Benefit and Debt Worker

Based: Hammersmith

Rate: GBP19 - GBP22 umb

Start Date: ASAP

Duration: Temp to Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Hybrid, 2 days home working

Our client, a specialist charity, are recruiting for a talented Benefit and Debt Worker who has a background in supporting women or children who have experienced domestic violence to make a genuine difference to the lives of survivors.

Synopsis of duties:

• Ensure effective access for service users and encourage their engagement with the service, through proactive contact and assessment for a high volume of referrals.
• Work within the team to conduct comprehensive assessments of needs and risk for survivors experiencing domestic violence, carry out risk management, safety planning and support; and identify and refer to services appropriate to their needs.
• Initiate and manage support that includes delivery of high-quality face to face or telephone/virtual information, advocacy and support.
• Provide casework covering the full range of debt specialism including calculating, advocating, and drafting and writing letters.
• Maintain project logs and collate data from the logs for Team Managers.
• Safeguard cases by referring to Social Care where appropriate and monitoring and ensuring that duty cases sent to program managers for allocation.
• Advise women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies, making referrals and co-ordinating the provision of multi-agency support where necessary, and proactively advocate to ensure barriers to accessing support and protection are minimised.
• Proactively assess the needs and safety of any children that women using the service may have, ensure that any risks/needs identified are addressed directly with the woman, and take appropriate action to safeguard them.
• Proactively assess the needs and safety of women at risk giving due regard to Adult at Risk policies and procedures.
• Work with the Manager and Data and Insights Analyst to ensure all monitoring and evaluation for the project is accurate and fully maintained, and keep managers informed of any issues and successes.
• Ensure that agreed case recording and monitoring systems are kept up to date and secure, and write internal and external reports where required, including for safeguarding conferences, team meetings, managers and others.
• At all times protect the safety and security of the service users, staff, volunteers and buildings, and the confidentiality of records and other information in line with data protection requirements.
• Be responsible for personal learning development and keep up to date on research, relevant legislation, policy and practice, and other literature relevant to the project.
• Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required and work as a member of the team to ensure effective delivery of service and individual work plans.
• Ensure the effective implementation of Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Equality and Diversity and other policies and procedures and uphold the core values of Advance.
• Work across teams and undertake such other duties, appropriate to the grade and character of the work, as may reasonably be expected.
• Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required and assist in the development of services in line with agreed development plans.

Essential Requirements

• A good understanding of violence against women and girls with a particular focus on the dynamics of domestic violence and economic abuse and its impact on women, children, families and communities.
• Solid experience of supporting women who have experienced domestic violence, forced marriage or honour-based violence.
• Experience of risk and needs assessment, safety and support planning, particularly with clients with complex/multiple needs.
• Experience of providing finance, benefits and debt advice and successfully managing high numbers of calls/caseloads.
• Enhanced Adult and Child DBS on the update service or dated within the last 12 months.