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Recruitment pack

Post Title: Macmillan Specialist Benefits Adviser

Date: 1st February 2018

Contents:

Introduction from Simon Brake, Chair of Trustees Page 3

Our Values Page 4

About Coventry Citizens Advice Page 5

Terms and Conditions Page 6

How to Apply Page 8

Selection Process Page 9

Further Information Page 10

Job Description & Person Specification Page 12

Introduction from Simon Brake, Chair of Trustees

Thank you for taking the time to consider applying for a job at Coventry Citizens Advice. We are one of the largest Citizens Advice organisations in the country, helping around 25,000 people per year to make society fairer. We do that with each client, helping people solve their individual problems and by influencing how the local authority, government and the private sector impacts on our clients.

The world is changing quickly. Most people’s incomes haven’t grown for years or are being squeezed by inflation and welfare reform. Many people are struggling to pay back debts and tackle employment, family, consumer, housing and other issues.

We have been able to re-invent our services and develop many innovative models of service delivery that improve access to the citizens that we serve. We have also explored ways to prevent problems from happening through early referrals from housing providers and utility companies, through our campaigning work and through providing new tenants with practical support and money skills.

We are always looking for ways to improve our services and develop new partnerships. This means new opportunities to experiment locally through co-design and partnerships across a range of different sectors.

Looking ahead, there are some huge challenges for our clients and our service. Perhaps the biggest of these is the introduction of Universal Credit alongside further welfare reforms.Coventry Citizens Advice is always at the front line as these are rolled out and thousands will rely on our support.

Most importantly our clients increasingly need our help to access our services through different channels. We will draw on our strengths, including our extraordinary local reach and awareness, high satisfaction rates, dedicated volunteer and staff base and high quality services that change the lives of thousands of people each year.

Thank you for your interest in joining Coventry Citizens Advice at what is a very exciting time for us. We look forward to receiving your application.

Our Values:

Our core values as an organisation are: Professional, Accessible, Innovative and Empowering.We look to embed them in every aspect of the work we do, how we behave and how we support each other. Together we ensure that our values are brought into behaviours that we demonstrate every day so that we can offer the best possible service to our clients.

Professional

We are passionate about delivering high quality services. We take ownership, we keep promises and we show our integrity.

  • We take individual ownership for our own performance and continuing development.
  • We take responsibility for our actions and decisions.
  • We have a strong commitment to the success of Citizens Advice Coventry and we inspire others to do the same.
  • We exercise sound judgement by being realistic and inventive.

Accessible

We are open, we communicate and we listen to each other.

  • We communicate openly.
  • We value difference and respect others.
  • We listen to each other, to partners and the communities that we serve.
  • We make sure our services meet the needs of the people of Coventry.

Innovative

We keep questioning and thinking in order to improve the way we do things.

  • We welcome fresh ideas and we test new ways of working.
  • We are more creative through having diverse teams and skills.
  • We challenge fairly and maturely and work together to improve our services.

Empowering

We take responsibility and support each other to deliver the best possible service.

  • We encourage leadership through every level of the organisation.
  • We treat colleagues, clients and partners with respect.
  • We support each other in developing skills and knowledge.
  • We anticipate change and work through changes together.

About Coventry Citizens Advice

Coventry Citizens Advice is a progressive organisation that has been able to continually innovate and develop new services over the course of recent years when public and charitable funding has been much reduced. AdviceCoventry Citizens has been able to demonstrate excellence in a number of areas and been commended for its volunteer training, information service and partnership working. We are multi, local and national award winners in areas of Research and Campaigning, Service Development and Money advice.

CoventryCitizens Advice has a Trustee Board of 10 people, all of whom bring professional skills and knowledge of the city and are responsible for setting the strategy and budget for the service. Day to day responsibility for the running of the organisation sits with the Chief Executive who, alongside a senior management team, oversees the day-to-day running our local Citizens Advice services. The organisation has around 80 paid members of staff and is proud to have in excess of 80 volunteers working for it in some capacity throughout the course of the week.

Our busy core service operates on a daily basis and deals with around 40 people a day. In addition to this, the organisation runs a comprehensive outreach service with access points in every deprived ward in the City. Clients can also contact for advice online and on the telephone and can expect to have their enquiry dealt with within 24 hours through our service.

In recent times, we have embarked on exciting new partnerships with Utility organisations to help vulnerable customers reduce their bills and access advice.

We continue to work with existing and new partners across all three sectors to deliver quality services to the most vulnerable in our society such as the Integration Project, which supports refugees, a holistic service with emphasis on benefits and debt advice project in foodbanks, advice and information to young people in need and housing projects to help those out of crisis.

Terms and Conditions

Contract

Fixed Term Contract June 2019.

Salary

The salary for this post is: £27, 323 - £30,311(FTE) (subject to experience and all criteria met).

Salary is paid on the last working day of the month directly by bank transfer.

Location

The role will be based predominately at acute settings with some work based at Coventry Citizens Advice offices. Some travel is required.

Contracted Place of Work

Based at the central office at Kirby House, Little Park Street, Coventry, CV1 2JZ

Hours of Work

37 hours, with some evening work required.

Probation

There is a probationary period of six months for all new entrants. Subject to satisfactory performance the post holder will have their contract status confirmed at the end of their probationary period.

Annual Leave

On appointment, 25 days + 8 bank holidays, increasing annually until a maximum of 31 + bank holidays is reached.

Sick Pay

Statutory Sick Pay for the first 12 months of employment, then 4 weeks full pay and 2 weeks half pay for Year 2. From year 3, 6 weeks full pay and 7 weeks half pay.

Pension

You will be auto-enrolled into the organisation’s pension scheme. You have the right to opt out of this scheme.

Other benefits

We also offer a range of additional benefits:

  • Childcare Voucher Scheme
  • Bike to Work Scheme
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
  • Regular professional development
  • Health & Wellbeing services provided through Occupational Health
  • Free eye tests and contribution towards lenses/spectacles for Computer users if appropriate

Security Clearance

Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory completion of a security and pre-employment checks. Further information about the security checking procedure is available on request.

Health Clearance

Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory completion of a Health Questionnaire and should you disclose any health issues, then any offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory assessment by Occupational Health.

Nationality and Immigration Control

This post is open to Nationals of States within the British Commonwealth and the European Economic Area (EEA). There must be no employment restriction or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK.

How to Apply

Instructions

The closing date for applications: no end date

Interviews: TBC

Please email your fully completed application form to:

If you are unable to make an electronic application, you may submit your application on paper and post to:

Balwant Nahal

Coventry Citizens Advice

Kirby House

Little Park Street

Coventry

CV1 2JZ

Selection Process

After the closing date we will consider all applications carefully and invite those candidates who appear, from the information available, to be the best-suited for the post to interview.

It is important therefore that your application gives a full but concise description of the nature, extent and level of the responsibilities you have held.

If selected, details of the interview process will be sent to you by email or letter.

Expenses

We will refund travelling costs at the rate of a standard rail fare for the journey, or mileage rates as follows: Cars, 45p per mile.

Please note that proof of purchase will be required for all public transport expenses. We cannot cover the costs of an overnight stay.

Data Protection

We will use your application only to inform the selection process. Applications are kept on record for 12 months after which we will destroy it. If you are successful, it will form the basis of your personnel record with us and we will store it in a manual file. We will hold any data about you in completely secure conditions with restricted access.

We will include data that you provide on the diversity monitoring form in a general database for statistical monitoring purposes only enabling us to monitor our effectiveness of our policy on Equal Opportunities and Employment. Individuals will not be identified by name.

We shall consider that by submitting the enclosed forms you are giving your consent to the processing of your data in the ways described above.

Religious Divergence

We respect the diversity of our employees and that they come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Our policy is to respect all religious faiths and we will, where reasonably practical, be supportive when staff want to follow their regular practices connected with their religion.

Coventry Citizens Advice

MACMILLAN – Specialist Benefits Adviser

Fixed Term Contract to June 2019

Salary:£27,323 – to £30,311 (FTE) (subject to experience and all

criteria met)

Hours:37

Responsible to:Macmillan Project Manager

Employed by:Coventry Citizens Advice (CCA)

Based at:Base consistent with service delivery at allocated NHS acute Cancer Service venues across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Main Office:Kirby House, Little Park Street, Coventry CV1 2JZ

Overall Purpose of the Job:

  • To provide specialist advice and where appropriate casework to representational level, on matters relating to social security (welfare benefits), tax credits, Local Authority entitlements and grants to mitigate the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis and support the delivery of first class cancer care.
  • To provide the above for people affected by cancer at the following specific cancer support pathway points:
  • Diagnosis/Staging: this includes clients who have had diagnostic tests and a diagnosis of cancer (primary or metastatic disease) confirmed and also includes 'surveillance' for clients with slow growing cancer which may not need treatment at diagnosis e.g. some prostate cancers and lymphomas.
  • Treatment - this includes people during active treatment and those that have ended active treatment (up to 6 months post treatment).
  • Palliative Care: treatment and support aimed at relieving symptoms or pain rather than curing the condition.
  • End of Life: This includes people with advanced disease where it is not unreasonable to expect death within 6 months and also covers post bereavement support.

(Clients may seek advice at other points in the cancer journey and it is expected that they would access the Macmillan Support line through an integrated offer.)

  • To deliver this service mainly face to face in hospital settings, ideally cancer unit or cancer treatment centres, ensuring that delivery is integrated with cancer care teams to provide seamless referral pathways that complement the assessment and care planning process. Support should also be made available through multi channels (telephone, email and web) when appropriate.

Job Description:

Advice work

  • Provide Citizens Advice specialist advice and casework face to face with the specialist approaches required to people affected by cancer at specific stages in their cancer journey.
  • Provide advice through multi channels (telephone/email/web) in agreement with manager when Face to Face may not be appropriate.
  • Determine the nature and details of clients’ enquiries and prepare a plan that meets clients’ needs in line with the service provision specifications, and in support of their cancer care treatment plan.
  • Act for clients by negotiations with third parties as appropriate to deliver advice needs.
  • Refer to other advisers or outside agencies as required and ensure appropriate referrals to the Macmillan Support Line and Financial Guidance Services Team.
  • Delivery of service at an appointed Hospital/Acute setting, and when required across the other acute cancer service settings in Coventry and Warwickshire to support consistent service delivery. Occasional Home visits or appointments at other venues may be required in specific circumstances with agreement of the service manager. Including weekly attendance at the central office.
  • Provide peer support to other specialist benefits advisers delivering the service, relating to technical matters and options available to clients.
  • Maintain detailed case records using the case management system for the purpose of continuity of case work and information retrieval, in line with the requirements of the Operational Policies, Citizens Advice - Advice Quality Standards (AQS) and Macmillan Cancer Support.
  • Ensure all data and service information is communicated promptly to the central office as required, and that all client information is stored securely in line with our Information Assurance and data protection policies.
  • Ensure the delivery of individual service targets and support the delivery of the wider targets for the whole service.

Service Development

  • Act as lead relationship contact for allocated delivery setting, publicise the service to associated health and social care professionals, and support the continued provision of the venue with lead contact.
  • Engage in the Macmillan Peer Review Scheme via a framework of cross organisation file review to support developing consistency across the new service model as required by service manager and Macmillan Cancer Support.
  • Work with the Project Manager to identify areas to improve the service, and engage in service reviews, skills development and peer support at team meetings, and other opportunities.
  • Gather statistics and quality feedback from clients, partners and other stakeholders in order to monitor and evaluate the service, providing reports as required by managers, funders and partners.
  • Ensure that all work conforms to CCA systems and procedures and meets standards and service specifications set by Macmillan Cancer Support.
  • Participate in and actively contributing to the development of CCA by attending regular team meetings and by any other means which will assist in the development of the organisation.
  • Develop working relationships with other professionals working with the client group, network with other professionals in the advice work field and represent the project at meetings with other agencies as appropriate in agreement with Project Manager.
  • Attend and participate in any relevant forums as detailed by Macmillan Cancer Support.

Training and Development

  • Engage in continuous development of skills as a competent specialist adviser, delivery through multi channels (telephone/email/web), and specialist understanding of needs of the client group.
  • Attend internal/external training as specified by Project Manager
  • Keep up to date with legislation, case law and policies and procedures.
  • Prepare for and attend supervisory sessions/team meetings and Annual Appraisals.

Administration

  • Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of supervision, retrieval, statistical monitoring and audit.
  • Provide statistical information on number of clients seen, the nature of cases, and outcomes.
  • As lead contact work with venue providers and ensure that all delivery and use of the venue conforms to their organisational systems and procedures.
  • Ensure that any temporary changes to service delivery are adequately publicised, and liaise with manager and wider team to ensure cover is maintained across all delivery venues.
  • Comply with CCA Health and Safety Policy and Procedures, including safe transportation of equipment between head office, home and venues, and adhering to the lone working policy, and any home working policies as appropriate.

Social Policy

  • Support Macmillan/Citizens Advice’s research and campaigns work by providing case studies and feedback on issues of concern to people affected by cancer by;
  • Bringing these to Team meetings
  • Completing electronic evidence forms
  • Raising awareness and reporting to the research and campaigns officer any particular trends affecting the client group.

At All Times – standard for all CCA employees