Money Advice Caseworker

Homemaker Southwest provides independent advice and support to people who require help in finding, setting up or maintaining accommodation throughout Devon.

As a Money Advice Caseworker, you will be responsible for delivering high quality support services to clients across Devon, by telephone and face-to face, to sustain tenancies and prevent eviction wherever possible, with due regard to Homemaker’s policies and procedures.

You will have experience providing money advice to individuals at risk of homelessness and contemporary knowledge of debt solutions and welfare benefits.

Important qualities include strong communication skills, the ability to work independently and empower others, and the capacity to simplify complex information for clients. While most appointments will be conducted over the phone, some clients will require in-home visits, so the job demands flexibility to travel and work from different locations, necessitating the use of a personal vehicle

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Work with clients

• Ensure that clients receive a prompt and professional service.
• Provide advice and assistance through a range of channels: face-to-face, by phone, or by email. Seeing clients in office and at outreach locations and visiting clients in their own homes as required.
• Receive and respond to referrals from identified agencies in accordance with prevailing guidelines/funding.
• Provide support to clients including preparing accurate financial statements, budgeting advice, progression of debt options, advising on court proceedings for debt recovery and repossessions, and income maximisation to ensure take up of benefits and options such as backdating, overpayment and sanction challenges, appeals and representation if required.
• Keep the client at the centre of every case; check the client’s understanding and communication needs, agree on an action plan with clarity on who is doing what, encourage the client to be involved with actions as appropriate, keep the client informed of progress of case, and ensure cases are concluded in a positive way.
• Communicate and negotiate on clients’ behalf with third parties as appropriate.
• Give support in the sustainment of any tenancy, as appropriate.
• Ensure clients understand the terms of any tenancy or other legal obligation entered, or about to be entered into.
• Take a holistic approach to issues presented and signpost/refer to other services to help ensure that the advice and other support needs of the client are addressed appropriately.
• ·Ensure clients are encouraged to give feedback on the service they receive and take on any comments on ways we could improve the service.

Networking/Partnership

• Work closely with partner agencies
• Promote the services of the organisation to local housing, justice, social welfare, government agencies and other stakeholders.
• Contribute knowledge, expertise and ideas to appropriate local forums.

Administration

• Set up and maintain casework and other admin systems in accordance with organisation specifications.
• Maintain agreed monitoring and outcome information for commissioning agencies and internal management purposes.

Professional development

• Keep up to date with legislation, case law, and good practice in debt and welfare benefits advice, attending appropriate training courses, using online resources and reading relevant publications.
• Attend meetings as required by manager.
• Participate in staff development programmes, supervision and performance management meetings.

General

• Uphold the aims and principles of the organization.
• Comply with all the organisation’s published policies and procedures with attention to Health and Safety, Risk Management, Confidentiality, and Equal Opportunities.
• Comply with organisational, statutory and legislative requirements.
• Maintain regular contact with colleagues in Homemaker Southwest.
• Undertake other such duties as may be required to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.