At a Glance
- Tasks: Support households with complex financial needs and help them achieve better outcomes.
- Company: Solihull Council, dedicated to improving community welfare.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with potential for extension and impactful community engagement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives by alleviating financial hardship.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and experience in financial support or casework.
Rate: £16.90 per hour PAYE
Location: Hybrid, Solihull
Contract: 3 months
Working hours: M-F
Opus People Solutions are recruiting on behalf of Solihull Council for a Financial Inclusion Officer for a 3 month contract with possible extension. The role is demanding as it will involve working in a target-driven environment, managing a caseload and working with households with a wide range, sometimes complex needs. On a rota basis, the role will be office based with supervisory duties.
Purpose of the Role:
The role is of a case worker to support and facilitate households with complex and complicated financial needs with the aim of enabling residents to:
- alleviate unnecessary financial hardship
- sustain affordable housing
- maximise household income
- obtain debt and budgeting advice
A key part of the role will be linking into benefit services. The post holder will need excellent communication skills to engage with and offer support, information, advice and guidance to individuals, households or groups in Solihull with the aim of achieving better outcomes for the individual or household.
Responsibilities will include:
- To identify clients from individuals, households or groups who may require financial support.
- Work with clients including those from vulnerable groups; in a non-judgemental way, empowering them to identify, understand and address changes to the benefit system.
- To make recommendations on any hardship grants, awards or payments including Community Care Grants, Crisis Awards, Section 17 Payments, DHPs.
- To be aware of and keep up to date with the wide range of services provided by Income & Awards and partners.
- Support clients to enable them to have full access to a range of benefits, services and actions to help alleviate any undue hardship, removing possible barriers to change and reducing any potential risk of homelessness.
- Engage with partner services as required including: Citizens Advice Bureau, Money & Debt Advice, Welfare Advice, Employment Support, Volunteering and Skill building, Children & Family Support, Adult Social Care, other council services, Financial Inclusion initiatives, social housing providers and private landlords.
- To promote a strong customer focused performance.
- Provide impartial, high quality and relevant advice or links on a range of other services that could assist the wider household or group.
- Support clients through key transitions, budgeting, debt advice, financial literacy/awareness, housing options and other whole household support.
- To help clients maximise their income through increased benefit take up, charitable funding, grants or reduction of expenditure.
- To assist where relevant to ensure Discretionary Housing Payments are in place with a dedicated exit strategy for each household.
- To work closely with other service providers to ensure that where individual needs are complex, appropriate support is identified and accessed.
- Encourage and support clients to find their own long-term solution.
- Produce a needs assessment and action plan for clients at various levels of self-supporting actions.
- To manage varying size and complexity in caseload in a target-driven environment.
- To initiate and maintain systems to help monitor client caseload, output and outcomes for individuals and households.
- Collect and monitor outcomes and supply performance data to support the senior officer to inform other parties, including colleagues, individuals and members.
- To participate in workshops, informal group discussions and presentations to a range of audiences with a diverse range of needs.
- To actively participate in any identified induction, ongoing training and networking, to contribute to training events as required, exchange information and share good practice.
For more information or to process your application, please apply now!
If successful, candidates will be required to provide information to support the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's commitment to the prevention and detection of fraud. This information will be processed by the Council's Internal Audit Services and may be shared with the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) for data matching.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Financial Inclusion Officer in Solihull
✨Join Financial Networking Events
Jump into local finance meetups and conferences — they’re a goldmine for temporary roles in banking and financial services. You can chat with industry professionals and even get leads on upcoming opportunities that might not be posted online yet.
✨Utilise Temp Agencies Specialised in Finance
Reach out to temp agencies that focus on the banking sector. They often have strong ties with various firms and can help you secure short-term gigs that can help beef up your CV and get your foot in the door at firms like Opus People Solutions Ltd.
✨Connect with Alumni from Your Uni
Don't underestimate the power of your university’s alumni network. Many former students are working in banking and can help you find temporary roles or even offer mentorship. Reach out directly or attend alumni events to broaden your circle.
✨Stay Active on Job Boards and Company Websites
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards specifically for finance roles. Companies like Opus People Solutions Ltd might post temporary positions directly on their sites, so make sure to apply there too. Set alerts to catch those roles the moment they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Financial Inclusion Officer in Solihull
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Academic Achievements:In banking and financial services, your academic record can really make you stand out. List relevant grades, certifications, or coursework on your CV, especially if you've taken finance-related modules. This is particularly important for a temporary role where qualifications can help you shine even brighter!
Highlight Relevant Experience:If you’ve done any internships, part-time roles, or even coursework that aligns with banking or finance, make sure you include those! Showcase specific tasks where you used quantitative skills or analytical thinking, as this is what the hiring managers at Opus People Solutions Ltd will be keen to see in your application.
Tailor Your Cover Letter Purposefully:When writing your cover letter, focus on why you’re interested in a temporary position at Opus People Solutions Ltd. Let them know how you can quickly adapt to the team's needs and how eager you are to learn the ropes of the banking sector during this short stint. Your motivation and enthusiasm could really set you apart!
Be Prepared with References:For temporary roles, references can play a crucial role in your application. Make sure you’ve got a couple of references lined up who can vouch for your skills and work ethic. This helps to give Opus People Solutions Ltd confidence in your short-term commitment to the role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Opus People Solutions Ltd
✨Brush Up on Financial Regulations
Since this is a role in banking and financial services, be ready to discuss key regulations like MiFID, Basel III, or GDPR. These are hot topics, and your awareness of how they impact daily operations can give you a significant edge during your interview with Opus People Solutions Ltd.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare for interview questions that assess your analytical abilities. You might need to tackle hypothetical scenarios involving risk assessment or financial forecasting. Bringing examples of relevant projects or coursework can emphasise your practical understanding of these concepts.
✨Highlight Flexibility and Adaptability
For a temporary role, showing that you can quickly pick up new processes and tools is crucial. Be ready to discuss previous experiences where you had to adapt to changing requirements or tight deadlines, as this will reassure Opus People Solutions Ltd that you’re a reliable team player.
✨Demonstrate a Willingness to Learn
In a temporary position, leaning into your eagerness to learn can really set you apart. Be prepared to share how you’re staying updated on industry trends or any additional training you've pursued. Employers appreciate candidates who are proactive about their development—even for short-term roles.
