caseload of clients at any given time serving 100-125 per year, with common mental health problems, to establish trusting, collaborative relationships to support them to find new employment or support them in, or to leave, existing employment. Support will be provided face-to-face in Talking Therapies settings, via secure online meeting platforms or over the telephone.
2. Along with their NHS clinician, assess clients’ support needs with a view to creating, implementing, and adjusting a personalised action plan to help improve clients’ mental health and achieve their stated employment goals.
3. Develop and deliver a range of practical services to support clients to find work, including career guidance, job searching skills, CV preparation, application form completion, interview skills, advice on local labour market opportunities and advice on education and training to further their career.
4. Provide guidance to support clients to stay in existing work, including advice on mental health disclosure, negotiating reasonable adjustments to existing workplaces, creating wellness action plans, and improving productivity, support to return to work after sickness absence or to leave an existing role with dignity, and signpost clients to organisations that can represent them (EAs should only look to represent clients in exceptional circumstances).
5. Facilitate access to other advice in areas such as financial benefits, debt management, food banks and community food outlets and social housing providers, as necessary.
6. Work directly with partners like Jobcentre Plus, other employment providers, employers, trade unions and employment agencies to support clients to stay in employment and secure employment opportunities.
7. Build a constant flow of referrals from the clinical team to ensure a dynamic and mixed caseload.
8. Meet referral and performance targets in line with the specific KPI / SLA requirements of the service.
9. Regularly attend team and other meetings as reasonably expected.
10. Maintain accurate and up to date records of activity and outcomes in line with service requirements, ensuring the IT database is up to date and paperwork compliant.
11. Update and maintain NHS database (IAPTUS).
12. Receive regular supervision and training to meet individual, team and organization’s needs.
13. Contribute to the development of a service that is locally responsive and supports minority/disadvantaged communities.
14. Comply with and actively promote all Twining policies and procedures including Equality and Diversity, safeguarding and data protection.
15. Perform other tasks as required by your manager.
The role holder must also:
1. Pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an Enhanced level.
2. Possess excellent IT skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office software, as well as experience updating and maintaining databases.
3. Maintain accurate and up to date records of activity and outcomes in line with service performance requirements, ensuring the IT database is up to date and paperwork compliant.
4. Receive regular supervision and training to meet individual, team and organization’s needs.
5. Contribute to the development of a service that is locally responsive and supports minority/disadvantaged communities.
6. Comply with and actively promote all Twining policies and procedures including Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding, Data Protection and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with their line manager.
The role will receive comprehensive training at induction, and ongoing career development and support as part of a structured performance programme thereafter.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Location: The post holder will have a normal place of work in Hampton Hill, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and will be required to travel throughout the borough to support our other offices and outreach venues.
About the role:
We are pleased to offer you an exciting opportunity to join our advice team at Citizens Advice Richmond as a generalist adviser.
In this role you will be working alongside volunteer advisers, and be responsible for providing generalist advice to clients, including advice about financial confidence, welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, immigration, discrimination and other areas of public and social welfare law.
You will work alongside our existing projects and services, which are already seeing a large number of clients affected by cost-of-living issues.
The role will focus on responding to clients by email and giving advice over the telephone. There will also be some face to face interaction with clients when needed. It will be helpful to have experience of supporting new trainees.
We are a friendly and diverse office. We support clients across our community, and aim to reach the most vulnerable and excluded in our community.
Normal working hours 9.00 – 17.00 excluding lunch break. Some evening attendance is required at governance meetings – time off in lieu will be offered.
Closing date for applications:Rolling – if we fill the role we will withdraw the advert
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Hours: 37.5 Full Time (part time may be considered)
Location: Various locations in the London Borough of Hounslow
Closing date: On an on-going basis until filled – we reserve the right to withdraw this job opportunity early if this vacancy is filled
Interview date: To be arranged directly with shortlisted candidates.
Citizens Advice Hounslow is a well-established charity operating in the London Borough of Hounslow, supporting over 10,000 clients a year. We want to expand our capacity for face to face and telephone advice; hence we are looking for an experienced generalist Adviser with the ability to provide advice in person as well as on the phone through our dedicated helplines.
In particular, the role requires you to:
- conduct a thorough holistic exploration of the problem(s) to gain an accurate picture of the client’s situation
- do a benefit calculation as standard for clients
- give full advice and support to clients to resolve their issues
- where necessary, make a referral or signpost clients
- write up case notes to Citizens Advice national standards
For more information about the role and the criteria to apply for the post, please download the Job Description and Person Specification.
We might consider strong trainee advisers who have completed the adviser training and have been exposed to sufficient practical generalist work (about to achieve the adviser certificate or an equivalent qualification).
Please note: We can only respond to successful applicants. If you do not hear from us within three weeks from receipt of your application, please assume that it has been unsuccessful.
We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, pension contribution, and training and opportunities to continue your professional development.
We consider 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.
Citizens Advice Wirral is a local charity that supports Wirral residents by providing advice, information, casework and social prescribing services. We assist clients with a range of issues including benefits, debt, employment, housing and life challenges that affect their health and wellbeing. Citizens Advice Wirral also actively works for change in the policies and practices of organisations that impact our clients - we are passionate about the difference our Research and Campaigns work can make to people’s lives.
Our values shape how we as an organisation operate and how we work with each other across all roles: Open and Honest, Professional, Empowering, Non-judgmental and Approachable. They apply to all areas of our advice-giving, our research and campaigns work and how we challenge discrimination and champion equality.
We are recruiting for a Help To Claim adviser to provide support to people making a new Universal Credit claim and work with them up until they receive their first correct payment. This role will involve working across a variety of channels including telephone, web-chat and video conferencing.
Working for Citizens Advice Wirral has a range of benefits including:
- A generous holiday allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days) plus bank
- holidays (pro-rata)
- Agile working, including up to 5 additional days of flexi leave each year
- (pro-rata) and both home and office-based days (role dependent)
- A contributory pension scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
To find out more and start your application please go to our website via the apply button.
Closing date: 5pm 28th April 2024