Functional Specialist - Northern Ireland in Belfast

Discover a new kind of career in healthcare as a functional specialist. Working in healthcare, and looking for a change? If you’re a nurse (RMN, RNLD, RGN), occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paramedic, you could use your skills in a different way as a functional specialist. At Capita Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS), we provide unbiased, comprehensive assessments for claimants of the Government’s disability allowance (Personal Independence Payment), over the phone, on a video call or in-person, either at one of our assessment centres or in claimants’ homes.

Our functional specialists write reports which help the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) make important decisions about a person’s health and care. This role offers you the chance to not only improve your assessment skills, but also to use your knowledge and experience to make important clinical recommendations. We’re looking for people with the compassion and experience to understand our claimants’ health conditions/disabilities and how they impact their lives.

This role is different from other healthcare professions, and that’s why we take your training and development seriously. You’ll receive comprehensive training with time set aside for self-development learning. If you’re looking for a change, including more regular working hours, a competitive salary and are ready to expand your skills and experience, this could be the role for you.

• Conducting initial reviews, paper-based, face-to-face, video or telephone assessments to evaluate how a claimant’s health condition or disability affects their day-to-day life.
• Observing and reporting on an individual’s ability to carry out activities.
• Analysing and interpreting clinical information and supporting evidence.
• Creating one comprehensive 3,000-4,000-word report of the evidence gathered for each claimant, up to a maximum of 3 per day.
• Ensuring enough detail, evidence and justification are given to support the DWP in making decisions.
• Developing your clinical knowledge and learning about the health conditions which are less familiar to you.

This is a hybrid role with expectation that you will be based at home and assigned to work from your nearest assessment centre on a rota basis to deliver face-to-face assessments.

• One year's post-registration experience as a nurse (RMN, RNLD, RGN), occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paramedic.
• Fully registered with a relevant UK regulatory body (NMC, HCPC or other), without restriction or conditions and with a valid PIN.
• Excellent observational and communication skills, giving you the ability to listen, empathise and dig deeper.
• The ability to work quickly, producing reports in a timely manner and hitting targets.
• Solid experience with using IT and Microsoft Office, as well as remotely accessing systems.
• A current valid driving licence or access to a form of transport to attend your nearest assessment centre.

Successful candidates will be required to successfully complete government baseline personnel security standard vetting. This is the recognised standard for the pre-employment screening of individuals with access to government asset.

You’ll be contracted to work 7.5 hours per day, 37.5 hours per week (full time), you’ll be able to agree your actual working hours with your line manager after training. Working patterns will be between the hours of 8am and 8pm.

Capita was awarded two contracts to deliver the Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) assessments in the Midlands and Wales for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and in Northern Ireland for the Department for Communities (DfC). HAAS is a new service that will bring together existing assessment services, for disabled people and people with health conditions, under a single provider in each geographical region. This will make accessing support simpler and easier for some of society’s most vulnerable people.

Capita will deliver assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC), as well as a number of specialist benefits including Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Veterans UK assessments. Capita has been delivering PIP assessments in the Midlands and Wales since 2013, and in Northern Ireland since 2016.

• A competitive starting salary of £39,500, increasing to £40,500 on achieving DfC approval.
• After approval you will be eligible for a discretionary bonus of 10% of base salary, subject to quality and performance.
• 25 days’ holiday (rising to 27 after 5 years) with the opportunity to buy extra leave.
• Annual professional registration fee reimbursed and supported revalidation.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice.
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks... and plenty more.
• Opportunity to purchase discounted benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology.
• Refer a friend reward scheme.
• Access to the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
• Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform.

You’ll get the chance to follow your chosen career path anywhere in Capita. You’ll be joining a network of experienced, innovative and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do just that. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.

Choose ‘I'm Interested’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. As a Disability Confident Leader, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. For further information or to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need, please contact us on haasrecruitment@capita.com or 0300 303 8544.