Housing And Welfare Benefits Advisor Jobs
About us
Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We know that homelessness is not inevitable. We know that together we can end it.
The Homelessness and Housing Law Specialist Advisor will work alongside our client services teams across England, to prevent and end homelessness for people we support. Providing expert advice, support and advocacy to our staff and members in the most complex cases.
Salary: £38,585 (regions) or £42,746 (London) per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week (open to compressed hours in line with Crisis’ Flexible Working Policy)
Location: To be based in any of the Crisis Skylights in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, Oxford, South Wales, Central London, Croydon, or Brent, but with home working as an option in line with Crisis’ Hybrid Working Policy
About the role
We are looking for an expert on homelessness legislation (the Homelessness Reduction Act) and relevant housing legislation to contribute to Crisis’ mission of ending homelessness. You will provide advice and casework covering complex areas of both housing and homelessness legislation to frontline employees working directly with people experiencing homelessness and at risk of homelessness in England. You will be an advocate for our members, by using housing law knowledge to request temporary housing from local authorities, for those who are street homeless. You will have the opportunity to produce housing law briefings, template letters and a toolkit of resources including checklists to support staff when working with beneficiaries.
About you
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Demonstrable track record of successfully preventing and relieving people’s homelessness through advocacy and the application of relevant homelessness and housing law, including complex cases such as people with different immigration status.
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Expert knowledge of relevant homelessness and housing legislation, including Housing Act 1996 Parts VI and VII, Homelessness Act 2002 Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Protection for Eviction Act 1977, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
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Knowledge of the issues affecting homeless people and the impact and interaction of welfare and immigration policies on homelessness
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Familiarity with local authority housing options services and their processes
You may have experience in, Housing and Homelessness Law, Local Authority Homelessness or Housing Options teams, Advice and advocacy, specialist casework.
We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.
Working at Crisis
As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:
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Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy
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Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
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28 days’ annual leave
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Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay
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Flexible working around the core hours 10am-4pm
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And more! (Full list of benefits available on website)
Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.
When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.
How to apply
If this sound likes the opportunity for you, please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below.
Closing date: Sunday 14 April 2024 (at 23:59)
Interviews will be held W/C 22 April 2024
Accessibility
We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help.
Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094
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!
Age UK are recruiting for a part-time Lead Quality Assessor (21 hours per week) to undertake assessments of the quality of Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice that is provided by Age UK Network Partners (local Age UKs; local Age Cymru Partners; Age Cymru; Age Scotland; Age NI; and Age UK); and ensure consistency in how our quality standards are assessed across the wider assessment team.
In this role you will:
* Carry out assessments on the quality of Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice delivered by Age UK and its Network Partners across the UK through a range of services (e.g. traditional I&A service, social prescribing, LPA etc), assessing how well each Partner is delivering against the relevant requirements of the Age UK Network Quality Assurance Framework.
* Provide written reports for Age UK Network Partners in the required format, using your expert skills and knowledge to identify how well they have met the standard - identifying areas of strength, areas of non-compliance and suggestions for improvement.
* Support the process of quality assessment and continuous improvement of services where Age UK Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice is given, including, * moderating reports - with responsibility for ensuring that assessors are applying the standard fairly and there is consistency between the assessors; * reviewing self-assessments - liaising with Network Partners to give feedback on how well they are meeting the standards; * following up on Corrective Action - working with our Service Quality Advisors to review submitted evidence and the adequacy of corrective action taken by Network Partners, in response to their assessment findings. * signing off Corrective Action Reports and providing formal feedback to Network Partner Managers and CEOs.
* Work with the Quality Team to ensure consistency across the assessor team, by taking a lead role in assessor training / consistency days, using these to share learning, provide updates and instruction.
* Contribute to the on-going development of the wider Age UK Quality Framework by providing feedback on any Information and Advice related quality programmes.
The post holder is required to travel to a range of locations for assessments and for meetings at the London Office which may involve overnight stays. (Although the majority of work is currently online using MS Teams, national travel is likely in future).
Applicants must have ability to access a computer, confidential workspace, key advice texts and be able to work online.
Must haves:
* Extensive and relevant experience in an advice service, with knowledge of key advice issues affecting older people in at least two of the following areas of social welfare law: welfare benefits, community care, housing.
* Knowledge and understanding of good practice in managing and delivering Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice services.
* Demonstrable experience of supervision of advice work. Demonstrable experience of maintaining effective case recording systems and procedures, ideally electronic.
* Effective communication skills with a range of audiences, both interpersonal skills and the ability to write and proof-read effective reports for external stakeholders.
* Ability to make rigorous, fair and impartial assessments against quality benchmarks for Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice services.
* Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to manage workload and prioritise.
* Good time management skills, and the ability to meet deadlines.
* Understanding of the issues affecting older people seeking advice.
* Good IT skills including an ability to use Microsoft Office, and online systems for bookings, assessing case records.
* Clear understanding of the principles of confidentiality and data protection.
* Knowledge and understanding of the equality and diversity issues affecting the delivery of Information, Signposting and Social Welfare Advice services.
What we offer in return
- Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme
- Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, health cashback plan and EAP
- Car Benefit Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loan
- Techscheme - buy any tech from Apple or Currys, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free
- Blue Light Card Scheme
- You Did It Awards - recognition awards from £100-250.
Additional Information
All CVs will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role at Age UK. Please note that our system is unable to anonymise cover letters, and we would therefore ask that to support the work we are doing on making our recruitment selection process fairer and more unbiased, that you remove any personal information from your cover letter/supporting statement, including your name before uploading this. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us once you are invited for an interview.
Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria under the Disability Confident Scheme. Please note that on occasion, due to high numbers of applications, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About Us
We are National Energy Action (NEA) – and our vision is to end fuel poverty; our work to improve and promote energy efficiency brings social, environmental, housing and employment benefits. We believe everyone should be able to afford to keep their homes warm and safe, however, low incomes, high energy bills and poor energy efficiency currently deny this to millions of households across the UK. Never has this been more important than today.
NEA’s teams are friendly, knowledgeable and are dedicated to what we do. We are proud of our expertise and proud of the service we deliver to our clients.
We offer colleagues a friendly, rewarding workplace and the chance to build a worthwhile career with a not-for-profit organisation that is proud to make a genuine difference to people’s lives each and every day.
The Role
We have a fantastic opportunity for someone to join us in the position of Benefits Entitlements and Claims Support Officer, to work on either a full or part time basis. Job Share applications are also welcome.
This role provides an exciting and rewarding opportunity to help the charity build its profile amongst regional stakeholders whilst delivering projects that seek to bring an end to fuel poverty and to the misery of cold homes that is experienced by over 6.5 million households in the UK.
NEA’s Benefits Entitlements and Claims Support Officers are empathetic, polite and have good listening skills but are also knowledgeable, assertive, and confident. The post holder will be responsible for giving comprehensive benefit entitlement advice and support to householders. The post holder will obtain relevant information about a client’s circumstances and offer accurate guidance about potential eligibility for additional benefit entitlements. This will include the completion of application forms as appropriate. Advice will be given over the phone, via online contact and in face-to-face settings where appropriate.
What you will need to succeed
You will have a good understanding of Welfare Rights, including entitlements, systems, claim processes and current legislation and practices. Demonstrable experience of providing advice via telephone and face to face.
You will need good organisational skills, excellent communication skills as well as an understanding of the needs of low income, vulnerable or disadvantaged householders.
NEA has several office locations throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and welcomes applicants from all regions. Home working and office-based locations are available. Preferences will be discussed with candidates at interview. Hybrid working is subject to necessary H&S and GDPR checks. Post holders must be resident within the UK and be able to provide their Right to Work in the UK.
We are offering:
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£26,873 - £31,915 (FTE) - Scale 5-6, Points 12-22 (plus £3,300 London Weighting if applicable)
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11½% non-contributory pension
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25 days annual leave plus 3 additional days in between Christmas New Year Period when our offices close; plus, all public holidays per annum for full time staff, pro-rata for part time staff
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Flexible working arrangements including the opportunity for Hybrid working
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Enhanced family friendly payments
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Employee Assistance Programme
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Employee benefits platform
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2-year Fixed Term Post
The closing date for all applications is 12:00 noon Wednesday 17 April 2024. We anticipate interviewing the two weeks commencing Monday 22 April 2024. Full details of the posts and an application form are available on our website
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking to employ a highly motivated GeneralistAdvisor (Welfare Benefits) for Camden Disability Action's Advice services. You will have 2 years' recent experience in a welfare rights advice role and up to date knowledge of welfare benefits especially relating to Disabled adults and young Disabled people and their families. You will work in a holistic way, managing and holding complex cases and advocating for clients across statutory services, specialist advice partners and community organisations. Although we anticipate approximately 70% of the work will be related to welfare benefits, 30% will be general advice work. You will also need a basic understanding of housing, social care and independent living issues as they impact on Disabled people and a willingness to seek further training in this area.
You will be committed to learning more about the Social Model of Disability and you will share our vision for a radically inclusive world where people with differences are never Disabled by the society in which they live.
The role is full time and based in the London Borough of Camden. Hybrid and remote working options considered for the right candidate.
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!
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 a Housing Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)
Salary: £28,000 - £32,000 (pro rata)
Location: Hammersmith and another London borough (tbc)
Hours: 21 hours (part time)
Contract: Permanent
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:
We are excited to be taking the lead in the London Whole Housing Service Partnership (LWHSP) which will address and enhance the pathways of housing support for women experiencing domestic abuse, from removing them from immediate harm, to enabling recovery and resettlement across all levels of need. The LWHSP are seeking to build on our delivery across 11 East and West London boroughs of the Whole Housing Approach (WHA).
The Housing IDVA will work within a dynamic, fast paced, crisis intervention, advocacy and support service to ensure the voice of survivors informs every stage of the process. You will specialise in working with clients for whom housing, and risk of tenancy breakdown is a factor. You will work within the team to make proactive contact and provide high quality advocacy and support based upon a client led needs and risk assessment to women, focusing on working with those aged 18 and over who access the domestic abuse service. You will hold a caseload of survivors and will also be required to work as part of Advance’s duty team on a rota basis which will involve completing intake assessments and providing crisis intervention support.
About You:
As a Housing IDVA, you will need to have a degree of flexibility for colocation work across London boroughs; providing support to women who have experienced domestic violence, focusing on individuals with housing or tenancy issues. Working in our fast-paced crisis intervention, advocacy and support service, you’ll ensure the voice of survivors informs every stage of the process. You will have your own caseload of survivors and will focus on working with those aged 18 and over who access our domestic abuse service.
You will bring experience in providing independent domestic violence advocacy and support for women who approach housing advice and assessment for help. Ideally experience in working with housing service providers, and advising women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies. You will have the ability to develop individual safety and support plans in-line with the clients’ needs and the risks they face.
How to apply:
Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.
· Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 31 March 2024 @ 23:59
· Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis
*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
- Thorough induction and training
- 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.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Profile
An exciting opportunity has arisen for someone with great energy and interpersonal skills and a thorough knowledge of social welfare advice to join our advice team. This could be the perfect opportunity for a trainee adviser to take the next step in their career, and to be part of a dynamic team who think on their feet and are passionate about making a difference in our community.
This role will allow you autonomy to make your mark and offer an opportunity to grow the team with volunteers. This busy and varied role will rely on your ability to bring your whole self to work and to ensure the highest quality of advice is delivered at the Foodbank.
We are offering flexibility in this role, which could include part-time job share for the right candidate(s).
About us
This is a fairly new partnership between Citizens Advice Barnet and Finchley Foodbank to provide support for Finchley Foodbank clients. The post holder will assess and advise clients on a range of issues and will work closely with the foodbank volunteers and management. The aim of the project is to reduce dependency on the foodbank by maximising income and helping clients to seek debt/budgeting advice.
Citizens Advice Barnet is a local charity giving free and confidential advice to everyone who lives, works, or studies in Barnet. We are an independently registered charity, a member of the Citizens Advice network, and a London Legal Support Trust Centre of Excellence. We offer generalist advice on debt, work, benefits, immigration, housing and more and specialist casework on benefits, debt, work and immigration. Last year we helped 13,110 people with 41,802 problems, over 50% more people than the previous year.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Role Profile
This is an opportunity for you to join an established charity that has an excellent reputation locally as a trusted partner and as a great place to work. You’ll be a part of a small, but committed team with big ambitions that works cohesively and effectively together to get things done. You will provide generalist level advice and casework focused on welfare benefits, housing and energy as well as offering non-monetary debt advice about priority debts and budgeting.
You’ll help people to understand their rights and responsibilities by exploring their problems in depth. You'll proactively encourage clients to take responsibility for completing actions to resolve problems themselves. Taking responsibility for cases and advocating on behalf of clients where appropriate.
You’ll work closely with our key partners across North Lincolnshire within the statutory and voluntary and community sectors and ensure clients receive a good quality and holistic service that supports individuals to remove the financial and psychological barriers to achieving positive outcomes and build resilience for the future.
This role is offered both on a trainee and a qualified basis. For the trainee position we’re not necessarily looking for someone who has previous experience working within the advice sector, as long as you’re empathetic and able to provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way we can provide full training.
You’ll really be able to make the role your own. You’ll be a part of a small, but committed team with big ambitions that works cohesively and effectively together to get things done. You'll be an important and valued member of the team and, with the support of Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire, will be responsible for ensuring people focused outcomes are met in a pressurised environment.
What we offer our staff
We provide an employee assistance scheme managed by LifeWorks. Benefits include:
- 24/7 - 365 telephone helpline
- LifeWorks online support website
- LifeWorks app
- 6 sessions of face to face counselling per issue – unlimited issues per annum
- Employee legal helpline
- Consulting services – financial, debt advice, housing, relocation, parenting, eldercare, work performance, health and wellness advice and much more
- Childcare and eldercare matching service
- Savings on everyday purchases and life events
- Access for family members and dependants – excluding counselling and legal advice
Annual leave: Annual leave is 25 days from 1st January to 31st December, plus 8 bank holidays. We offer additional long service leave of 5 days after 4 years of employment
Are you passionate about making a real difference in the world? Do you want to leverage your skills to combat homelessness for children and young people? Then we have the perfect opportunity for you.
We are looking to recruit an Employment & Learning Advisor to progress a caseload of clients on their journey into meaningful and sustainable employment. This is an exciting role in our Employment and Learning team that will assist clients to make constructive choices and decisions in their agreed, person-centred action plans by coordinating a range of employment-focused provision through 1:1 interventions, workshops, courses, and supplementary training opportunities.
You will also identify, develop and maintain external relationships and partnerships with relevant organisations, employers, and training providers and work alongside your line manager to deliver a comprehensive learning and employment service, that meets client need, delivered in line with the organisation’s strategic aims, objectives, and outcomes-based approach. The role is pivotal in order to reach the Centre’s ultimate goal of helping people achieve greater resilience and wellbeing.
Please refer to the job description for further information.
To apply, please submit a CV, cover letter and criminal record declaration form. The criminal record declaration form can be found in the job advert on our wesbite. In your cover letter please outline how you meet the requirements of the role, why you would like to work for us and address the following two questions:
1. Can you give examples of any employment and learning advice work you have been involved in with young people 16+ and what approach did you use? (max. 300 words)
2. Can you give examples of any employment and learning advice work you have been involved in with asylum seekers and refugees and what approach did you use? (max. 300 words)
Please note that this role is a client facing role, therefore, you will be required to be predominantly based at the Centre. There may be the option to work from home up to 2 days per week as per service needs and with prior agreement from your line manager.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The Centre requires job applicants, staff and volunteers to complete a criminal records self-declaration and undertake a DBS check. This post requires an enhanced DBS check and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you passionate about making a real difference in the world? Do you want to leverage your skills to combat homelessness for children and young people? Then we have the perfect opportunity for you.
We are looking to recruit an Immigration Administrator to support the smooth running of our Immigration service. This is an exciting role that will provide high quality support to a team of solicitors and immigration advisors to ensure that our clients receive strong representation to resolve their immigration status. You will be the first point of contact for key stakeholders, provide a positive and supportive welcome to all clients and conduct a regular telephone triage service to ensure that the centre is identifying the clients that are in most need of our support. You will also ensure that client records are kept up to date and documentation securely stored on our InForm Salesforce and SharePoint systems.
Please refer to the job description for further information. In your cv and cover letter, please outline how you meet the requirements of the role and why you would like to work for us. You must account for any gaps in your employment history.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The Centre requires job applicants, staff and volunteers to complete a criminal records self-declaration and undertake a DBS check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you have demonstrable experience of giving money and budgeting advice or support in a student facing environment or financial services setting? Do you have an understanding of issues facing students in Higher Education?
We are recruiting for a specialist Money & Budgeting Advisor into our Advice Service to provide money, budgeting and debt advice to our members, oversee the application processes for our expanded hardship funds and to run our new financial literacy programme. This role will work alongside another Money & Budgeting Advisor and with our wider Advice & Wellbeing team, supporting each other to achieve positive outcomes for our students. The post holder will provide accurate finance, debt and budgeting advice and information to students using the Advice Service including casework, support and advocacy.
This is an exciting role in a unique organisation. Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world. We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see things in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.
We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.
It's an exciting time our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.
We support flexible working, with hybrid working for all staff.
Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.
This role is a fixed term maternity cover role for 9 months (with possible extension).
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Generalist Adviser / Trainee Adviser (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children)
Hours: 28 hours per week (available as 1 post of 28hpw/0.8fte or 2 posts of 14hpw/0.4fte each)
Salary: £27,456 - £32,484 fte pa depending on experience
Start Date: From mid-June (possible earlier start subject to agreement and pre-employment checks)
Contract Type: Fixed term cover until mid June 2025. Extension may be possible subject to funding.
Work Location: Hybrid - home and hospital-based at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, WC1
About Citizens Advice Camden
We are a well-respected local charity with more than 80 years’ experience of delivering free, independent and impartial information, advice and casework services which meet the changing needs of local residents. Our aims are to provide the independent, impartial, confidential and free advice people need for the problems they face and to improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.
We target our services at the most vulnerable in our community. Our client profile closely matches local indices of deprivation with most of our clients coming from the most deprived wards in the borough. We identify trends to ensure our services remain agile and able to respond to changing and emerging advice needs.
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a well-regarded and innovative project contributing to achieving good outcomes for some of the most vulnerable families in England and beyond whose sick children are being treated at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital (GOSH.) We also provide an ‘open door’ service to our GOSH partners such as social workers and family support officers in our areas of expertise.
We offer this as either a Trainee Adviser or Adviser role depending on your current advice work experience. As this is a short-term contract, if you are not currently an experienced generalist adviser, we would still expect you to have some experience of delivering generalist advice. We will support you through the Citizens Advice adviser training programme whilst you build your skills to deliver high quality advice and casework to families with children who are patients at GOSH. We will train you to deliver holistic advice and in-depth casework support, particularly with benefits including appeals and also with housing and debt enquiries.
Being available onsite is an important aspect of this role and so this role is hybrid working. The exact split between remote/onsite working will be by agreement with the line manager and to meet the needs of the project which could change over time. This role is not suitable for remote working only.
Appointment to the role is subject to being granted GOSH honorary staff status and a satisfactory enhanced DBS.
How to Apply
For more information and to apply click the 'Apply' button.
CVs are not accepted.
Closing date for applications: 9.00am Monday 15 April 2024
Interview date: Monday 22 April and Tuesday 23 April
Interviews will be held on Zoom.
Citizens Advice Camden is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from all sections of the community.
The successful candidates will be required to provide documentary evidence of their right to work in the UK, complete a satisfactory DBS check, and complete and comply with GOSH honorary status requirements.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Purpose
This role is within our crisis alternative service Safe Space - an out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. The service operates 365 days a year from 12:00pm (midday) - 11:30pm across all of our boroughs. The role will consist of two shift patterns to ensure the service is covered: 11:30am-6:30pm and 4:30-11:30pm. This will be on a rota basis across support workers.
Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone on a one-to-one or group basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis. This will consist of 1:1 support; de-escalating and providing interventions, signposting for specialised or longer-term support, and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing. The aim of this service is to de-escalate and prevent further crises.
The objectives of the service include:
- To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health crisis in HFEH.
- To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation, planned wellbeing activities etc.
- To contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.
- To remain a source of independent support for all clients.
- To treat service users with respect, dignity and personalised support
- To raise awareness of mental health services available with the goal to improve long term mental health and reduce social isolation
- To increase self-management skills of those accessing the service
- To reduce the use of police, ambulance and statutory mental health services whilst experiencing crisis.
- To reduce the use of statutory crisis services by people experiencing mental ill health without positive outcomes for the individual.
The Role
The role of the support workers will be to support the rest of the team in delivering interventions on a one-to-one and group basis. The role will also involve triaging and assessing all clients accessing the service, signposting and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing.
About Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind
This is an exciting opportunity to join and support a fast growing and dedicated team supporting the wellbeing of communities across West London.
We’re here to make sure that everyone suffering with a mental health problem gets the help they need to recover. We listen, support recovery, fight stigma and work with partners to take action. We provide services for adults, children and young people, signposting for everyone and training and consultancy for employers.
We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
HFEH Mind are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.
Post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We have an exciting opportunity for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to join the Merton Team working 37.5 hours a week. This role involves both face to face and virtual support in a hybrid model of working, you will work from home and be co-located in the Housing department at Merton Civic Centre.
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?
Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
- Clinical supervision and group reflective practice
About the role:
This role is a hybrid working role based in the Housing department, Merton Civic Centre.
As an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate you will:
- Implement effective ways of working with victims and those supporting them to increase safety and reduce harm.
- Provide a high-quality, front-line service to victims of domestic abuse, delivering a premium service prioritised according to risk, primarily focusing on victim/survivors aged 16+
- Work within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership responses to domestic abuse to keep safety central to all services for victims of domestic abuse.
You will need:
- Have a knowledge of help-seeking barriers and support needs of victims of domestic abuse (in heterosexual or same-sex relationships).
- Have a good understanding of domestic abuse including the impact of domestic abuse on victims and their children.
- Understand the principles of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management for victims of domestic abuse and their children
- Understand safeguarding issues, and the legal responsibilities surrounding these issues.
- Direct service delivery to victims of domestic abuse or other vulnerable people.
- Have excellent communication, negotiation and advocacy skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals. Understand and be committed to equal opportunities and diversity issues in policy and practice.
- Have a strong crisis management skills and the ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
Salary: £35,850 (London) / £31,994 (National) per annum
Hours: 35
Contract: Fixed term (until January 2025)
Benefits:
· 27 days annual leave + statutory holidays + 3 closures days over the Christmas period;
· Flexible working for all staff including working from home / hybrid working, and flexi-time/TOIL scheme;
· Attractive family friendly policies;
· Private healthcare cover;
· Season ticket loans;
· Employee awards, and training and development opportunities.
For more information about our benefits please visit our website.
Location: London/Bristol - employees are able to work from home on an arrangement agreed with their line manager
Due to an internal promotion, an exciting opportunity has arisen at the National Housing Federation (NHF) for a Public Affairs Officer. The NHF is the voice of housing associations in England. We are the trade body to almost 600 housing associations, who have grown from philanthropic roots to provide 2.6 million homes to around 6 million people.
Our vision is for a country where everyone can live in a good quality home they can afford. We work with our members to make this vision a reality – delivering ambitious programmes that lead to lasting, positive change.
With a general election on the horizon, housing has become a high priority across the political spectrum. We work at the forefront of the political debate – not only on housing, but also on a wide range of other policy issues including welfare, homelessness and climate change. Our work affects the lives of millions of people and diverse communities across the country.
Our dynamic Public Affairs team has built close working relationships at the most senior level of politics. We have established ourselves as a leading organisation on housing issues for both the Government and Opposition. We have proven our ability to influence policy decisions, shape legislation and develop trusted relationships with key decision makers.
Our Public Affairs Officers independently lead on their own policy areas, creating influencing strategies designed to achieve impactful results for our members. In an election year, we need you to play a crucial role to ensure social housing maintains its political salience, and that housing associations are positioned as an integral part of the solution to the housing emergency.
Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the full job profile and person specification for this role.
Key elements of the role:
· Developing and leading public affairs strategies to influence the main political parties on topics that matter to our members;
· Building effective relationships with parliamentarians, ministers and shadow ministers, researchers and political advisers;
· Collaborating with colleagues through project groups and providing expert public affairs advice on a range of policy issues;
· Monitoring Parliament and key political development to ensure NHF staff and our members are informed on key issues;
· Drafting high-quality briefings, letters and other documents for national politicians;
· Making the case for the NHF’s influencing asks in face-to-face meetings with key political stakeholders and presenting to internal and member groups.
The successful candidate:
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
· A proven ability to develop and implement effective influencing strategies;
· Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders;
· Commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues across the organization;
· Exceptional written and oral communication skills;
· A good understanding of the political environment and climate in the UK.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and we value the contribution each individual makes to our work.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and are working to increase the diversity profile of our workforce. We are currently under-represented by ethnic minorities, people with a disability or disabilities and LGBT+, and would particularly welcome applications from people in these groups.
Disability confident committed employer
We are a disability confident committed employer and if you are a disabled person who demonstrates you meet the skills and experience we consider essential for the role, we will offer you an interview.
We are happy to consider reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process if you have a disability or have a condition that you feel may affect your performance during the recruitment process. Please contact Stephanie Green, People Manager with your request or to arrange a time to discuss in more detail.
Our role profile and job advert can also be requested in large print or in accessible format via this email address.
Uploading your CV and cover letter
If you decide to apply for this role, when requested, please upload a version of your CV that does not include any personal details, such as name, gender, age etc. You should also ensure that you do not add your name at the end of the cover letter. This will help us to shortlist candidates for interview based solely on their knowledge, skills and experience.
Right to work in the UK / UK VISA Sponsorship
You must have the right to work in the UK and it is important to note that the NHF does not sponsor individuals to work in the UK.
Closing date for applications: 7 April 2024
Interview date: w/c 15 April 2024
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Our Service delivers independent advice to Greenwich students, supporting them to stay and succeed at university. This role will specifically support students on our Greenwich and Avery Hill sites but you’ll also help students studying on our Medway campus, mainly.
The Students’ Union Advice Service is a professional, independent, and free service that empowers students to navigate academic regulation, and access support. The Student Adviser has a key role in providing professional advice to students 1-1 and in a group.
Looking at trend data, the role will support the team in developing insights into the needs of students studying at Greenwich.
Guided by this information, the post holder will develop new initiatives and facilitate service outreach to reduce the likelihood of issues arising in the first place.
This role sits within the Advocacy and Policy Team who focus on making 1-1 timely interventions to support students to succeed as well as identifying broader trends in student behavior to inform our strategic approach to services and support.
Duties and Key Responsibilities
This post holder will be part of the wider Advocacy and Policy Team and will be expected to contribute to departments wider objectives and planning.
The post holder will:
Advice
- Provide academic processes and welfare advice to clients on relevant issues online, on the phone and in person.
- Take an empowering, client centred approach and, if necessary, act on behalf of the client to obtain information or advocate for them.
- Undertake peer review activities and supervision.
- To create and maintain accurate, comprehensive case records at all times; record all advice given and outcomes of any actions taken. Ensure confidentiality is adhered to.
Monitoring Trends
- Monitor trends in student casework and advice queries and report on these trends to inform Students’ Union practices and advocacy.
- Provide briefings, debriefs, reports, research and where appropriate attend forums and other meetings to ensure that advice service trends inform policy and practice improvements.
Outreach
- Support the development of new initiatives and facilitate service outreach, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups.
- Assist the team with a review of relevant reference materials and publicity for the service as requested.
Stakeholder Management
- Collaborate with colleagues, to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships and links with appropriate staff in the University and with external agencies.
General Responsibilities
- Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
- Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
- Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
- Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
- Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
- Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive information about individual organisations and or clients or staff and Project data.
- Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
- Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
Experience
- Relevant working or voluntary experience working in a client or stakeholder-facing role.
- Experience in negotiation and advocacy.
- Project planning, implementation, and evaluation skills.
- Experience in working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working.
- Experience advising, supporting, or advocating for clients would be an advantage.
Skills and Abilities
- Problem-solving, and able to deal with and resolve difficult situations calmly, efficiently, and effectively.
- Knowledge of IT systems. Ability to use digital Advice casework databases such as AdvicePro would be an advantage but training will be provided.
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly – 1-1, in meetings and in written form.
- Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard.
Knowledge
- Knowledge of academic, welfare, housing, and benefits advice would be an advantage but training will be provided.
- Knowledge of Safeguarding.
- Knowledge of principles of confidentiality, GDPR and handling sensitive data.
- Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation.
Education/Training
- No one specific qualification is required, but it would be an advantage showing evidence of professional development in an area relevant to the post. For example, training in areas of advice, ILM, project management etc.
Personal Attributes and Other Requirements
- Able to travel across our campuses, Greenwich, Medway and Avery Hill. There is a dedicated bus service staff can use to Greenwich/Avery Hill/Medway.
- Can work independently as lone working at times is a requirement of this role.
- May need to stay overnight for training and conferences. Advance notice given for flexibility.
- Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work.
- Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities. An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
- Commitment to the values and ethos of the Organisation.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.