Date as postmarked

Dear Applicant

I&A Support Worker (Wyre)

Thank you for your request for an application form and further information relating to the above post. Please find enclosed:

CONTENTS

  • Job Description
  • Person Specification
  • Background Information
  • Equal Opportunities statement of intent
  • Equal Opportunities monitoring form

  • Application Form
  • Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Form, Policy Statement, Guidance notes and Return Envelope
  • Age UK Information

Please indicate on the application form the reference number of the post for which you are applying.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 11th June 2012and interviews are planned for 15th June 2012.

Due to the high cost of postage, we will not contact you unless you have been short-listed for interview. Please assume that if you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date you have not been successful on this occasion.

To conform with our Equal Opportunities policy we will only consider applications made on our standard application form. C.V's will not be accepted.

When completing your application form please pay particular attention to the Person Specification as criteria from this form will be used for short-listing. You should be able to demonstrate on your application form that you meet the criteria on the person specification. You should address each point on the person specification, explaining what qualities, skills or experience you have in order to demonstrate that you meet the requirements listed. If due to any disability, completion of the application form will cause you any difficulties, please contact us and we will try to assist.

Please ensure you complete and return the equal opportunity monitoring form. This form will be detached upon receipt and will only be used for equal opportunity monitoring purposes.

We look forward to receipt of your application to be posted for the attention Fiona Robinson, Age UK Lancashire, 7/11 Chapel Street, Lancaster LA1 1NZ or email .

Yours sincerely,

Jeanette Dean

HR Manager

Encs

DESCRIPTION

Job Title: / Information & Advice Support Worker
Reporting to (Job Title): / Information & Advice Team Leader
Direct Reports: / Information & Advice volunteers
Brief overview of the
Position:
Working with: /
  • To provide an information and advice service to older people and their carers via telephone, email, surgeries and home visits.
  • To support the recruitment, training and maintenance of volunteers
Reception staff, community project workers, Information & Advice services Team Leader, volunteers and older people and their carers.
Main duties and
Responsibilities: /
  1. Work with the Information and Advice Services Team Leader in ensuring that the service provided is to the quality and expectations of Age UK Lancashire.
  1. Provide an information and advice service by:
  • Maintaining a current supply of Information Guides accessible to the public.
  • Signposting and actively referring where appropriate.
  • Diagnosing enquiries so that the appropriate sources of help and information are identified to enable people to know more and do more about their situation.
  • Carrying out benefit checks.
  • Offering support with applying for benefits.
  • Form filling, in particular Attendance Allowance and Disability Allowance application forms.
  • Providing advice on housing & social care issues.
  • Keeping up-to-date with local services and support.
  1. Able to carry out routine administrative tasks, accessing and inputting data, maintaining records and retrieving information using Age UK Lancashire’s database Intrelate.
  1. To be aware of the needs of clients and to ensure that a positive and co-operative working relationship is maintained.
  1. To ensure that clients are treated with respect and given every opportunity to exercise choice over the services they receive and feedback to the Information and Advice Services Team Leader any issues.
  1. To promote volunteering opportunities and assist with the induction, training and support of volunteers in line with Age UK Lancashire’s policies and procedures.
  1. To promote the service to older people, their carers, families and other community organisations, liaising with the Information and Advice Services Team Leader.
  1. To attend training relevant to the role as requested by the Information and Advice Services Team Leader.
  1. To be able to work extra hours to cover holidays and sickness for other areas when required.
  1. To attend for individual and team supervision.

Accountable for: /
  1. Ensuring the service is delivered in a manner which is responsive to the needs of its clients.
  2. Managing the information and advice enquiries effectively.
  1. Ensuring information resources are kept up-to-date.
  1. Maintaining a proficient and secure filing system.
  1. Ensuring the service is provided to Age UK’s quality expectations.

Summary of key
attributes & Qualifications
for role: / Experience/knowledge of health and social care issues.
Working knowledge of Welfare Benefits.
Good IT skills.
Team player
Excellent communication skills.
Full Person Specification attached
Main KPI’s /
performance measured
against: / Number of home visits
Number attending surgeries
Benefit gains
File reviews
Generic Clauses: /
  1. To support the trading and fundraising activities of the charity liaising with the Business Development Team.
  2. To comply in all aspects with Age UK Lancashire’s policies, including Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Handling Money, Data Protection etc.
  3. To participate and contribute generally to Age UK Lancashire’s activities, attending meetings, training courses etc as required.

Flexibility Clauses: /
  • The nature of this post will require flexibility to meet some urgent work needs as they arise. This may entail some occasional weekend or evening work.
  • Therefore, this job description is not intended to be exhaustive. The post-holder will be expected to adopt a flexible attitude to the duties which may have to be varied (after discussion with the post-holder) subject to the needs of the service, and in keeping with the general profile of the post.

Age UK Lancashire

Person Specification – Information & Advice Support Worker

Essential Skills /

Desirable Skills

/

Assessment

Method
KnowledgeAttainments/Experience:
Ability to communicate simply and effectively, orally and in writing, with people from a wide range of backgrounds and to respond to their needs with sensitivity.
Experience of maintaining records with the ability and willingness to follow set procedures concerning casework and file management.
Working experience of welfare benefits.
Knowledge of health and community care issues.
Awareness of key issues affecting older people and their carers.
Awareness of the services available for older people both locally and nationally.
Proficient in the use of the primary components of Microsoft Office.
Ability to manage workloads.
A strong commitment to training and self-development.
Ability to assist with inducting, training, managing and maintaining volunteers. / Experience of working in a health or social care setting.
Experience of working with older people in the community.
Experience of working with and supporting volunteer.s / Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Special Aptitudes:
Able to work as part of a team.
Non-judgemental
Good time management skills. / Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Application form/interview
Qualifications:
ECDL or equivalent / Application form/interview
Other Requirements:
This is an essential car –user’s post. Proof of appropriate insurance cover, including business use, will be requested; however we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability but you must have access to transportation.
Ability to work flexibly to meet the demands of the job.
Satisfactory disclosure from the CRB. / Application form/interview

Background Information

Working to ensure later life is a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience

Age UK Lancashire isa dynamic and influential organisation that provides services across the county of Lancashire. In addition we ensure older people receive information and support to make informed choices and are empowered to live their lives as independently as possible.

Age UK Lancashire has been in existence since 1941;it was formally Age Concern Lancashire but this year changed its name to Age UK Lancashire in order to become a partner with the national Age UK organisation.

We are probably best known for our extensive range of services. Our focus is on working with our customers and providing a high level of person-centred support in all that we do. Within our services teams, our main areas of work are:

  • Health & Wellbeing(H&WB): services are all about keeping people active, involved and enjoying life.
  • Social Inclusion (SI):services are all about ensuring people can stay involved and are not marginalised in any way.
  • Promoting Independence(PI): services are concerned with preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, avoiding premature residential care and finding alternatives to dependence upon statutory social care services.

Age UK Lancashire also provides Information and Advice to older people and their carers. This is one of our flagship services and highly valued for its professionalism and independence. It is an area of service we are investing in and developing across the county.

We offer a range of insurance and other products that are tailored to the needs of older people and from transactions, receive commission that enables us to have an office in the districts in which we work that provides a base for staff and a place for telephone and personal callers.

We have six charity shops which sell a range of mainly donated goods, raising independent income for service provision.

Some services are paid for directly by our customers, an example of this being our Home Help service which we run as a social enterprise.

Direct services are provided in projects across each borough with our central office based in Chorley. Each district has its own office for personal and telephone caller as well as for providing office accommodation

Age UK Lancashire is a lead provider of Help Direct in Lancaster, Chorley and West Lancashire. This is an exciting project which has been commissioned by Lancashire County Council. The project aims to coordinate and make more accessible a full range of services to meet the needs of all members of the community. It can also support people wanting to make a more positive contribution to their community or empowering them to make positive changes in their life and the lives of others.

Funding has been secured for a major Research Project to find out about the needs and wants of older people and by using assets in the community to better meet their needs.

More information is available on our website

Information & Advice

We have recently secured fundingto enable us to provide information and support to people throughout the boroughs of Fylde and Wyre. Theservice will predominantlysupport older people and their carers with benefit checks and applying for benefits, as well as housing and community care issues.

The service will compliment our signposting and referral service provided by all our community based project workers and office based Customer Service Advisers.

The post holders will work with a team of volunteers to provide information and advice both from an office base and via outreach surgeries and home visits.

Vacant posts

Post Title: Information & Advice Support Worker

Hours: 21hrscovering Wyre Borough.

Location: Fleetwood

Pension: Age UK Lancashire operates a voluntary contributory pension scheme

Grade/Salary: Scale 2 Pt 11: £8.10ph

Holidays: Annual leave will be based upon a pro rata of 24 days per year

Travel Expenses: Travel expenses will be paid for all journeys required for work, excluding travel from home to base.The current rates are 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles per year and 25p per mile thereafter.

Confidential

Please complete this form and return in a separate envelope marked with your name. This will not be opened unless you are shortlisted, when it will become part of the documentation used by the panel at interview.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) 1975
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act gives individuals the right not to disclose details of 'spent' offences if asked about their criminal record. However, for certain excepted professions, offices and employments, ex-offenders have to disclose information about spent, as well as unspent convictions, provided the employer states clearly on the application form or at the interview that the job applied for is exempted.
Because of the nature of this role and the provision of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975 you are required to give details of all criminal offences for which you have been convicted, including ‘spent’ convictions.
Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence?
YES NO
If yes please give details of the conviction(s) and date(s)
Name ______Post Applied for______
Address ______Signature______
______Date______
A criminal record will not necessarily debar you from employment with our organisation.However, if you are appointed and it is later discovered that you have not disclosed the information requested, you may be dismissed.