Senior Debt Caseworker Jobs in Finsbury Park, Greater London

Havering, East London

Ref SWH-241

Are you a proactive, highly organised and collaborative individual with a proven record of supporting young people, who have multiple and complex needs within a supported accommodation setting?  Do you have strong experience of engaging positively with vulnerable young people or other vulnerable groups and a sound understanding of relevant policies and legislation?

If so, St Giles has a rewarding career opportunity for a Senior Support Worker to join our dynamic team and use your expertise to work on a vital multi-disciplinary residential support service for young people that will allow them to exit environments involving youth violence, reach their goals and aspirations and move on successfully to independent living and, importantly, to sustain this life.

About St Giles Trust 

An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need.  Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others.   

 About this key role

Working as part of a multi-agency team, we will count on you to lead by example, be the day-to-day expert within team, and be a positive role model to the team of caseworkers.  Using a strength-based approach, you will provide support, advice and advocacy for young people and their families regarding accommodation, working through person-centred support plans designed to promote choice and control for young people.  You will ensure, on a day-to-day basis, that all monitoring information and evidence is being recorded and collated correctly, and that you promote inter-agency collaboration in the assessment and planning process and include appropriate agencies in the delivery of the service. 

The delivery of a holistic support service, working solo or with colleagues as the situation dictates, is also a crucial element of this role, where you will provide practical guidance on issues such as social and housing support, ETE options, benefits work, debt advice and cleaning.  Promoting the value of lifestyle changes to the young people being supported and operating within clear professional boundaries are also key duties.

What we are looking for

• Experience of using support plans to enable young people to successfully access and sustain accommodation and support services.

• Experience of providing support, advice and advocacy.

• Substantial experience of assessing risk and implementing safety procedures when thinking about young people involved in or at risk of violence or exploitation.

• Proven experience of working in a high intensity environment.

• A relevant qualification to a good standard or be working towards one.

• Excellent interpersonal, prioritisation and communication skills, verbal and written.

• A flexible, collaborative and professional approach to your work.

As an organisation that works with children and adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients and successful applicants will require an Enhanced Child and Adult with Child Barred DBS Check.

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, clinical therapist sessions, life insurance (4 x annual salary), duvet days, season ticket loan, employee perks programme, eye care voucher and much more.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation.

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.

To apply, please visit our website via the ‘Apply’ button. We encourage you to apply early as we will be shortlisting as applications come in.

Closing date: 19/04/2024. 11:00pm

 Interview Date: 26/04/2024

Previous applicants need not apply.

Springfield Advice & Law Centre is a community based legal practice and a registered charity. We were formed in 1982 when we were set up to serve the mental health community.  We are based mainly on the site of Springfield University Hospital Mental Health NHS Trust.  Springfield Law Centre is unique as a working model of a health justice partnership.

We are seeking a for a new Director & Head of Legal Practice to take forward this unique, niche Law Centre.  There is an opportunity for expanding the work of the Law Centre and showcasing the worth of health justice partnerships.We are looking for an energetic and compassionate lawyer with a broad experience of either housing or community care casework and representation, who is capable of being a legal aid category supervisor in either area, who has the confidence to lead the team and to develop it so that we can continue to make a real difference within the community.

Qualifications and experience

1. 5 years’ PQE qualified lawyer, with demonstrable experience of management at a senior level.
2. Ability to meet the supervisor for the Legal Aid Agency contract in either housing or community care.
3. A track record of implementing and managing change. 
4. A track record of leading and motivating others demonstrating strong people skills.
5. A track record of innovation and problem solving.
6. Appropriate skills and experience that demonstrate an ability and commitment to manage staff effectively. This should include support, supervision, and appraisal and performance management.
7. Appropriate skills and experience to effectively handle and manage complaints.
8. Experience of managing a Legal Aid Agency Contract and Legal Help matters, with billing targets.
9. Ability to bill all types of legally-aided work and to report to the Legal Aid Agency.
10. Ability to manage a varied caseload of sufficient, appropriate matters to meet the billing target in place.
11. Ability to draft appropriate documentation in your specialist area of law.
12. Experience of giving successful training or talks, for example giving presentations, or
13. representing clients before Courts or Tribunals.
14. Skills
15. Ability to take an active role in, leading the direction of the Law Centre, developing new strategies and raising profile.
16. Ability to manage the Lexcel Quality Mark and ensure that systems and standards are maintained across the organisation so that audits are passed.
17. Ability to understand the financial viability of the Law Centre.
18. Ability to report effectively to funders and to monitor progress against grant funded projects.
19. Commitment to equality and diversity as set out in the principles and policies of the Law Centre.
20. Ability to be self-servicing: you will be expected to manage most of your own typing, filing and billing of Legal Help/Aid cases to comply with LAA requirements.
21. Ability to prioritise your workload with minimum supervision.
22. Excellent communication skills: you must be able to relate well to colleagues, clients and third parties, in person, in writing and on the telephone, despite the pressures of the role.
23. You must be very well organised, with excellent ICT skills, in order to work well under pressure without compromising standards.
24. Ability to work flexibly and outside regular office hours including attending and reporting to the trustees on the progress of the Law Centre.

Consideration will be given to requests for flexible or family friendly hours of work to include job share, part time working or specific proposals. The Management Committee consider the range and number of duties to be a full-time role and that any reduction from a full-time role will result in a division of duties to accommodate all aspects of the Law Centre’s needs and aspirations.