Financial Support Officer

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a temporary Financial Support Officer to join our friendly Rents Team and you might be exactly who we’re looking for!
The role - Ref: 24/236
FINANCIAL SUPPORT OFFICER
PERMANENT
37 HOURS PER WEEK
SCALE 5b – (£27,803 - £29,269 per annum)
The successful applicant will be responsible for providing assistance to those clients identified as requiring additional support in order to sustain their tenancies. You will work with colleagues in delivering a focused financial inclusion service to customers with a view to maximising income and tenancy sustainment.
You will possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to effectively engage with a wide range of people. Knowledge of housing benefit, other welfare benefits and welfare reform changes are essential to this role. The successful applicant will have experience of supporting vulnerable individuals with a range of social and housing needs. You must possess a minimum of 3 GCSE’s or equivalent to include Maths and English.
Any offer of appointment will be subject to satisfactory clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (formerly known as a CRB check).
If you have a strong customer focus and want to join an ambitious, growing organisation, we will help you to develop skills and achieve your own personal goals.
About Blackpool Coastal Housing
Blackpool Coastal Housing was set up by Blackpool Council in 2007 to manage their housing stock of almost 5,000 properties. Our goal is to create an organisation that delivers quality services, first time, every time, within a culture that puts people at the heart of everything we do.
Our services include an Operations Service providing responsive repairs to our valued tenants, empty homes management and refurbishment/capital works across Blackpool. Supported Housing; including supported living in Sheltered Schemes, Young People’s Resettlement Schemes including Care Leavers and Emergency Housing for those that find themselves homeless. Our Care and Repair Service allows Blackpool residents to remain in their own homes through the Adaptations team providing the necessary aids/adaptations for this to be achieved. The More Positive Together (MPT) and MPT Steps Programmes help provide support to local residents in accessing the employment market, as well as BCH providing typical Housing Service functions of Rents, Lettings, ASB and Neighbourhoods.
BCH is a great place to work
Every member of staff comes to work here with one vision in mind, “Inspiring People to Build Sustainable Communities” and our values help guide the way we all work towards this.
Our 5 core values that reflect the PRIDE that our workforce displays on a daily basis, also guide our conduct and our relationship with customers, partners and stakeholders:
• Positivity
• Respect and Compassion
• Integrity
• Dynamism
• Energy
BCH is a great place to work and has recently received two prestigious Awards at the 2022 Northern Housing Awards for the Best Approach to Employee Wellbeing and the Best Approach to Diversity and Inclusion. Most recently in February 2023, BCH also won the award for the Most Innovative Approach to Culture and Wellbeing at the National Housing Digital Innovation Awards. We are very proud that our organisational approaches are receiving both local and national recognition.
We can offer you a friendly and inclusive working environment where you can develop yourself and really can make a difference to people’s lives across Blackpool.
We also offer a fantastic reward and benefits package which includes:
• Competitive rates of pay
• 26 days paid annual leave per annum, in addition to 8 bank holidays
• Attractive and flexible membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, with excellent employer contributions
• An in-house wellbeing program of wellbeing, social and charitable initiatives with BCH colleagues
• Vivup - the employee benefits scheme for discounts on various high street retailers and cycle to work
• Option to join BHSF - a voluntary salary sacrifice Health Cash Plan Scheme for help with medical costs such as physiotherapy, optical, osteopathy etc.
• Option to join the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Credit Union for preferential rates on financial services
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and access to counselling services
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay schemes
• A wide variety of training and learning and development opportunities
• Staff Suggestion Scheme
• Free annual flu vaccinations and Occupational Health Support
How to apply
This is a great time to join an ambitious, thriving and expanding organisation. If you like what you’ve read and think you’ve got what it takes to join our team then take action – apply now!
For further information about this position, please contact Abi Harton, Housing Services Team Leader, via email at abi.harton@bch.co.uk
To apply, please visit our website https://www.bch.co.uk/work-with-us to complete an online application, where a full job outline and person specification are available.
Please ensure your application/CV clearly demonstrates your suitability for this position.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 11th February 2024 at Midnight
Interview date: Wednesday 21st February 2024
*BCH reserves the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date if sufficient suitable applications are received to progress to interview. Therefore, applicants are advised to apply as early as possible.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme