Information, Advice and Guidance Advisor

Job Title:

Information, Advice and Guidance Advisor

Reports to:

Head of Information, Advice and Guidance

Salary:

£28,500 Fulltime Onsite

Main Purpose of Position:

To provide a personalised support service and ensure people are equipped with the skills, motivation and confidence to enable them to progress to further education, volunteering and employment. To ensure excellence in project and service delivery throughout the Information, Advice and Guidance service and ensure work is delivered as an integral part of the organisation as a whole.

Responsibilities/ Core Duties:

To provide a support service through a variety of options including workshops, one-to-one interview sessions, telephone contact, face to face and in-depth support with follow up and record keeping. This post involves providing generic advice to clients and signpost expertly to specialist agencies in areas such as health (including mental health), housing, finance and debt advice, counselling, benefits, domestic violence, immigration and other legal matters. The post-holder must support Nova’s aims, objectives and ethos for clients, staff, senior managers and trustees.

Advice and Guidance Duties

• Manage a caseload of clients to include setting boundaries, managing appointments, time-limiting sessions and length of Information, Advice and Guidance service provision to individuals according to organisational limits
• Provide a quality service through regular contact with clients via letter, email, telephone, SMS and face to face
• Support clients to identify their needs and areas to develop their skills
• Support all clients to reach their goals and objectives through comprehensive and realistic action and development planning using SMART targets
• Provide effective monitoring, evaluation, support and guidance to a minimum standard ensuring all associated paperwork and data entry is completed as required
• Deliver high quality pre-employment support that leads clients towards self-sufficiency and the ability to seek, apply for and gain employment positions independently
• Enable customers to progress into relevant skills training, further education, volunteering/ work placements or sustainable employment
• Carry out inductions for all new clients
• Work in collaboration with other Nova team members to ensure the client’s journey is fully supported towards the appropriate progression route
• Meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act/ GDPR at all times

Project Delivery

• Take responsibility for the delivery of specific projects and ensure targets are met and that all work undertaken is accurately and efficiently evidenced and stored
• Contribute to marketing and publicity of projects
• Publicise project in-house and motivate Nova staff and volunteers to contribute to successful delivery and maximal achievement of outcomes
• Operate and encourage a person focused culture to designated standards of service, ensuring client feedback is appropriately reported
• Contribute to the delivery of all output targets, prepare reports and participate in team meetings
• Attend operational and review meetings with contract and project managers and report on project as required

Administration Duties

• Manage own diary and communicate this effectively to other members of Nova staff
• Liaise with other advisers to ensure smooth running of IAG
• Work closely with Head of Services to ensure efficient administration systems are created and used
• Monitor and effectively record data on client journeys and distance travelled
• Complete all tasks to a minimum standard and deliver services within a quality framework required by Matrix and OFSTED Common Inspection Framework and any other standards achieved by the organisation
• Reporting to external project and case managers or grants officers by email or telephone as necessary for each project
• Provide references for clients when appropriate
• Maintain all records in an orderly systematic manner

General

• Encourage and maintain links between staff and volunteers, keeping a good flow of information and communication
• Maintain a general working knowledge of the activities of the organisation
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending training sessions as agreed with line manager
• Provide training for other members of staff/ volunteers when necessary
• Be open and responsive, working in a collaborative way with other staff members to create and implement the systems, policies and procedures outlined above and develop the organisation
• Work within Nova’s Equality and Diversity Policy through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensuring fair treatment in employment, service delivery and external communications
• Adhere to Nova’s policies and procedures on confidentiality and the management and sharing of information and to work at all times within the established policies and practices of Nova
• Ensure the maintenance of a safe working environment

This job description is not exhaustive. It is a guide to the work the post holder will initially be required to undertake and may be reviewed to meet changing needs of the organisation.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience & Knowledge

• 2 years’+ experience of advice giving and managing a caseload
• Knowledge on a range of issues including employment law, health and social care, housing and benefits
• Be able to research complex and sensitive issues independently
• Be experienced in working with marginalised and vulnerable adults and/or children
• Effectively manage expectations
• Experience of setting, recording and evidencing client outcomes
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective working relations with partners
• Excellent administration skills and excellent working knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, database entry and other applications
• Understanding of the practical implementation of equality, confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding policies and issues

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to identify and resolve problems
• Empathic and compassionate approach
• The ability to engage with people with complex needs and communication difficulties
• Able to work independently as well as part of a team
• Report writing skills
• Action orientated and can-do approach
• Good time management and task prioritisation
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral

Desirable

• Arabic-speaking
• Hold or be working towards an IAG Qualification
• You may have experience of the following: Advocacy, Vulnerable Adults, Social Work, Healthcare, Policy, Legislation, Support Work, Charity, Third Sector
• Be able to work to tight and changing deadlines
• Be able to work independently
• NB If you do not already hold the IAG Qualification, it is a requirement that you complete this within 12 months of commencing employment, should the role be extended beyond the initial 6-month period (supported by Nova).