Money Advisor

The role 

Our Housing and Income teams work to reduce poverty and provide support to families affected by unemployment and welfare reform. 

As Money Advisor, you will contribute to the team by providing a work and money advice service, providing an individualised support service to our residents and their families. You will provide group based opportunities for education, training and money and employment support, successfully managing a caseload to ensure positive outcomes for individuals and families.

This role would suit someone who has a comprehensive knowledge of welfare benefits, financial inclusion and debt management as well as experience of delivering a specialised welfare and/or money advice service to vulnerable customers.  You’ll be able to build rapport quickly, extracting relevant information with a high degree of empathy, and have experience of multi-agency and partnership working. Good IT skills are a must, as is the ability to gather and interpret data for a range of purposes, presenting it in a format appropriate to the audience.

Role purpose

• To contribute to the work of the Housing and Income teams to reduce poverty and provide support to families affected by unemployment and welfare reform by providing a work and money advice service.
• Provide an individualised support service to Rooftop residents and their families.
• Provide group-based opportunities for education, training and money and employment support.
• Successfully manage a caseload to ensure positive outcomes for individuals and families.

Key responsibilities

• Produce statistical reports, case studies and data, as required, relating to the provision of the work and money advice service and bench marking it with other services as appropriate.
• Provide face to face employability support to residents referred to the service to ensure appropriate and effective activity to enter education, training or employment is undertaken by the resident according to their level of job readiness.
• Provide in depth case work to customers in debt and needing money and benefits advice.
• Collect core customer profile information on financial position, employment history and other relevant data and information on customers supported by the service.
• Identify barriers to employment and assist service users with job readiness skills, job search strategies, CV building and preparing for job interviews.
• Assess the need for assistance with financial inclusion/money advice and provide guidance, support, and appropriate interventions to improve the financial well-being of the customers supported.  
• Assess the need for assistance such as further vocational training or learning and refer service users to the appropriate services/providers.
• Receive referrals from customer-facing employees and make judgements to restrict case work to a manageable level, providing targeted information and support where appropriate.
• Collect job market information for residents regarding job openings, entry and skills requirements and other occupational information which will assist residents in seeking employment.
• Keep up to date with legislation and best practice on employment advice, welfare benefits and financial inclusion. 
• Publicise to customers information and guidance on changes in welfare benefits and employment support.
• Provide advice to colleagues in new initiatives and welfare reform and other changes in legislation that affect supported customers.
• Identify gaps in service provision and assist with supporting advice to our customers.
• Maintain and develop relationships with key partners such as Job Centre Plus, Citizen’s Advice Bureau and local training and employment providers and other agencies involved in providing employment support and money advice.  
• Ensure positive working relationships are maintained to enable customers to take advantage of these services, including liaising with local, statutory, and voluntary agencies and community groups.
• Maintain IT files and resident records to a required quality standard to ensure the resident’s money advice/employment/training journey is documented for reporting purposes.
• Participate in the creation, development and revision of policies, procedures, and service level agreements in respect of work and money advice services.
• Adhere to customer service standards so that all residents are provided with the same high standard of service that maximises their chances of securing sustainable employment and improved finances.

Essential

• Delivering a specialised welfare and/or money advice service to vulnerable customers.
• Gathering and interpreting data for a range of purposes, presenting it in a format appropriate to the audience. Multi-agency and partnership working,
• Comprehensive knowledge of welfare benefits, financial inclusion, and debt management.
• Ability to build rapport quickly and extract relevant information, with a high degree of empathy.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with key partners.
• Customer focussed, externally and internally.
• IT literate – Microsoft Office software 

Other details

• 37 hours, Monday to Friday.
• Evesham based with travel to or work at our other offices, services, schemes, projects, housing, or development locations as dictated by the role. 
• The work can be carried out between 8.00am and 6.30pm with line manager agreement and in accordance with role responsibilities and business need.  
• £31,754 per annum
• Agile working applies to this role. Required to work in the office a minimum of 3 days per week. 

• 25 days each year plus 8 bank holidays.
• 1 additional concessionary day (normally the day after Boxing Day). 
• One extra day will be added for each full holiday year of service up to 5 additional days. 
• SHPS CARE pension scheme.  Matching employer contribution up to 9%.  
• Next of kin or nominated person to receive a financial sum of three times annual salary, upon death in service. 

• Group funded health cash plan, which includes a range of treatments. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides 24-hour free confidential phone helpline for employees and families at the same address.
• Free confidential telephone counselling service with up to 8 free confidential face to face counselling sessions. 
• Annual performance award for exceptional contribution. Awards are 2%, 5% or 10% of salary. 
• Most locations have on-site parking or allocation parking nearby. 

• Annual professional membership fee paid if relevant and required for the role. 
• Sick pay from day one of employment. Level of entitlement is based on service. 
• Much more benefits available on request.