Project Officer (Norfolk)

Who We Are

Care and Repair North East Wales is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older, disabled, or vulnerable people in Flintshire and Wrexham. Our organisation has been serving the community for over 25 years, providing essential support and assistance to help individuals regain or maintain their independence and live comfortably and safely in their own homes.

We are proud to be part of the wider Care & Repair Cymru group which was founded in 1979 to combat the problem of older homeowners living in housing that was unfit for human habitation and lacked basic amenities. We are one of 13 agencies working together to serve the whole of Wales.

We are a person-centred organisation, meaning that our clients’ needs and wishes are at the heart of everything we do. We work to give people freedom and independence, and this starts by recognising their individuality and the right to know and decide what is best for themselves.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Purpose

The Home Energy Officer (HEO) role is one of twelve across Wales, based at and line managed locally in every Care & Repair Agency, co-ordinated centrally by the Project Manager, Older Not Colder at Care & Repair Cymru.

The HEO will provide a comprehensive, specialist casework, advisory and support service to older people who are in or at risk of fuel poverty, or who need improvements to the energy efficiency of their homes to alleviate cold.

The HEO role will centre around the provision of a specialist home visiting casework service that is holistic, problem-led and tailored to the individual’s needs. The emphasis will be on reducing domestic energy usage, improving home energy efficiency, and increasing household income. Working closely with C&R Caseworkers, Technical Officers and others in the Agency, other housing problems and issues of concern to the individual that affect their fuel poverty, health and well-being, safety and security will also be addressed.

Client referrals will come from numerous sources such as, directly via marketing and publicity for Older Not Colder, internal referrals from C&R Caseworkers and TOs, and from a range of referral partners developed as part of the wider Older Not Colder Project - where clients are in need of specialist support with energy efficiency and fuel poverty.

Clients will be referred for wider Care & Repair services by the HEO as applicable where they also need help with repairs, maintenance, falls prevention and/or adaptations, so that, whatever the pathway for the client, they will be provided with a comprehensive Care & Repair service. 

The HEO will participate in regular Older Not Colder HEO Networks as a forum for networking, learning, sharing information and good practice, and sharing case information, data and intelligence to help with national policy work and evolving and improving the service. 

Main Responsibilities

Local Service Delivery

·               To plan workload and visits and ensure that these are completed efficiently.

·               To visit older and disabled people in their homes, assess their living conditions, listen to concerns about energy usage, cost of fuel bills, energy efficiency and related housing issues.

·               To discuss options to reduce energy consumption, improve home energy efficiency, increase household income and provide necessary housing repairs, improvements, security, safety and adaptations. Agree tailored, bespoke future actions with the client.

·               To sit with a client and explain an EPC describing the various elements, so that the client can understand which improvements will best improve the efficiency of their property.

·               To research all local and national benevolent and energy efficiency grants and funding sources that may be available for clients and make referrals where necessary. Ensure all entitlements including welfare benefits, winter fuel payments, cold weather payments, and warm homes discount scheme are being claimed.

·               Develop an expert knowledge of Welsh Government’s new Warm Homes Programme and local routes into ECO4/ECO flex funding, ensuring Care & Repair clients access both these programmes as much as possible.

·               To identify, during the home visit, other needs clients may have and provide advice and support on the other housing options and packages of Care & Repair and other help available, make referrals and generally act as client advocate.

·               To advise the client on funding options available to enable them to resolve potential repairs and maintenance works, and to assist them to obtain the help they need.

·               To support clients to obtain estimates from reliable contractors where appropriate.

·               To liaise with the Care & Repair surveyors to make sure the client receives technical support where necessary which will include arranging surveys, obtaining estimates from reliable contractors, organising the monitoring of works on site and ensuring satisfactory completion.

·               To deliver local information and advice talks, training sessions and presentations to local groups on energy awareness and energy efficiency

·               Ensure that detailed records are kept of all cases, using the Care & Repair database and other recording methods, and using reports to ensure work is monitored.

·               To develop a specialist expertise in relation to fuel poverty and home energy efficiency, and to contribute to the Agency’s Casework and Technical Team’s awareness, knowledge and understanding.

·               To establish and maintain effective professional relationships with     representatives of appropriate statutory bodies, voluntary organisations, and local groups, representing the Agency at meetings where required.

·               To establish a Care & Repair presence on local and/or regional fuel poverty and energy efficiency networks, and develop links with relevant community groups, local organisations and local authorities about the Older Not Colder service.

National Project Delivery

·               To report to the Project Manager, Older Not Colder, on matters relating to national project delivery, consistency, reporting and evaluation.

·               Responsible for helping deliver the Wales-wide Older Not Colder project to reduce fuel poverty and increase the energy efficiency of housing occupied by older people.

·               Contribute to Older Not Colder’s information, experience, and evaluation exchange to ensure an evidence-based approach to best practice, including behaviour change-based and technical approaches, in tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency in older people’s homes.

·               To attend regular network meetings (via video conferencing, or face to face as appropriate in Cardiff, Mid and/or North Wales), participate in teleconferences and respond to information requests from Care & Repair Cymru.

·               To undertake healthy homes checks and other home-based monitoring, for instance identifying when an EPC should be commissioned, client surveys and impact assessments adopted by the Older Not Colder Project, and enter the data gathered onto the Care & Repair database.

General Duties

·               Ensure the Older Not Colder service is publicised through the distribution of leaflets, local media coverage and other promotional methods e.g. talks, training sessions, presentations and local support groups.

·               Support the C&R Agency to grow its best practice in fuel poverty, home energy efficiency and advice so that clients receive a quality service.

·               Become the champion for home energy efficiency good practice and sharing best practice identified through the national Older Not Colder Project

·               Undertake all duties in compliance with the Care & Repair Agency’s Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety, Confidentiality and Data Protection policies and ensure these are complied with.

·               Keep up to date with developments in the relevant fields of work, reading relevant material provided and through attendance at courses, seminars and conferences.

·               Participate in team meetings as required by the Agency Chief Officer 

·               To ensure personal objectives and targets are achieved.

·               To work at all times in a positive, cooperative and supportive manner.

·               To undertake all other reasonable tasks consistent with the objectives of the post as delegated by the Chief Officer and/or local line manager.

Implementation of Job Description

·               Duties of this post may evolve and change to reflect local or national organisational needs and practices (organisational change). The Chief Officer/Older Not Colder Project Manager in conjunction with the post-holder, will develop and evolve the detailed tasks required for this position as part of the process of learning what works best for delivery of Older Not Colder, as well as job appraisal processes.

• As we are a provider for Flintshire, we are required to adhere to Welsh Language Standards for the purposes of this contract. Conversational ability in the Welsh language is therefore desirable but not essential. You will, however, be expected to adhere to our Welsh Language policy in the delivery of this contract.