Job Description
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Macildowie are currently recruiting for a Cost of Living Advisor working for a charity based in Leicester City Centre. The role will be providing free specialist advice to clients in debt, welfare benefits and housing. You will work with clients to maximise their income, reduce their expenditure and help them manage their finances in the cost-of-living crisis. The service will be free and available to anyone who needs it with part of the service specifically targeting people aged 65 and over.
This is a contract role until January 2024 which will be extended.
The role is Monday to Friday, hybrid and has flexi hours
THE ROLE & YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Deliver advice at multiple outreach venues in Leicester, including food banks and community centres.
Provide information, advice, and support to clients via face-to-face meetings, telephone, emails and letters.
Carry out a holistic, person-centred assessment of each client's situation, undertaking casework and case advocacy as required.
Advise clients on their welfare benefit entitlements(including carrying out benefit checks) and provide assistance as necessary in completing electronic and paper application forms.
Support clients to maintain ongoing claims and online welfare benefit accounts and to challenge benefits decisions, including via mandatory reconsideration/appeal requests.
Assess money management skills and the need for help with budgeting and financial management. Provide support in switching to cheaper, more cost-effective options for routine household expenses
Provide generalist level information and advice on basic debt problems.
Make referrals either internally to the organisations other services,(or externally to relevant agencies), where clients require advice on complex welfare benefit and debt matters or in other areas of social welfare law.
Assist clients to identify and access other appropriate financial support (e.g. crisis fuel support, the Big Difference scheme, local and national charitable grants).
Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records of all client work and data using the Advice Pro case management system.
Attend and contribute to both internal and external meetings, training events, conferences etc. as required.
Develop collaborative and supportive relationships with the staff at the food banks and community venues.
Act as an ambassador for the project, contributing to activities to promote and publicise the service and encourage take up of the service.
EXPERIENCE SOUGHT IN THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent people skills and the ability to make and maintain excellent working relationships with a variety of individuals at all levels. Personable and approachable and ability to talk to and communicate with people who may be vulnerable in an empathetic and supportive manner.
Ability to manage own workload, able to keep case records, prepare reports and work under pressure to meet changing priorities, deadlines, and targets.
Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
Commitment to equal opportunities.
Flexible and reliable, a good team worker, prepared and able to work outside office hours from time to time.
Able to represent the organisation as required and demonstrate an empathy for the aims of the service.Â
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Macildowie are a recruitment business working on behalf of a client to recruit this role. Your personal data may be forwarded to that client company as part of the application process.
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Macildowie is a specialist recruitment consultancy with a rich history of enhancing the careers of professionals across the Midlands and the Northern Home Counties. We have an unrivalled understanding of the local market place and recruit for the majority of the region's premier employers. To search for all of our live jobs please visit us at macildowie.com.
