Head Of Casework Jobs in Bristol
About The Role
Do you have experience in advisory, information, advocacy or guidance role supporting local communities?
Are you looking to take your career to the next level with one of the country’s largest charity?
We want to hear from you!
We have an exciting opportunity for a Case Officer to manage casework support, providing direct support, advice and guidance to beneficiaries on a varied aspects such as general health, social care employment, benefits, statutory support and housing.
In your role, you will assess beneficiaries’ needs and draw on support from the regional specialist team and other providers as necessary, ensuring that support is made available in an integrated way that best meets the beneficiaries’ needs. You will develop creative solutions in response to identified beneficiary needs, drawing on inputs from volunteers and Legion members / branches.
In addition, you will:
- Develop and maintain a thorough and detailed understanding of direct Legion support services and support services provided by others (both statutory and non-statutory).
- Support the Casework Services Manager and Head of Welfare in better understanding the needs of the beneficiaries in the Area to inform the commissioning of specialist services.
- Advise beneficiaries of support which may be available to them and assist them in accessing this support as necessary.
- Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the statutory benefits
- Develop and take advantage of opportunities to reach beneficiaries in communities within the area, forging links and contacts with local organisations.
The role is primarily homebased with occasional requirement to travel across Cumbria and Lancashire, and at times further afield, depending on beneficiaries’ needs, training and meeting purposes.
Driving licence is essential requirement for this role.
RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics and aim to operate an inclusive recruitment process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This is a very exciting time to join our expanding Visiting Caseworker Service. We are seeking two new colleagues, who will join our current team of two caseworkers covering the UK and Ireland. These newly created positions will be regionally based, one covering South West England & South Wales, and the other North West England & North Wales (with other travel across the UK on occasion).
Visiting Caseworkers each deal with an approximate caseload of 70-100 cases / visits per year. Central to the role will be supporting and advocating on behalf of vulnerable applicants, or those who are living in particularly complex or challenging situations. The job will be wide-ranging and include elements of advocacy, support, income maximisation, mediation, partnership working and processing our own grants where appropriate, with the overall aim to reach long-term sustainable solutions for Anglican clergy households.
Working closely with the Visiting Caseworker Manager and the wider Charitable Services team, key responsibilities will include:
Receive referrals from applicants via the Grants & Services team, for potential casework and home visits
- Assess and prioritise urgent cases on a weekly basis.
Conduct home visit (or online meeting)
- Provide thorough assessment of current situation, taking into consideration time available and wellbeing of the applicant.
- Conduct general income maximisation check (welfare benefits, grants check etc), where necessary.
- Identify, discuss and escalate (to Designated Safeguarding Officer) any safeguarding concerns within the household.
- Gather information in order to create individualised action plans with the primary contact and other household members.
• Assess and prioritise urgent actions during the meeting.
Develop an action plan
- Complete a written summary of the meeting and draft an action plan for possible areas of help and support with allocated responsibilities and agreed timelines.
- Prioritise urgent actions and agree responsibility for each action with applicant.
- Liaise with other agencies (e.g., DWP, Social Services, NHS, other charities, voluntary organisations, occupational benevolent funds, Dioceses, CofE Pensions Board etc.) where necessary.
- Refer to our own partnership support services if appropriate for help and support.
- Research and identify any local organisations for longer-term support.
- Consider and recommend most appropriate grant support through our own internal grants programme.
- Advocate on behalf of the applicant (e.g., complete internal and external applications, liaise with other external agencies, members of the Church where necessary).
- Act as third party for complaints, mediation or appeal hearings with applicants, either in person, online, or helping prepare a written submission.
- Keep accurate and objective notes and communications within our CRM system and ensure this is kept up to date on a daily basis.
Follow-up
- Manage and update action plans, while keeping in contact with applicant on a regular basis.
- Encourage and empower applicants to complete their actions and know when to step in, as and when necessary.
- Only in exceptional circumstances, consider a further home visit, if deemed appropriate
Other reasonable duties and projects commensurate with the post
- Support and work closely with other VC colleagues sharing areas of expertise.
- In particularly busy times, act as an overflow for grant applications, to support colleagues in the Charitable Services Team.
These additional roles offer a unique opportunity for dynamic, solution-focused, empathetic, casework professionals, in a small, dynamic-charity, ready to embark on its next three-year strategy (2025-28).
To be considered for this position with great scope for growth and development potential, applicants should demonstrate:
- Significant experience of working within a charity / not-for-profit or grant making trust, supporting individuals and families with complex health and care needs, elderly, or vulnerable applicants, face-to-face, online and over the phone.
- Significant knowledge and experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Welfare benefits and submitting appeals or complaints.
- Mental health support
- SEN education advice including SEN support, EHCPs and SENDIST tribunals.
- Local authority and other statutory support such as Social Service Assessments and services, complaints, DFG entitlements.
- NHS services, continuing health care either for children or adults.
- Experience of working alongside and liaising with external agencies and organisations
- Excellent problem solving, prioritisation and influencing skills with a belief of empowering individuals
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding, knowing when to escalate concerns.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and high levels of attention to detail
- Willingness to work alone, with the support of line manager, and colleagues in the Charitable Services team.
If you are looking for an environment where you will be nurtured through our strong commitment to staff development (alongside an excellent package of benefits including generous annual leave including your birthday off), then we’d love to hear from you.
For this role, the post holder will be home-based, visiting households within a dedicated region, and on occasion, across the UK (travel expenses covered). Applicants should be car owners (with a full, clean driving licence and business use insurance cover) and/or located within easy reach of a main line railway station. Use of a dedicated home office will also be required.
Some travel to our London office will be required, in line with business need; this is likely to involve up to 20 office visits per annum (reasonable expenses covered), details of which will be discussed with candidates at interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Organisation
Founded in 1951, the Refugee Council exists to support people who come to the UK in need of safety and speak out for compassion, fairness and kindness. We achieve this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of refugee community organisations, and working with allies across society to change government policy.
Our vision for refugees to be welcome to live safe and fulfilling lives contributing to the UK has never been more urgent and needed. Today 27 million refugees and 84 million displaced people around the world need of safety, dignity and welcome. We are determined to secure public and government support for safe routes for all people seeking safety, and a fair, effective and compassionate refugee protection system.
Business Development at Refugee Council
The Refugee Council is a leading UK organisation working with people seeking asylum and refugees to enable them to live with safety, dignity and to rebuild their lives. Our operational teams are based across England providing advice and specialist support to people on issues that impact their refugee protection journey: navigating the complex asylum system; addressing homelessness and poverty; accessing health care, education, and employment.
We operate four main service departments, Resettlement, Asylum, Integration & Employment and Children’s (IUSS & Youth Development). We also have a smaller Practice Development team supporting Refugee Community Organisations and frontline practitioners to develop their skills and capacity to meet the needs of people seeking asylum and refugees. Our Business Development team also sits within our services directorate, with close working with our Fundraising and External Affairs team.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The Business Development Manager (Interim) is a pivotal role supporting our services to provide high quality, sustainable support with people seeking asylum and refugees. It plays an essential role to support our operational managers and working with people with lived experience of the refugee protection system to co-design their service models, and secure support for them from statutory commissioners. It is also a key partner for fundraising and communications colleagues, finance and operational colleagues to ensure that the systems needed to mobilise, develop, and sustain our services are fit for purpose.
- Lead bid teams developing complex six and seven figure statutory bids and proposals for single entity and consortium/partnership proposal at regional and national level.
- Lead on design of key service models as directed by Head of Business Development, to develop viable new service models, that prioritise quality, impact and sustainability, and highlight potential contractual or financial risks by working with the Head of Business Development, Service Managers and Finance colleagues.
For more information about this role, please view the job description on our website.
To apply, please complete the application form on our website via the apply button.
Closing date: 11th August 2024.
Interviews scheduled for 20th August 2024.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
We are looking for 2 part time Information & Advocacy Community Support Workers in Scotland, one based in North Scotland (Inverness area due to travel requirements and location of NHS services) and one based in Central Scotland.
You will ensure that service users (children and adults) and their families, receive high quality support, from the point of diagnosis and throughout their journey, and will assist them to access funding, equipment and care and support that they are entitled to. You will join a team that makes a real difference to the lives of the people living with muscle-wasting conditions, and their families, in Scotland. The role will be primarily home based, but there will also be a requirement to attend outpatient clinics within the region, attend home visits where appropriate and to support responding to queries through the helpline and information inbox. Some travel will be required to attend meetings and events outside of Scotland. You will work with both statutory and voluntary organisations, clinicians, and health and social care professionals to ensure that people living with muscle wasting conditions get the care and support they need to live well and independently.
Please download the job description to see full role responsibilities.
About us:
Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) is the charity for the 110,000 people living with muscle-wasting conditions in the UK. We bring together people affected by more than 60 rare and very rare progressive muscle-weakening and wasting conditions. We provide vital information, advice, resources and support for people with these conditions, their families and the professionals who work with them. Our care, information and advocacy service coordinate our support for families, providing advice and practical support to enable individuals to access the services, benefits and equipment they are entitled to. As part of our support, we also connect individuals with others affected by these rare conditions through our peer support networks.
Benefits:
We appreciate the range of skills and experience our staff have to offer. In return for your enthusiasm and commitment we commit to actively developing and supporting you. We also offer a range of benefits including pension, life assurance, cycle scheme, health cash plan, financial wellbeing and an employee assistance programme.
Location: Home based in Scotland.
Please note: you will need your own car and be able to drive for these roles.
*Unfortunately, due to resource capacity, we will only contact candidates that are shortlisted for interview. Therefore if you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of the closing date please note your application has been unsuccessful.
**Interviews are likely to be held week commencing 12 August via Microsoft Teams.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is a long-term (chronic), fluctuating, neurological disease that causes symptoms affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems. M.E. affects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK, and around 17 million people worldwide.
Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support to children and adults with M.E. We provide vital support services, campaign for change and invest in ground-breaking research to help put an end to the ignorance, injustice and neglect experienced by people with M.E.
We are looking for an empathic and resilient individual to join a friendly and well-established team of part-time, remote-based Information and Support Officers, on a 12-month contract. The purpose of this role is to provide a holistic, client-centred, effective and efficient Information and Support Service to people affected by M.E. We do this primarily via outgoing calls made in response to triaged voicemail messages, and also via email.
You can choose to be home-based anywhere in the UK, work from our Bristol office, or a hybrid of the two.
Our Information and Support Service team has a deep understanding of the issues affecting people with M.E. and their family and carers. Some of our clients come to us in considerable distress so this work isn’t always easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding and is valued by our clients and the wider organisation.
You will need experience of working in a service providing information, advice, support or advocacy by telephone and email (or proven transferable skills). You will be experienced and confident at working with people in distress, and identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns, with the courage and emotional resilience to set and maintain realistic boundaries.
You can expect a warm welcome, daily huddles with your line-manager and peers, and a strong team culture of collaboration, self-care and peer support. Our Employee Assistance Programme, available to all staff and their immediate families, includes one-to-one counselling and a range of online support and toolkits.
Duties for the role include (this list is not exhaustive, please refer to the Information and Support Officer Recruitment Pack, which you can find below):
- Offering emotional support via active, empathic listening, including to people in significant distress.
- Setting and maintaining boundaries; managing clients’ expectations and ensuring commitments to them are met.
- Helping clients unpick a situation which seems overwhelming and break down complex situations into discrete issues which can then be progressed.
- Working with the client to understand their needs and wishes, empowering them to make informed choices and to take action to achieve their self-identified goals.
- Providing information and support on a wide range of issues, including on sensitive and confidential matters, in a way that is tailored and appropriate to the individual.
- Identifying safeguarding concerns as they arise from contact with clients and escalating these to a manager, in line with our organisational Safeguarding Policies.
- Making safeguarding referrals where directed to by the Information and Support Supervisor or other manager.
- Gathering outcomes and satisfaction data from clients to enable service evaluation and improvement.
All the following person specification criteria are essential unless otherwise stated.
- Educated to A level standard or equivalent experience in a similar role is preferred, however no one specific qualification is required.
- Experience working on a helpline as part of an information, support, navigator or advocacy service, supporting clients to identify options and services available to them.
- An understanding of the challenges facing people with a long-term health conditions, physical impairments or disabilities, such as M.E.
- Demonstrable experience of working in a person-centred, needs-led way.
- Experience identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns, working strictly within organisational policies and procedures.
- Experience of working with people in distress, including people who disclose suicidal thoughts.
- Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly, systematically and with nuance, both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to demonstrate empathy while setting boundaries; emotionally resilient and resourceful, with ability to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances to maintain your wellbeing.
- Strong team player and also able to work on own initiative; ability to work remotely while building strong relationships with your manager and peers.
- Ability to analyse complex situations, identify options available to clients and signpost appropriately.
- MS Office skills including Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel, and proficiency with web-related programmes and software.
Please note that an enhanced DBS check will be sought for the successful candidate.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.