Welfare Benefits Advisor

Description:

Job purpose:

To provide advice to carers and their families, enabling them to access benefits and maximise their income.  To assist with the completion of benefits claims, appeals and reviews, acting as an advocate where needed and appropriate.

Key Duties \& Responsibilities:

·       Advise, assist, and support carers who could benefit from welfare benefit advice in accordance with agreed procedures, policies and good practice.  To complete applications for benefits with carers in their own homes, when required and approved.

·       Develop a caseload and maintain detailed, up to date and confidential case notes and supporting documentation for the purpose of information retrieval and continuity of casework. ·       To act as an advocate to carers to enable them to appeal or challenge welfare benefit decisions and to support them in such processes.

·       To triage more complex referrals to the service to better understand the carer’s needs, assisting with the management of all Advisor’s diaries, liaising with carers to book appointments of an appropriate duration.

General responsibilities:

1.      To provide briefing sessions and fact sheets to colleagues to ensure they are able to impart up to date, relevant information to carers.

2.      To work and liaise with other team members, to share information and to support best practice.

3.      To refer carers to other colleagues /services to assist in meeting any identified needs and liaise and negotiate with relevant agencies.

4.      Provide relevant and appropriate data for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation and produce written monthly reports to the Line Manager in line with requirements.

5.      To engage in relevant training and maintain up to date knowledge of the benefit system, case law and the effects of the welfare reform and relevant changes.

6.      Work collaboratively with other colleagues in the team and wider organisation to enhance the services provided.

7.      Undertake any other reasonable duty consistent with the operation of the service required by the manager.

Essential Experience

• Relevant experience of providing welfare rights advice to clients, working in a related field.
• Ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of key issues connected with claiming benefits, the review and appeal processes, legislative change and be able to connect and disseminate information about same.
• An understanding of relevant welfare benefits legislation, including the review and appeal process.

• An understanding of statutory social and health care services, including the Care Act (2014).

  Awareness of Health and Safety at Work Legislation and its requirements.

• Ability to write clear and concise reports and keep accurate case records.
• Proficient in the use of Information Technology, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel as well as Databases.
• Excellent assessment skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

• Strong organisational skills.

  An imaginative and committed approach to the development of the service and quality assurance.

• Ability to maintain accurate records, in compliance with the Data Protection Act (2018).

  Personal Attributes

• An understanding of and empathy with people and their problems, together with a positive and non-judgemental attitude towards claimants.

• Able to demonstrate an ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently.

  Ability to liaise at all levels.

• Commitment to continually develop and update professional knowledge.

Evidence of a satisfactory Enhanced Certificate of Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure Barring Service (this security check is only required for some of our job roles, candidates will be advised if this is necessary when receiving a conditional job offer)

Evidence to confirm the candidate’s right to work in the UK

Receipt of two references, satisfactory to Sefton Carers Centre

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours of Work: FullTime

Web Address: https://www.sefton-carers.org.uk/index.php/latest-news/current-vacancies

Expiration Date: 17/10/2022