Money Advice Specialist

We offer a competitive salary of £35,800 pro rata based on 14 hours per week, 32 days annual leave plus bank holidays - pro rata. Opportunity to further increase annual leave with service or through the holiday purchase scheme. Immediate entry to our Pension scheme (matched contributions up to 10%). A great flexible working environment, with a range of family-friendly policies. Simply Health cash plan with financial benefits and the option to extend to your family. Cover includes dental, optical, physiotherapy, 24HR private GP access and much more. Paid leave for absence including sickness, maternity, paternity, and adoption leave. Access of up to £150 annually through the ‘Learning for life’ scheme. Access to a wide range of discounts and cash back offers, ranging from retail and automotive to holidays and cycle to work scheme. Develop your career with support and access to training and qualifications.

This role is offered on an initial 12-month fixed-term contract, linked to the flexible working arrangement of another colleague. The arrangement will be subject to review after 12 weeks and thereafter on an annual basis. The two working days per week will fall between Monday and Thursday, with specific days to be discussed and agreed upon during the interview process, based on mutual preference. One of these days will need to be in the Brunswick Office. Suitable candidates will also have a full UK driving licence and access to their own car as mobile working will form part of this job.

Purpose of role: To provide financial inclusion and welfare advice to customers to help maximise their income and support debt collection rates.

Responsibilities

• Referrals: Manage financial inclusion referrals, including visiting customers at their homes and on site, recording and measuring the outcomes.
• Benefits and Debt Advice: Support customers to maximise their income by assisting with benefit applications, and help customers to complete mandatory reconsiderations and appeals when necessary.
• Customer Advocacy: Act as customer advocates, including supporting and representing customers at assessment and tribunal hearings.
• Partnership Working: Work alongside external partner organisations to ensure that customers have access to all available support and advice to bring about financially sustainable tenancies. Be the organisation and customer contact with DWP, supporting customers through their Universal Credit claim. Work closely with the neighbourhood team to ensure that local income, poverty and deprivation issues are addressed.
• Campaigns: Contribute to internal and external publicity and communication campaigns in our neighbourhoods relating to money advice. Assist by proactively participating in the organisation’s response to welfare reform.
• Training: Deliver training for colleagues in the Income team and the wider business on matters concerning financial inclusion as and when required.

Essential Skills, knowledge and experience required:

• Knowledge and awareness of related housing regulations/law knowledge of welfare benefits.
• A good understanding of the current welfare reform programme.
• Experience of developing partnership working with support agencies, local authorities and community groups.
• Good understanding of the social, economic and political context in the neighbourhoods in which we operate.
• An understanding of the County Court rules and procedures, and relevant Government legislation, for dealing with debt.
• IT skills – Microsoft Office to intermediate level.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in a financial inclusion role.
• Some experience of debt management procedures.

Qualifications

• Essential: Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent qualification/experience.
• Desirable: Relevant professional financial inclusion qualification, e.g. CIH.

About Onward: Onward Homes is one of the largest registered providers of social housing in the Northwest, with 35,000 properties across 52 neighbourhoods across the region. We believe that everyone deserves a place to call their own, which is why we’re committed to building 500 new homes each year. We do more than just provide a roof over our customers’ heads; we’re here to make a real difference. In addition to creating positive spaces for our customers, we continuously strive to create a positive and progressive workspace to enable our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We embrace diversity and strive for diverse teams to create an inclusive culture which enables Onward to thrive and be representative of the communities that we serve. We want to ensure that everybody has an opportunity to be part of our recruitment processes and will therefore make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to assist you with our recruitment process via the email address below.

If candidates have any questions in relation to the role at any stage of the recruitment and selection process they can contact the HR team on HumanResourcesTeam@onward.co.uk and a member of the HR Team will be in touch.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early prior to the closing date.