Debt and Benefits Adviser

Benefits and Debt Adviser – Our Newham Money X 2
£33,324 – £35,751 pa

About us

Our vision is for Newham to be a place where our residents are able to live healthy, happy and well lives. Proud to be home to one of the youngest and most diverse communities in the country, with 72% of the population from people who are ethnically diverse contributing to 220 languages being spoken in the area. We are the first borough to put the health, happiness and wellbeing of our residents as our primary measures of success, as part of our innovative and critically important Towards a Better Newham: Our Recovery and Reorientation Strategy.

You will be joining our team at a time of significant change, a new unified Council service called Our Newham. Our Newham brings together our services that support residents into training, employment, promote their financial wellbeing, and help businesses. Our Newham will make these services recognisable and integrated, helping residents and businesses identify and access them.

Newham Community Wealth Building

Newham has launched its Community Wealth Building strategy, underpinned by the principles of economic, social and environmental justice; so that long-term prosperity, wellbeing and fairness for all our residents in the Borough is achieved.

As well as attracting growth and investment into the borough, the Council’s new Community Wealth Building (CWB) strategy will help unleash the potential of residents, businesses and the voluntary sector because they are the source of wealth and talent that will drive a fairer and more prosperous Newham.

The CWB strategy will help the Council tackle injustices residents face with an unrelenting focus on poverty in the Borough, as well as addressing racial and gendered disparities that exists.

About the role

The Benefit and Debt Adviser is an important and exciting role in the Our Newham Money Team. Our Newham Money was developed and launched exclusively for Newham residents. Since opening Our Newham Money’s approach has transitioned from a focus on loans to a holistic approach putting our residents at the heart of everything we do. The service helps residents facing financial hardship to meet their financial obligations fairly and efficiently by looking at their complete situation to determine the most appropriate course of action. This is achieved by providing advice, support and information on a range of topics.

The overall purpose of this exciting role is to provide benefits and debt advice including casework up to specialist level to support in delivering the Community Wealth Building strategy for Newham residents. This role will focus on Newham residents who are unable to self-help using the Council’s web resources, either because they do not have the personal capacity to do so or because of the nature of the issues.

The aim is to enable clients to improve their economic stability wherever possible and ensure that the service delivers advice in line with its policy of encouraging and supporting clients.

The successful candidate will have the following skills and experience:

• Substantial and recent experience of providing advice and support casework, with a demonstrable understanding of benefits and debt casework, up to a specialist level, to improve clients’ immediate and future financial situation.
• Experience of a customer-focused front-line advice service, in the public, private or voluntary sector, with a focus on continuous service improvement and the ability to work in a coordinated and joined up way, with colleagues, Council services and external services, to help improve clients ‘overall resilience.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive case records, recording all interactions and outcomes on the appropriate system.
• Provide support to other staff, by giving a professional opinion and through experience of delivering, training, presentations and events
• The ability to stay informed of all changes to relevant legislation, regulations and practices of the DWP, HMRC and LBN Benefits.
•  If you can match our ambition and have the skills, resilience and experience to make a difference, we want to hear from you. If you would like an informal conversation about the role(s) please contact John Dulwich via email at john.dulwich@newham.gov.uk

Closing Date: 26th September 2021 at 23:59

Please view Benefits and Debt Adviser - Our Newham Money JD

Additional Information

The London Borough of Newham is a Disability Confident employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and meet the essential criteria as specified in the Job Profile will be guaranteed an interview.

Newham is one of the youngest, most diverse, and vibrant boroughs in the UK. As an inclusive employer, we are committed to ensuring our workforce reflects our local population. We welcome and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, including applicants who are ethnically diverse and/or applicants who have a disability.

Priority consideration on all advertised roles will be given to London Borough of Newham Redeployees.

The London Borough of Newham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Please be aware that a Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) check will be required for any position with access to these groups under the provision of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

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