Housing & Welfare Benefits Advisor/Senior Advisor

Main Roles

• To provide specialist legal advice and information on housing, welfare benefits, debt, and other issues as required by the service.
• To help improve the situation of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through participating in policy work, campaign and developing networks and partnerships.
• To help improve LRMN’s delivery of legal advice and information service.

Specific Duties

• Act for clients where necessary by completing forms, calculating repayments, negotiating and/or advocating on behalf of clients, drafting or writing letters, advising on and preparing appeals and dealing with telephone calls and emails as required
• Maintain accurate and orderly client records
• Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate
• Challenge/support with challenging decisions such as S.21 or homelessness (Senior Advisor)
• Represent clients at tribunals when necessary (Senior Advisor)
• Check whether clients are in receipt of all the benefits they are entitled to, and help them claim any relevant benefits that they haven’t claimed yet, or obtain increases if their benefits are not paid at the correct rate
• Support clients understand benefit decisions, and challenge them (where appropriate) by way of mandatory reconsiderations and appeals
• Actively update legal knowledge on housing, welfare benefits, debt and other related areas of law
• Develop partnerships and attend advice related networking meetings
• Contribute and participate in policy work beneficial to our clients
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of external agencies and changes in legislation, policies and practices and adapt and share this information as appropriate
• Adhere to LRMN’s casework management systems and procedures
• Implement corrective actions in a timely manner, particularly where these issues are identified through file reviews
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to the team’s development
• Ensure that people accessing the service feel welcomed, valued and understood

Other Duties

• To participate in LRMN staff meetings, maintaining a high level of professionalism and contributing skills and knowledge towards best practice for the organisation.
• To attend supervision, performance review meetings and other relevant activities.
• To be administratively self-servicing.
• Work flexibly as agreed to meet the demands of the service – this may involve evening, weekend and outreach work.
• Maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to the work of the organisation.
• Comply with LRMN’s vision, mission, policies and procedures.
• Positively promote LRMN and its work.
• Undertake any other work as may be reasonably requested.

Personal Specification

Essential

• Minimum of 1 year (Advisor) or 2 years (Senior Advisor) of full-time experience of providing 1-1 specialist legal advice and information on housing and welfare benefits.
• Experience of working to strict deadlines and managing a heavy caseload.
• Experience of supporting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
• Knowledge/ experience of working in the not-for-profit sector.
• Understanding of key recent and upcoming changes on housing, benefits and other relevant legislations and the effects of these on our clients.
• Ability to work under pressure, to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Professional written advocacy skills within a legal environment.
• Excellent record keeping both paper based and electronically.
• Proven interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with our partners and other stakeholders to improve service provision.
• Ability to manage workload, work on own initiative and undertake peer reviews.
• An understanding and sensitivity to other cultures
• Ability to use IT effectively.

Desirable

• Experience of using Advice Pro or other case management system.