Age UK Nottingham Nottinghamshire – Money Advisor Job Description

Post Title:
Department:
Responsible to:
Based: / Money Advisor
Information, Advice
& Support Services
Information, Advice
& Support Services
Manager
Parliament Street / Pay Scale:
Hours of Work:
Tenure:
Date of issue: / £9,319 per annum
NJC points 20-23
(£18,638 - £20,400 FTE)
18.5 hours per week
Permanent
January 2014

PURPOSE OF THE DEPARTMENT/SERVICE

Money Advice provides impartial information and guidance on money matters across a range of key financial topics.Its aim is to support people to make better financial decisions, improve their budgeting skills and help them to understand key aspects that affect their personal finances; this will in turn improve their financial capability, thereby increasing their financial and economic well-being.

PURPOSE OF THE POST

The purpose of this role is to engage and assist less financially confident consumers, delivering financial guidance and support. The Money Advisorwill help people across a range of financial topic areas, providing guidance on budgeting and financial planning, savings, borrowing, insurance, retirement planning, and understanding tax and welfare benefits. This will be delivered through face to face money advice sessions. Full training will be provided on the Protocol and Annexes referred to below.

Important Note. The successful applicant will be required to undergo extensive training in their first month and will therefore need to be able to work full time for their first three weeks in post. During the third week attendance is required at an external course which may mean a requirement to attend on a residential basis for three or four nights.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. To provide clear and accurate Money Advice tailored to, and appropriate for, the service users’ circumstances and which links to the topics covered in the Protocol and Annexes for delivering the national Money Advice service.
  2. Provide Money Advice to consumers on a range of financial topics that is within the boundary for the Money Advice service, as defined in Protocol and Annexes for delivering the national Money Advice service. Topics include Budgeting and Financial Planning; Savings; Borrowing; Protecting and Insuring the individual, Family and Possessions; Retirement Planning; and Understanding Tax and Welfare Benefits. Money Advisors should consider how advice on one topic will impact on others.
  3. To effectively question and understand the service users’ circumstances in order to ensure appropriate and accurate Money Advice is provided to the customer, based on the information the customer has provided.
  4. Help users to the point where they can choose between options, understand the consequences of doing nothing, develop personal financial strategies, and help them take action to manage their financial affairs.
  5. Use your knowledge, skills and experience, to help service users take appropriate action to manage their financial affairs, explaining and translating financial jargon.
  6. To deal with the service user’s immediate issues in the initial session, whilst also aiming to go beyond the presenting issue and providing an in-depth assessment for the user.
  7. To resolve service users enquiries in a way that minimises the number of calls/appointments required.
  8. To ensure service users are clear about the recommended next steps after a Money Advice session and are provided with or signposted to the appropriate accompanying information.
  9. Refer service users to other sources of information, guidance or advice where appropriate, ensuring the service user is equipped with the information they need to confidently interact with the organisation they are being referred to.
  10. To ensure all policies and procedures for providing Money Advice are followed, including pre and post meeting procedures, for example, timely and accurate record keeping. To input session data in a timely manner, in line with A4E contract requirements.
  11. To develop and maintain a productive working relationship with internal and external stakeholders and, where opportunities present, promote the Money Advice service.
  12. To maintain the required level of knowledge and skills and to demonstrate a proactive and consistent approach to personal development in the role.
  13. To maintain up to date knowledge and understanding of the Money Advice website, guides, tools and calculators, ensuring a consistent service and enabling users to make use of tools suchas Money Advice calculators or product comparison tables on an informed basis.
  14. To undertake all training required for the role, and including attendance at quarterly technical tests, as directed by A4E.
  15. To undergo observed sessions and case reviews on a monthly basisas directed by the A4E Training & Quality Manager.
  1. Managing time effectively to ensure the session objectives are covered within the available time and that targets are met.
  2. To conduct advice sessions at various sites in and around Nottinghamshire. This may include home visits.

Charity Responsibilities - Standard Clauses

Your Needs

  • You will keep under review your own developmental needs, keep yourself informed of current issues and be alert to the Age UK Notts training programmes and policies and attend all supervision meetings advised by your line manager. It is your responsibility along with your line manager to identify training and development needs and to inform your line manager of these.

Equality and Diversity

  • You will uphold the Age UK Notts Equality and Diversity policies and practices thereby promoting fair and quality services to all. If Age UK Notts deem you have breached any of these policies this may be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure. All policies can be viewed on the Nottingham Users shared drive – please ensure you refer to the Equality and Diversity Policy and the Bullying and Harassment Policy.

Health and Safety

  • You will take reasonable care for your health and safety and have regard to other persons who may be affected by the performance of your duties, in accordance with the provisions of Health and Safety legislation and actively encourage, promote and reinforce all Health and Safety procedures in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Age UK Notts Health and Safety Manual.
  • You will exercise proper care in handling, operating and safeguarding any equipment or appliance provided, used or issued by Age UK Notts or provided by a third party for individual or collective use in the performance of your duties.

Customer Care

  • You will promote and deliver services in a way which is sensitive and responsive to those receiving such services and be aware of and implement the Age UK Notts customer care policies and service level agreement requirements (if applicable).

Professional Integrity

  • You will maintain at all times the professional integrity of the Charity and represent its main interests in any dealings with other bodies, groups and individuals.

Quality Assurance

  • You will uphold and proactively contribute to the Age UK Notts Quality Assurance framework including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Other

  • You will attend staff meetings, the annual staff conference and other meetings as requested in order to keep up to date with information within the Charity
  • You will provide for your line manager, weekly diary sheets and any other reports or information as required.
  • You will carry out any other specified tasks that may be reasonably required by the relevant Manager, with the proviso that any changes of a permanent nature will be included in the job description.

This job description is intended as a summary of the main elements of the job described.They may be varied from time to time in consultation with the job holder without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

I confirm that I have discussed the content of this Job Description with my line manager and that I understand its content.


Please indicate on enclosed application form evidence to show why you fulfil eachindividual point below:

Essential Requirements

Experience

  1. Recent and relevant experience of working in the role of providing financial advice or guidance, in some, ideally all, of the following areas: benefits, tax, borrowing, insurance, pensions, savings and investments.
  2. Experience of working in the area of financial capability or consumer advice generally, with an understanding of the issues consumers face in trying to manage their money.

Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours

  1. Good technical knowledge and understanding of some, ideally, all of the following Money Guidance subjects: benefits, tax, borrowing, insurance, pensions and savings(further training will be provided).
  2. Effective questioning skills in order to understand the issues whilst maintaining structure and control of meetings.
  3. Strong influencing & communication skills, both written & oral.
  4. Competent in the use of IT systems.
  5. Builds rapport and communicates confidently and effectively, adopting an appropriate style and approach for the audience.
  6. Demonstrable ability to work on own initiative to deliver strong output & results.
  7. Capability to establish, develop & sustain relationships with key stakeholders.
  8. Proven organisational and time management skills.
  9. Willingness to undergo training and ongoing assessments to ensure knowledge of relevant topic areas.
  10. Proven track record of achieving qualitative and quantitative targets
  11. Knowledge and understanding of Equality and Diversity issues and a commitment to implement the AUNN Equality and Diversity policy.
  1. Hold full valid Driving license and have regular access to vehicle.

Salary: £9,319 per annum, NJC points 20-23 (£18,638 - £20,400

FTE)

Start Date:As soon as possible by agreement

Hours of Work:18.5 hours per week (working pattern by agreement)

AUNN operates a scheme of flexible working hours.

Training:The successful applicant will be required to undergo extensive training in their first month and will therefore need to be able to work full time for their first three weeks in post. During the third week attendance is required at an external course which may mean a requirement to attend on a residential basis for three or four nights.

Holidays:24 working days (pro rata for part time hours). Employees are granted 8 Public Holidays. One additional days leave is added to the annual leave entitlement for each year of service up to a maximum of 8 additional days.

Mileage

Allowance: Currently 45p per mile.

Pension:The Charity will contribute 8% of salary to your own personal pension after completion of a satisfactory six month probationary period.

Place of Work:Based atUpper Parliament Street, Nottingham with travel across the County

Timetable for Appointment

Post Advertised:13 January 2014

Closing Date:Monday 27 January 2014

Interviews: Tuesday 4 February 2014