At a Glance
- Tasks: Empower residents with financial guidance and support for stable employment.
- Company: Join a caring Council dedicated to community wellbeing.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a supportive team environment.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic role with opportunities for growth and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while building your skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing caseloads and understanding financial challenges.
The predicted salary is between 27900 - 34100 £ per year.
Empower residents to overcome financial challenges and build stable, independent lives. As an Employment and Financial Support Officer, you’ll provide practical, one-to-one guidance that helps residents improve their financial wellbeing and secure lasting employment opportunities.
Working Style
You’ll be based in the Borough for 5 days a week, playing a key role in serving the local community. Whether you’re delivering face-to-face advice or working out in temporary accommodation, you’ll be part of a dedicated team making a real difference to residents’ lives.
What You’ll Be Doing
Your work will focus on providing practical, tailored support to residents navigating complex employment and financial challenges. Managing a varied caseload, you’ll offer one-to-one guidance to help individuals overcome debt, build life skills and improve their overall stability. A typical day will involve conducting detailed assessments, creating realistic action plans and carrying out income and expenditure analyses to stretch household budgets. You’ll actively support residents on their journey into work by helping with job searches, drafting CVs, completing applications and preparing for interviews, alongside guiding them through grant options, benefit cap exemptions and Discretionary Housing Payments.
Collaboration is central to this role. You’ll build strong working relationships with internal Council departments, statutory bodies and voluntary sector partners to ensure residents receive joined-up, comprehensive support. Alongside direct customer contact, you will maintain accurate database records, track resident outcomes, draft reports and monitor performance indicators to ensure every household is treated with respect and fairness.
What You’ll Bring
You’ll bring hands-on experience in managing a caseload and delivering practical support across employment, welfare benefits, personal budgeting and income maximisation. You have a deep understanding of the barriers diverse communities face when seeking work, combined with practical knowledge of benefit provisions and grant applications. With strong numerical, administrative and IT skills, you’re comfortable conducting income calculations, updating database records and writing clear, concise reports. You’re an excellent communicator – someone who can build trust, motivate residents and navigate sensitive conversations about personal finances with warmth, empathy and professionalism. Most importantly, you’re someone who takes a non-judgemental approach and stays resilient when supporting people through complex personal challenges. You know how to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams while maintaining clear professional boundaries and upholding the Council’s core values of respect, integrity and putting communities first.
Why join us
At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future. You’ll join a supportive, resident-focused team that uniquely combines employability guidance with financial resilience work, allowing you to deliver truly holistic care. We offer a competitive salary alongside ongoing professional development and training to help you expand your expertise across housing, welfare rights and community engagement. You’ll work alongside dedicated colleagues in an environment that values your ideas, promotes collaboration and empowers you to achieve real, lasting results for our residents.
About Us
Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough. As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.
In this role, bringing a ‘we’re all in’ mindset means having a practical, proactive approach whether you are in the office, working in the field or meeting residents face-to-face across the borough. Supporting households through financial hardship isn’t always smooth sailing, but every bit of effort pays off when a resident achieves financial stability or steps into meaningful employment. By delivering a compassionate, practical service, you’ll help build trust in the Council while making a genuine difference to our community every day.
Interview Details
Interviews will be held face to face at Kensington Town Hall, week commencing 7th September 2026. We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants. We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible. We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the minimum of the advertised salary range. Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost of living pay rises.
Employment and Financial Support Officer - 12 Month FTC employer: ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where community engagement and consumer protection are at the forefront. Employees benefit from a supportive culture that prioritises professional development and collaboration, ensuring that you can grow your skills while making a meaningful impact in safeguarding consumers and promoting fair trade within the borough.
Contact Details:
ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Employment and Financial Support Officer - 12 Month FTC
✨Get Involved in Local Community Projects
One of the best ways to land a temporary role in social work is to dive headfirst into local community projects. Volunteer your time or skills at local charities or community centres to not only gain experience but also to connect with professionals in the field. They might just have some insider knowledge on temporary positions that pop up!
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Join online forums and social media groups specifically for social workers. Platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn have dedicated groups where professionals share temporary job opportunities. Being an active member can help you stay in the loop and even get recommendations from those already in the field.
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✨Apply Directly Through Our Website!
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We think you need these skills to ace Employment and Financial Support Officer - 12 Month FTC
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let's highlight why you're passionate about social work and how your values align with those of ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA. Share specific experiences where you made a difference, as this field thrives on genuine motivation and connection.
Demonstrate Relevant Experience:When listing your experience, focus on any internships, volunteer roles, or temporary positions you've had in social work or related fields. Those skills are gold! Think about situations where you helped individuals or communities, and don't forget to mention any relevant certifications, like safeguarding or mental health first aid.
Keep It Concise and Relevant:Remember, for a temporary role, hiring managers want to see how you fit in and can hit the ground running. Keep your CV clear and to the point, showcasing only the experience that really matters for the role at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA. We recommend a two-page limit – make every word count!
Emphasise Flexibility and Adaptability:Considering this is a temporary position, it's vital to show you can adapt to new environments quickly. In your application, highlight any past experiences where you had to adjust to different teams or roles smoothly. This shows you understand the nature of temporary work and are ready for the challenge!
How to prepare for a job interview at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
✨Sharpen Your Empathy Skills
In social work, it's all about understanding and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. Make sure to prepare some examples from your experience where you've demonstrated empathy and resilience. Practising active listening techniques can help you articulate your approach during the interview with ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA.
✨Know Your Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with key social work theories and frameworks, like the ecological systems theory or person-centred approaches. These concepts might pop up during your interview for the temporary Employment and Financial Support Officer - 12 Month FTC role at ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA, so it's good to have a couple of insights ready to share.
✨Highlight Flexibility and Adaptability
Since this is a temporary position, showcasing your flexibility is key. Be prepared to discuss past experiences where you quickly adapted to new environments or changing client needs, which is crucial in the dynamic world of social work.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions that test your decision-making skills and ethical judgement. Think about how you would handle specific challenges you might face in the field. Having a clear structure for your answers will show ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA that you can think critically and act effectively under pressure.
