Welfare And Benefits Team Leader

Welfare and Benefits Team Leader
Maidenhead
Hybrid working
£37k
Permanent
Purpose of the role:
To provide a key operational role in delivering financial inclusion strategies, leading on the organisation's Welfare Reform Strategy. To support residents through changes ensuring benefit entitlements are claimed to mitigate potential hardship and to maximise income for the organisation and to supervise the
Welfare & Benefits Officers to do the same.
Duties:

• Supervise the Welfare & Benefits Officers working with all residents across several local authority areas.
• Lead the Welfare and Benefits in-house service to ensure that comprehensive housing Welfare and Benefits advice and assistance is offered to all residents who need it.
• Ensure teams maintain regular contact with customers and deal with issues and enquiries in a professional and timely manner to sustain tenancies and maximise customer income and ability to pay their rent.
• Lead on complex cases and maintain strategic relationships with the Local Authority, DWP and other agencies.
• Facilitate the team in helping residents sustain tenancies by supporting the Income Team using early intervention strategies.
• Monitoring performance of the team to create a strong performance culture and drive continuous improvement.
• To complete financial assessments for all new incoming tenants to ensure they are able to sustain their tenancy and maximise their income.
• Identify vulnerable residents through the pre tenancy stage, to create support plans with external agencies to promote tenancy sustainment and inclusion.
• Provide advice to customers on benefit entitlement, assisting them in the completion of benefit forms and financial assessments.
• Plan and deliver training for colleagues on benefit changes as required.
• Develop, monitor and compile reports on key performance indicators and tracker surveys providing appropriate commentary on trends regarding the service.
• Implementing and managing a budget of £25,000 ( the Resident Support Fund)

Requirements

• Valid UK drivers license
• Experience of working at Team Leader level or Mentoring
• Experience working with Welfare and Benefits or in
  financial inclusion.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills with
  the ability to work under pressure.
• Solution focused.
• Passionate about delivering excellent customer
  service.
• Excellent knowledge of the Welfare Reform Act,
  Housing Benefit, DWP benefits, the Tax Credit
  system, Personal Independence Payments,
  Discretionary Housing Payments, and other benefits
  and welfare services.
• Good understanding of the needs and issues of
  vulnerable/disadvantaged tenants at risk of financial
  exclusion.
• Awareness of current issues in social housing

Benefits:

• Salary: £37,000
• Car Allowance
• Competitive pension scheme
• Holiday allowance
• Hybrid working

In our company values we aim for equity at all stages of the recruitment process, please let us know if we can do anything to make the process more accessible to you.