Home Visiting Caseworker

A caseworker role delivering advice on all advice areas and casework on Benefits and Debt/Money Advice. This role is office based, and will include visiting some clients at home across Oxfordshire. Full training can/will be offered.

Role profile

Advice and Casework:

• Provide advice covering the full range of generalist advice areas, and casework covering Benefits and Debt/Money Advice.

• Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts as appropriate and negotiate with third parties as appropriate.

• Assist clients where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning.

• Provide advice, support and assistance to other staff and volunteers across the range of advice areas.

• 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.

• Maintain case records for the purposes of continuity of casework, information retrieval, and statistical monitoring and report preparation.

• Ensure that all casework conforms to the organisations Office Manual and the Advice Quality Standard, the Financial Conduct Authority, and/or the specialist Quality Mark as appropriate.

• Make home/outreach visits as necessary.

Research & Campaigns

• Assist with research and campaigns work by completing evidence forms providing information about clients’ circumstances where their issue could be something that affects a wider group of people.

• Professional Development:

• Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to all advice areas and undertake appropriate training.

• Comply with continuous professional development as required to maintain standards and qualifications.

• Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.

• Prepare to attend supervision sessions/team meetings as appropriate.

Administration

• Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production.

• Keep up to date with policies and procedures relevant to the local office and undertake appropriate training.

• Maintain close liaison with relevant external agencies.

• Liaise with statutory and non-statutory and present the service to outside bodies as appropriate

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Effective communication skills (oral & writing) with particular emphasis on negotiating, representing and preparing reviews, reports and correspondence.

• Fully understand the issues involved in interviewing clients.

• Demonstrate an understanding of social trends and their implications for clients and the service.

• Have an ordered approach to casework and an ability and willingness to follow and develop agreed procedures. Utilising IT in the provision of advice and the preparation of reports and submissions.

• A willingness to learn and develop and reflect on practice.

• Ability and willingness to work independently and within a team.

• Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines and manage a diverse caseload.

• Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.

• Ability to set up and use systems to collect, collate and share information about service achievements and outcomes.

• Be numerate and literate to the level required by the tasks.

• Ability to sensitively empower and engage with adults who have had poor experience of formal education.

• Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the organisation's service and its equality and diversity policies.

• Hold a current full UK Driving Licence and ability to drive.

Desirable Criteria

• Recent in-depth knowledge and experience of delivering Benefits and Money Advice.

• Good working knowledge of all other advice areas.

• Experience working with volunteers