Welfare Benefits Caseworker Jobs
Service Manager
Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change and improvement for those who need it? Do you have resilience and adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care?
We have an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Service Manager (known internally as Project Leader) to lead the Anti-Social Behaviour Service team in Devon and Cornwall, working 37.5 hours a week.
Position: 5547 Specialist Service Manager (Project Leader)
Location: Homebased (Devon/Cornwall)
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours. Monday- Friday
Contract: Fixed Term until the 31st May 2025
Salary: £29,930 per annum (FTE £29,580 per annum plus £350 per annum Homeworking Allowance)
Closing Date: 24th May 2024. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if enough suitable applications are received to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
The Role
As a Project Lead for the ASB team you will be:
- Managing a small team of ASB caseworkers including performance management, monitoring and support
- Responsible for allocating cases within the team and analysing statistics and data in order to monitor daily caseloads against resources and look for trends/ pattern of behaviour
- Working with the Operations Manager to ensure delivery of the business plan and associated outcomes
- Responsible for capturing data and information to ensure the work of the team is outcome based and evidenced
- The subject matter expert for ASB within the service
- With key partners, developing mechanisms for identifying and referring those affected by ongoing and persistent ASB incidents and crimes, including those not engaged in criminal or civil law processes
- Completing DSO training to prioritise the safety of service users and ensure compliance with safeguarding policy
- Leading on delivery of training to local agencies, organisations and bodies to represent the service and increase knowledge and understanding of issues related to the ASB
- Contributing to and attending monitoring meetings with funders/commissioners and providing reporting when required
- Playing a lead role in developing VS’s ASB work at both local and national levels
- When the service requires, holding a small caseload providing high quality support to service users in line with VS policies and operating procedures.
The role is home-based within Devon and Cornwall and therefore is open to applicants who both live in this area and have access to an appropriately confidential space in which to work. Regular travel within working hours will be expected across Devon and Cornwall to fulfil the role and travel expenses are paid. Core service hours are between 9am – 5pm, with the expectation to flex to need where required, managed within flexible working arrangements.
About You
You will need:
- As this role involves regular travel across Devon and Cornwall and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is considered an essential requirement
- Experience of managing a team
- An understanding of confidentiality and safe working practice in accordance with safeguarding legislation, General Data Protection Regulation and other legal requirements
- Experience of effective delivery of services in the voluntary or statutory sector including complex case management and maintaining case management records
- The ability to build effective working relationships across internal and external stakeholders and work directly with in statutory, voluntary or multi agency settings
- High personal resilience to manage demands of working with ASB
- Competent IT and administrative skills including the use of Microsoft Office packages
- The ability to engage with vulnerable service users.
In Return…
Work for an organisation who believes in attracting and retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards and 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
- Sick pay allowances, maternity and 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.
About the Organisation
This independent charity provides a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. Working 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 the charity is driven by the Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events.
The organisation is 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.
Applicants are welcome from all communities and monitor the diversity of applicants to analyse if they are representative of the communities it serves in terms of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, age and socio-economic status. As part of the commitment to the Race at Work Charter applicants are particularly welcome from BAME communities
You may have experience in areas such as Service Manager, Case Worker, Specialist Service Manager, Project Leader, Service.
Please note this role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of our client.
Disability Advice Service Lambeth (dasl) is Lambeth’s peer-led Disabled People’s Organisation.
You will lead a two-year project contributing to the work of the No Wrong Door partnership – local organisations and local residents working together to ensure there is ‘No Wrong Door’ for Black Disabled people seeking employment, as they can expect excellent support from any organisation.
We want to change the system, influencing employment support providers and their Commissioners to ensure support for Black Disabled people who are seeking employment is appropriate, accessible and inclusive.
You will have excellent project management skills and use your lived, personal experience of race and disability equity issues to implement change, working collaboratively with residents (Lived Experience Leads), partner organisations and employment support providers. Your role will involve working primarily with Black Disabled Lambeth residents. You will understand and encounter the intersections between being Black and Disabled and the barriers to employment and be able to demonstrate creative and people-centred approaches to influencing change.
dasl’s success comes from dedicated work of our skilled staff, many of whom are Disabled people. You will be valued for who you are in our supportive and friendly team. We pride ourselves on the support we offer staff. We work flexibly between home and office. Our office in Brixton is accessible.
We highly recommend contacting us to learn more about this exciting role. We can offer a 1:1 informal meeting via phone or video call.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Hours: Full time, Mon to Fri, (37.5 hours per week)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Based at CAML offices in Mitcham and Morden and outreach locations. The post-holder may be required to work anywhere in South London
Salary: £29,930 - £33,256 dependent on experience
Annual Leave: 25 days, Charity Day, plus public holidays
Pension: The charity operates a pension scheme
The charity offers an employee assistance programme
Deadline: 6pm, Sunday 2nd June 2024
Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth (CAML) is the leading advice charity supporting individuals and families primarily across the London boroughs of Lambeth and Merton but also wider London. We provide a range of information, support and advice services. We also work to raise awareness and understanding of the challenging issues affecting our clients and communities.
We are looking for an experienced Adviser/Caseworker or Supervisor to join our team in this new role. If you are passionate about supporting individuals and families in need, relish supporting valued team members to reach their potential, have minimum of one year Citizens Advice Adviser (post certification) experience, are a natural team leader, enjoy delivering training and are interested in joining a dedicated professional team we would love to hear from you.
This role will support people with mental health difficulties referred by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) as part of their Community Transformation Programme. The service will support adults aged 18 years and over living in Merton who are experiencing mental health challenges and the carers of those individuals.
You will deliver a service providing advice for people that are referred from the Trust’s Single Point of Access (SPA) and other teams. You will manage an active caseload of people, providing a comprehensive advice and casework service to people experiencing mental health issues on issues such as benefits, income maximisation, debt and housing.
The service will also support people to access a range of opportunities in their community including services that support their social and emotional well-being, employment and volunteering opportunities and money and debt advice if needed.
The role will work in partnership with a team of health professionals and peer support workers, part of the role will be in supporting these professionals to identify where referrals are appropriate through feedback. Initial training will also be provided to all professionals on what outcomes we can achieve for service users.
Principal Responsibilities
Advice and casework
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Offer one off advice and casework (as applicable) to all clients referred via face to face appointments, online or telephone
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Ensure all clients are aware of the purpose and where to attend their appointment
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Ensure that all casework conforms to the Citizens Advice quality standards.
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Maintain case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.
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Ensure that all work conforms to our systems and procedures.
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Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities.
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Being sensitive to clients’ needs and limitations to access support.
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Ensure income maximisation through the appropriate take up of income and application for discounts, including those relating to utilities, benefits, tax and housing.
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Provide full budgeting advice and where necessary refer for specialist debt advice and casework
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Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions. Act for the client where necessary using appropriate communication skills and channels.
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Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other adviser/s (for example DRO intermediary) or specialist agencies as appropriate.
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Ensure that all work conforms to Financial Conduct Authority standards, the Advice Quality Standard and the requirements of the funder.
Project Management, co-ordination and partnerships
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Attend health management meetings (e.g. the Daily Integrated Allocations Meeting (DIAM) for referral discussions)
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Establish and manage an effective referral process from the SPA team and other SWLSTG teams/roles (e.g. Older Peoples Mental Health Team OPMH
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Keep in touch with local issues, developments and changes in procedures of other agencies including SWLSTG, other health service and the local authority.
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Build relationships with peer support workers on the project
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Work to achievable targets in line with the criteria set by the funder.
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Refer clients to other advice services CAML offers and/or other local services for other associated issues e.g immigration advice
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Gather statistics and feedback in order to monitor and evaluate the service, ensuring that appropriate monitoring and data collection mechanisms are in place to demonstrate impact, outputs and outcomes and providing reports as required to the steering group, funders, and partners.
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Work with Head of Advice Services to produce reports and monitoring information about the service for the funder.
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Ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice service's equality and diversity strategy.
Capacity Building and Training
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Deliver information sessions for peer support workers and NHS mental health teams to share knowledge about mental health and advice
Research & Campaigns
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Have responsibility for tracking and reporting on research and campaign issues. Assist with policy work by providing information about clients' circumstances.
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Gather and provide as necessary information about clients circumstances, case studies and statistical information on the number of clients and nature of cases where is an issue.
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Monitor service provision to ensure that it reaches the widest possible client group.
Professional Development
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Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training
Other duties and responsibilities
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Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
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Ensure wider Citizens Advice Merton & Lambeth colleagues/partners aware of this service.
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Demonstrate commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service.
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Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
Person Specification
Essential
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Experience of supporting people with mental health issues and the ability to empathise, and to deliver advice in a kind and compassionate way.
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A minimum of a year’s post certificate experience in delivering advice at a local Citizens Advice or similar.
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Understanding of the link between mental health and other protected characteristics particularly in the context of Merton demographics
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Ability to act on clients behalf and negotiate with external services where necessary in writing and on the telephone
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Knowledge, experience of, and demonstrable ability to provide good quality advice and casework and write ups that meet Advice Quality Standards (AQS)
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Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines and manage caseload.
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Good interpersonal and communication skills, verbally and in writing.
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Proven ability to build relationships with partners.
Desirable
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Experience working in partnership with the Health Sector
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Ability to deliver training
This job description and personal specification does not form part of any contract.
Professional Development
The successful applicant will receive comprehensive induction to the charity and our work. We support team members in their professional development to ensure we’re up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to benefits and debt and undertake appropriate training as agreed with your line manager.
If you’re interested in the role and joining us, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please follow the link to our website for more information and to find out how to apply. The deadline for applications is 6pm, Sunday 2nd June 2024. If you do not hear from us, we are afraid your application was unsuccessful.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and will process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. Please refer to our online Privacy Policy for more information on how your personal data will be processed and stored.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.