Information and Support Officer (12-months Maternity Cover)

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.

1. Educated to A level standard or equivalent experience in a similar role is preferred, however no one specific qualification is required. 
2. 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. 
3. An understanding of the challenges facing people with a long-term health conditions, physical impairments or disabilities, such as M.E. 
4. Demonstrable experience of working in a person-centred, needs-led way. 
5. Experience identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns, working strictly within organisational policies and procedures. 
6. Experience of working with people in distress, including people who disclose suicidal thoughts. 
7. Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly, systematically and with nuance, both verbally and in writing. 
8. 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. 
9. Strong team player and also able to work on own initiative; ability to work remotely while building strong relationships with your manager and peers. 
10. Ability to analyse complex situations, identify options available to clients and signpost appropriately. 
11. 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.