GLPC Job Description Non-Manager
/ Job Title / Client Affairs OfficerDepartment / Community Well-Being
Section / Direct Services - Client Affairs Team
Grade / Scale 6-SO1 (linked grades)
Reports to / Team Leader
Staffing Responsibility / None
Organisation / Please attach organisation structure
Job Purpose:
1. The main purpose of this role is the effective provision of administrative, financial services and support to the council’s customers and suppliers within Adult Social Care.
2. To provide a customer focused service. This is a generic job description which covers the following areas:
· Client Affairs
· Financial Assessment
· Direct Payments
· Supplier Payments
· Protection of property and funerals
3. The post holder will undertake a range of duties across a broad customer base within Adult Social Care. The duties will not cover one specific area
Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
1. To ensure that all cases referred are dealt with in accordance to financial legislation and guidance. To maintain, monitor and provide a range of financial and administrative records and undertake all other duties as and when required.
2. To have an up to date knowledge of legislation in respect of client’s entitlements to benefits and the ability to interpret changing demands of financial legislation.
3. To provide advice and guidance to all staff in units on all aspects of the legislation relating to CRAG and Fairer Charging Guidelines ensuring that all requirements are met.
4. To assist in the effective provision of administrative, financial services and support to the functions and works of the Client Affairs Team and ensuring all deadlines are met.
5. To visit clients in their own homes to collate data to ensure that financial assessments are carried out in accordance with agreed procedures / regulations and income is generated and processed.
6. To carry out financial assessments under delegated authority of the Senior Finance Officer or Team Leader in accordance with agreed procedures and regulations. Ensuring that income is generated and processed and a system for debt collection is implemented.
7. To assist in maintaining and administering the review of client’s maintenance charges annually and notifies relevant persons of the new rates.
8. To assist in maintaining and administering the process of payments by BACs and cheques for internal/external creditors under the delegated authority of the Client Affairs Team Leader.
9. To maintain, check, code, process purchase/sales invoices and calculating of payments to the Private care providers.
10. To assist in maintaining the refunds of overpayment/duplicate payments in respect of over-cashed benefits received from The Benefit Agency and make adjustments to clients’ individual accounts accordingly.
11. To assist in maintaining and administering Receivership and Appointeeship as and when required.
12. To assist in maintaining the weekly collections, analysing of pensions and benefits including the distribution of clients monies, setting up of records in respect of the benefits.
13. To assist in maintaining and administering the completion of Inland Revenue forms. Calculating the Interests on client’s accounts.
14. To assist with the application of Public Guardianship forms for a Receiver to be appointed on behalf of client’s unable to deal with their own financial matters or who have no next of kin.
15. To assist with the release and referral of the deceased cases to the Solicitor for disposal of their estate ensuring and applying the Data Protection Act.
16. To deal with personal callers on a daily basis on issues relating to the services of the section.
17. To assist with cases to nominated Solicitors to conduct searches on properties known to be transferred by clients awaiting placement or “gifted” by clients awaiting placement.
18. To assist in maintaining clients accounts and finalising accounts for payment from the proceeds of the sale of properties.
19. To receive and deal with a variety of phone calls/correspondence and enquiries of a financial/administrative nature, ensuring all appropriate information is recorded and processed and maintain good public relations, dealing with the public in a polite and helpful manner.
20. To review Direct Payments returns according to agreed guidelines advising service users of any missing information or variance and keeping the Team Leader/Manager informed of any misuse of funds
21. To undertake such other duties of an administrative nature as may be required and reasonably associated with the normal level and responsibilities of the post.
22. To undertake a range of word-processing and database functions and any such other duties of financial administrative nature as and when it may be required.
23. To assist in maintaining and data loading accurate financial records/information on to specialised computer systems.
24. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and well being of children and vulnerable adults.
25. Carry out duties with due regard to the Council’s Customer Care, Equal Opportunities, Information Governance, Data Protection and Health and Safety policies and procedures.
26. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
Principal accountabilities and responsibilities relevant to SO1 are as above for
Scale 6 but in addition
27. In the absence of the Team Leader to attend and participate in meetings as and when required.
28. To assist the Team Leader with developments to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of services available.
29. To have an up to date knowledge of legislation in respect of client’s entitlements to benefits and the ability to interpret changing demands of financial legislation.
30. To be responsible in liaising and corresponding with resident’s relatives, DWP, Solicitors, Council officials and any other Private Organisations.
31. To maintain and administer reconciliation of clients accounts, dealing with queries ensuring that the necessary debits and credits are entered adhering to the council financial procedures.
32. To maintain individual accounts in respect of clients in Residential / Nursing Care, to regularly inspect accounts for outstanding debt, to receipt and bank income, to despatch invoices and cheques for customers and clients on a monthly basis.
33. To undertake duties incorporating the use of information technology systems as defined in the New Technology Agreement and subject to the terms of the agreement.
34. To undertake such other duties as may be required to meet the demands of the service, including reasonable management requests.
35. To assist the Team Leader in making any enhancements and improvement in the day to day work and performance of the systems and database in line with agreed procedures.
36. The post holder will be required to carry out any activities as required from time to time and, when requested to deputise for the Team Leader.
37. To provide management information as and when required.
38. To liaise with the DSS Appeals Tribunal on behalf of clients who have not been paid benefits.
39. To be responsible with referring property cases to Legal Team to arrange for the charges to be put on the property and the sale of client’s property on whose behalf we act as a Receiver.
40. To report any potential fraud and to provide input on minimising the risk of fraud.
41. To provide information for financial and other management reports as required, including appropriate working papers
42. To work in a collaborative way by supporting processes and systems across the Client Affairs Team
DBS Status / Enhanced and barred from working with adults
Politically Restricted / No
Person Specification
Job Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
All criteria are essential
Education, Training & Qualifications
· Educated to GCSE level or equivalent.
Knowledge & Experience
· Knowledge of the needs of the vulnerable adults and understanding of the services provided to vulnerable adults.
· Experience of working to tight deadlines in a busy office environment.
· Previous experience of dealing with customers or clients (Written, Telephone or Face to Face).
· Experience of dealing confidently and effectively with colleagues at all levels of seniority, and with members of the public
· Knowledge and understanding of Brent Council’s Equal Opportunities Guidelines and Customer Care Strategy and a commitment to implementing the Equality Action Plan.
· Experience of using initiative and creativity to the benefit of service delivery
· Experience of using word processing and spreadsheet applications to create a variety of documents (MS Word and Excel experience).
· Experience of managing change, problem solving and decision making
· Can identify issues and resolve queries
SO1 Knowledge & Experience as per above and in addition
· Sound knowledge of accounting and financial control principles
· Experience of managing change, problem solving and decision making
· Can provide data for reports in a clear / understandable and appropriate format for use.
Skills and Abilities
· Ability to work quickly, accurately and under pressure
· Numeracy skills including collation and calculation and interpretation of numerical and financial data.
· IT skills, updating databases and developing spreadsheets.
· Ability to investigate basic and single issue queries without supervision.
· A willingness to learn new things or ways of working.
· A willingness to support others by sharing information, knowledge and experience.
· Ability to communicate orally and in writing with officers within the team, customers and suppliers.
· Ability to prepare simple reports and be able to communicate the findings effectively at all levels (Verbal, Written and face to face).
SO1 –Skills & Abilities as per above and in addition
· IT skills implementing software systems, developing spreadsheets and graphs statistical analysis.
· Numeracy skills including collation and presentation of financial information.
· Ability to communicate complex information appropriately and effective Communication skills at all levels. (Verbal, written and face to face).
· Ability to manage work process, to allocate work effectively, work under pressure, prioritise own workload, evaluate performance.