Welfare & Financial Assessment Visiting Officer

About The Role

Job Title: Financial Assessment Visiting Officer

Contract: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Remote & Plough Lane, Hereford
Hours: 37
Salary: £25,979 - £29,777 per annum
Closing date: 21/04/2024

Interview: 25/04/2024

The role

We are looking for a self-motivated, customer focused individual to join our Welfare & Financial Assessment Team as a Welfare & Financial Assessment Officer.

As a Welfare & Financial Assessment Officer you will be responsible for completing accurate Financial Assessments. This could be for both residential and non-residential services to determine if and how much a person needs to contribute towards the cost of their adult social care service. You will be able to demonstrate compassion and knowledge when working with people to quickly build rapport whilst calculating charges for care in a professional, diplomatic, and supportive manner.

You will be part of a supportive, busy team but will also work independently managing your own workload. The team also offers comprehensive guidance on Financial Assessments to colleagues across Adult Social Care teams, support workers, carers, and financial representatives as well as to partner agencies and service providers.

Visiting people in their own homes or other suitable locations, as required, is an integral part of this role.

You will be responsible for delivering complex messages to service users, whether it is in person, over the phone, or through written communication such as letters or emails. This involves using different communication styles to ensure everyone understands.

In this role you will provide advice to service users on general welfare benefit matters and help to maximise service user’s income by identifying potential welfare benefit entitlement. You will offer information to individuals on where to find independent financial advice.

Candidates with knowledge of the Care Act 2014, statutory guidance on charging and Financial Assessments, and the council’s care and support charging policy would be desirable for this role.

About You

• You will be enthusiastic, hardworking, flexible, and motivated
• You will be a team player with excellent interpersonal skills
• You will have good verbal communication skills.
• You will have a high level of attention to detail, empathy, and strong analytical skills
• You will be proficient in the use of computerised systems, including accurate data entry on a personal computer and use of Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

  To arrange an informal discussion about the role with Claire Monteith, Welfare & Financial Assessment Team Leader, please contact

  CWrecruitment@herefordshire.gov.uk

  We Offer

  • A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
  • Starting Salary of £25,979
  • Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
  • Career progression: clear pathways to progress
  • Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum with line manager approval.
  • Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
  • Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
  • Payment of professional membership fees
  • Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

    Why Choose Us?

    You will probably have heard a lot about how beautiful it is in terms of countryside and open spaces (and it is!) but there is so much more going on here, including world-class cultural assets like the Mappa Mundi, vibrant theatres and a thriving food and drink sector.

    One of Herefordshire’s biggest assets is the strong and diverse communities. Our Talk Community approach brings that together supporting people to help themselves, encouraging them to help their communities and identifying how communities can help individuals. Our ambitious transformation programme aims to further build on this to offer an all-age approach. We’re excited about the potential of what we can achieve for the benefit of all residents of Herefordshire, stronger together and building brighter futures.

    To find out more about what it’s like to live, work and thrive at Herefordshire Council please visit our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

    Don’t meet all parts of the job description?

    Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire.

    These are some Transferable Skills that could make you successful in this role:

• Articulate and able to communicate in a clear manner both verbally and in writing.
• Experience of visiting people or delivering a service to people in their own homes.
• Proven experience of delivering excellent customer service with an ability to work effectively both as an individual, and as part of a team.
• High level of numeracy and literacy skills and experience of working in a job requiring accurate figure work.
• Experience in budgeting and examining bank records and utility bills.
• Strong time management and organisational skills. An ability to handle multiple tasks while working to deadlines and maintaining a high degree of accuracy and organisation.
• Strong computer literacy in particular MS Word, Outlook and Excel.
• The ability to travel to visit service users at their home or other locations.

If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity and want to make a difference, we encourage you to consider an application or to get in contact, you may be the perfect fit we’re seeking!

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: enquiries@hoopleresourcing.co.uk.

Creating an inclusive workplace

Employee Network Groups play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.

Employee Network Groups are a collective of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and who come together to initiate positive change in their work place. Our groups include: Black and Asian Staff Networking Group, LGBTQ+, Parents & Carers, Climate and Nature Emergency, Diff-abilities and Armed Forces/ Veterans. For more information on our Employee Network Groups please click here.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role. If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox. Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!

Community Wellbeing is connecting and belonging to the place where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.

We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity.

• We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.