Welfare Officer

Welfare Officer

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Welfare Officer

Location: Sydenham

Department: Social Work and Welfare

Tenure/Hours: 36 hours per week

Salary: £29,272 – £30,900

This is an exciting opportunity to work with St Christopher’s Hospice, to improve quality of life, death and bereavement for patients and their families accessing palliative care.

You will be in a team consisting of social workers, welfare rights officers and community linkworkers. You will support those most in need of financial and practical support, to maximise income, challenge inequality and ensure people understand their rights and entitlements.

With the cost of living crisis, there has never been a more crucial time to support people from marginalised groups to gain fair access to the financial and practical support available to them. As a member of the team, you will promote independence, autonomy and well-being, whilst tackling poverty and deprivation.

You will work within the wider multi-disciplinary team to improve outcomes for people with life-limiting health conditions and their families.

The role

* You will support people to ensure welfare benefits are maximised.

* You will provide information, advice and advocacy to ensure all financial entitlements are claimed efficiently and effectively.

* You will hold a caseload and undertake phone and video calls, home visits, outpatients appointments and work with people on our inpatient unit.

* You will work closely with your colleagues to ensure a holistic approach to care and support; this may be through joint casework, multidisciplinary team meetings and by providing advice.

* You will develop relationships with people accessing our service, to assess unmet financial need and support.

* You will offer a wide range of financial and practical support including debt management, grant applications, pension and insurance claims and housing issues.

* You will signpost people with no recourse to public funds, threatened legal status in the UK and homelessness to the appropriate agencies.

* You will refer people to other relevant teams within the hospice, for care and support more appropriate to their roles and expertise.

To succeed in this role

* You will have good insight into the financial impact of serious illness, disability and bereavement.

* You will have substantial knowledge of and experience working with welfare benefits and financial entitlements, preferably in a health or social care setting.

* You will understand and be able to navigate the law relating to welfare benefits, housing and employment.

* You will have excellent communication skills and an aptitude for working with people in disadvantaged circumstances.

* You will possess excellent problem-solving skills and be able to find creative solutions to problems.

* You will be confident in liaising and negotiating with government and non-government services.

* You will demonstrate good skills in advocacy, time-management, administration and prioritisation.

* You will have a good level of maths and English, to ensure accurate financial assessments and supporting letters.

To apply for this position, please complete an expression of interest by clicking the ‘Apply Online’ button.

Within your expression of interest, it is important that you include your qualifications, employment history, and explain how you meet the essential criteria within the person specification.

Closing Date: 12th May 2024

Provisional Interview Date: 14th May 2024