At a Glance
- Tasks: Provide holistic advice on welfare benefits and help clients maximise their income.
- Company: Join a supportive team dedicated to empowering the community through expert advice.
- Benefits: Continuous training, friendly environment, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Flexible team environment with a commitment to equal opportunities and community support.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your skills in a meaningful role.
- Qualifications: Understanding of welfare benefits or transferable skills; empathy and resilience are key.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Purpose of Role
To provide holistic advice on a range of welfare benefits issues.
To offer clients advice and information to maximise their income and to ensure they are receiving the correct entitlements.
This will include conducting full benefit checks, better off calculations, assisting clients with revision, supersessions and appeals of benefit decisions and also helping clients to navigate their benefit claims.
The role will also require advice on all areas of entitlements for clients such as energy, charitable applications or assistance with health costs.
The role requires someone with experience or understanding of the benefits system, ideally in the provision of advice, information and representation.
Someone who can evidence similar transferable skills in another setting may also be considered.
This role suits a resilient and empathetic person who can work under pressure but enjoys the challenges of advice delivery and can work in a non-judgemental, impartial, confidential manner.
The role offers a supportive and friendly environment where we work to provide our community with advice, information and options to allow informed choices.
It also provides opportunities for continuous development and training.
- Key Work Areas and Tasks
- Advice Giving
- Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate benefits.
- Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts as appropriate.
- Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate.
- Provide advice and assistance to other staff across the whole range of issues.
- Maintain case records for continuity of casework, information retrieval and statistical monitoring and report preparation.
- Ensure work conforms to the bureau's systems and procedures.
- Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non‑statutory bodies as appropriate.
- Ensure work conforms to the bureau's Quality Standards at the appropriate level.
- Social Policy
- Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients' circumstances through the appropriate channel.
- Alert clients to social policy options.
- Professional Development
- Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.
- Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
- Prepare for and attend supervision sessions, team meetings and staff meetings as appropriate.
- Administration
- Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production.
- Ensure that all work conforms to the bureau's systems and procedures.
- Other Duties and Responsibilities
- Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
- Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the CAB service.
- Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
Person Specification
- Evidenced understanding of welfare benefits and advice provision, or comparable transferable skills.
- Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of the CAB service and its equal opportunities policies.
- Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively, and willingness to challenge constructively.
- Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.
- High level of written and oral communication skills.
- Understanding of the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision.
- Ability to use IT in the provision of advice.
- Flexibility and willingness to work as part of a team.
- Willingness to learn and develop skills in advice topics.
- Willingness to train other staff or volunteers and provide second tier advice.
- Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information.
- Numeracy skills required to understand statistics and check calculations.
- Understanding of and respect for the volunteer‑led ethos of CAB and ability to reflect this in day‑to‑day work.
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Contact Details:
Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Welfare Rights Officer in Inverness
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Welfare Rights Officer in Inverness
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
