Welfare Benefits Advisor Jobs in Birmingham, West Midlands
Drive Partnership Programme Manager
37.5 hours per week with flexible working hours and provision of an out-of-hours response as needed
£49,299 - £52,387
Fixed Term for 2 years
Home based with some travel to pilot sites when the role requires it
The Role
In April 2021 the Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent. The Act introduces a new civil Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (DAPN) to provide immediate protection following a domestic abuse incident, and a new civil Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) to provide flexible, longer-term protection for victims. DAPOs can impose both prohibitions and positive requirements on perpetrators. We were commissioned by the Home Office to design a triage model that will assess individuals for the suitability of these interventions; this triage model will be rolled out in the pilot sites which are going live in May 2024 and will be tested and evaluated in order to prepare for national roll out in 2026.The Programme Manager will oversee the roll out and delivery of the DAPO pilot Triage Model.
Benefits:
- 34 days’ holiday per year, including public holidays
- Flexible Working (e.g. compressed hours)
- Cycle-to-work Scheme
- Eye Care Vouchers
- Pension Scheme with 4% employer contribution
- Childcare Vouchers
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Clinical Supervision
- Holiday Purchase Scheme to buy up to an additional 5 days
- Enhanced Family Leave Policies
- Enhanced Sick Pay
- Professional Development Fund
- Individual learning budget
- Restorative Practice Training
- Time Off In Lieu
If this challenge sounds as exciting to you as it does to us and you believe you have the qualities we have described, please take a look over the job description and submit a 500-word cover letter and CV.
Closing date: 16th May 2024
SafeLives is a committed provider of equal opportunities for all, please see our job description for full details.
No agencies please.
Role: Independant Living Advisor, West Midlands
Location: Homebased
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 21 hours per week, between Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Salary: £27,900 per annum pro rata / £16,740 per annum based on 21hrs per week
RBL provides life-changing support to our Armed Forces community which includes those who have served, those still serving, and their families. At times of crisis and need we offer them vital advice, assistance and funding.
We are looking for an Independent Living Advisor to provide advice, support and advocacy for people living with long term illness or disabilities, or caring for someone with these conditions, helping them to access appropriate support services.
As an Independent Living Advisor, you will:
- Provide a comprehensive independent living advice service to people experiencing difficulties with day-to-day living, mobility, and self-care, or to those caring for someone in this situation, ensuring they have sufficient and appropriate information to make informed choices, working in a way which empowers them to take and maintain control of their own lives
- Complete person-centred and holistic assessments, using information from Occupational Therapists and other health and social care professionals as necessary, to establish their eligibility for support services in their area, and provide advice on support options available to people via statutory, charitable, and private sources.
- Provide a person-centred support service within a designated region to include some home visits, and other face-to-face activities in local communities as required.
- Manage a diverse and often complex caseload covering matters relating to care assessments and care fees, Disabled Facilities Grants, equipment and minor adaptations, Direct Payments, personal budgets, disability advocacy, and access to other funding streams as appropriate.
Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.
Here at RBL, we aim to support our people and their wellbeing, with a package including generous paid holiday allowance and pension scheme contributions, and a range of optional benefits and discounts.
You will be contracted to your home address, and you will perform most of your work remotely there using our collaboration tools to work with colleagues, with occasional travel (incl. for monthly team meetings).
For more detailed information about the role, please see our Vacancy Information Pack attached to our direct advert.
RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics and aim to operate an inclusive recruitment process.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Purpose and Scope of the Role
To enable and empower newly arrived often vulnerable refugees to settle into their new communities with confidence.
Postholders will work closely with the volunteers, bank staff and Project Coordinators to provide a wraparound service to our clients across the region. Key elements of the service will include support with welfare benefits/income maximisation, immigration, housing, health, education and employment.
There will be a requirement to record and document contact using online systems, ensuring an evidence-based practice model of working and seamless support delivery for our clients.
Main duties and responsibilities
Manage a caseload of clients/households:
· Provide initial reception and orientation at client’s homes and within their local community settings
· Carry out a holistic needs assessment and prepare a Personal Integration Plan with every household on a quarterly basis, preferably in the clients homes.
· Negotiate specialist intervention with external agencies as appropriate according to the client’s needs.
· To be the lead contact for all agencies and responsible for coordinating support for your key clients.
· To work with families in a variety of locations such as within their home, RMC premises, on outreach and via digital means.
· To jointly agree a plan leading to beneficiary independence and service exit as per project requirements
· Where possible deliver the service in a community language
· To deliver a comprehensive action plan for welcoming the refugees from preparation prior to arrival and support for the first year. This includes but is not limited to:
· Housing situation and housing/tenancy related goals and checking suitability of accommodation with relevant hosts, landlords and/or any other housing partners.
Welcoming families upon arrival
· Registering with GP’s, dentists and opticians; attending medical assessments and appointments; securing appropriate specialist medical care and liaising with different health services;
· Working with Social Services to ensure all special needs are addressed;
· Registering for Biometric Residence Cards and ensuring that immigration paperwork is correct and any errors or discrepancies are reported to the relevant Home Office department by an OISC qualified adviser from the wider team.
· Ensure the Home Office is notified if BRP cards are not issued within the timescales set out by Home Office service standards.
· Ensure that all newly arrived are given immigration advice as required by referring them to an OISC qualified advisor within RMC.
· Ensure that every newly arrived adult above the age of 18 has access to their own bank account.
· Ensuring that refugees understand their financial rights and responsibilities
· Complete a full Entitled To calculation with all newly arrived households and apply for relevant welfare benefit provisions from DWP and HMRC.
· Support refugees with mandatory reconsiderations as required.
· Support with access to individual grants if required.
· Providing on-going orientation to the UK – information, classes, workshops and visits by key statutory services;
· Registering and supporting children with local schools;
· Facilitating access to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes for all newly arrived adults;
· Signposting and assisting in training, education and employment to ensure long term independence
· Refer into other provision as provided by third party organisations
· Organising trips and outings to places of interest and providing opportunities for social interaction and accompany refugees if required as per ongoing Personal Integration Plan and risk assessment.
· To provide client centric support around all areas of need including housing, welfare, employment, substance misuse, family reunion and social engagement.
· To ensure that this work has a focus on fostering the independence of the clients and has respect for the culture, personal history and situation of all its users.
· To promote the long-term integration of refugees and the development of refugee communities by providing a range of tailored services to them and through working with other service providers to maximise opportunities for refugees.
· To work with clients to facilitate their access and engagement with mainstream statutory and voluntary sector services.
· To ensure that this work is carried out in accordance with RMC’s values, principles, policies and procedures, specifically those around equal opportunity, confidentiality, impartiality and non-directive advice.
· With the support of the Coordinator and Manager, to maintain and develop excellent working relationships with and between external stakeholders to improve the availability of mainstream and specialist services for newly arrived refugees.
· To work as part of a multi-skilled team, supporting your colleagues and volunteers to achieve outcomes.
· To keep full, accurate and up-to-date case records.
· To provide written and oral reports as required.
· To work with the coordinator in reviewing, planning and developing the service delivered to beneficiaries
· To carry out monitoring and evaluation processes as appropriate
For the Charity
· To play an active role in one or more RMC’s working groups as required.
· To liaise with other teams in RMC as appropriate.
· To attend regular team meetings, to share information, monitor services and foster effective and supportive teamwork.
· To participate in supervision, appraisal and training as agreed with the Manager.
· To carry out administrative tasks in support of own work (e.g. word- processing, filing and recording on RMC’s database).
· To carry out other duties consistent with the nature of the post, and in furtherance of the project.
· To carry out all the above in accordance with the aims, values and policies of RMC confidentiality, impartiality and Equal Opportunities.
The above duties will be prioritised by the Head of Services in consultation with the post-holder. The post-holder may be asked to re-organise his/her work to help RMC to respond to changes in type or extent of needs of refugees, which can arise from time to time. This would be done in a way consistent with the purposes of the post and in consultation with the post-holder.
A DBS check will be carried out for this post.
Flexibility
To deliver the stated aims of for this post, a degree of flexibility and agility is needed. The post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above, such duties will fall within the scope of the job and be directly related within the appropriate pay grade. The job description will therefore be subject to periodic review with the post holder to ensure it accurately reflects the duties that are being performed
Person Specification
Experience and Skills
Desirable
Essential
Experience of working with vulnerable people and an understanding of the needs of refugees, and the issues or difficulties which may affect their resettlement.
X
Experience of comprehensively assessing need and creating risk management plans for multiple individuals.
X
Experiences of supporting people to address their needs through support planning, case management and an understanding of the importance of involving clients fully as possible in that process.
X
Experience of working with a wide range of professionals to access needs led intervention.
X
Experience of working within a multitier staff team, inclusive of supporting volunteers to support clients.
X
Knowledge and awareness of how to engage with hard-to-reach individuals, and understanding of the potential barriers to active engagement.
X
An understanding of the issues facing refugees during integration to a new community.
X
Good knowledge of the services available to support refugees.
X
Proven ability to communicate and negotiate to a high level and build strong partnerships, both verbal and non-verbally with shareholders and stakeholders.
X
Good organisational and monitoring skills, with the ability to prioritise.
X
Excellent administrative skills including good computing skills and the ability to use I.T. applications.
X
Understanding and a commitment to diversity and equality, with demonstrable cultural competence.
X
Ability to lone work and complete delegated task with own initiative.
X
Ability to be flexible to the needs of the organisation.
X
Enthusiasm and willingness to agile working and outreach activities.
X
Ability to speak a community language
X
Good local knowledge
X
OISC (Office of Immigration Services Commission) regulated
X
Experience of providing outreach support to families in their home and in community settings
X
Car driver
X
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.