Temporary Housing Caseworker

Thank you for your interest in working at North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice (N&WGCA). This job pack should give you everything you need to know to apply for this role.

Applications must be submitted by email, and no CVs will be accepted.

N & WGCA provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice and information to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. Our involvement in the local community and the provision of accessible advice for local people is important to us.

We have offices in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Cinderford. Whilst we are part of national Citizens Advice, N&WGCA is an independent charity and company limited by guarantee.

The role

Location: Remote
Type of contract: Temporary cover – 3 months
Reporting To: Health Projects Manager
Application deadline: We are looking to appoint as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close early once a suitable candidate is found.
Company Benefits: £25,000 - £28,783 (dependent on experience)

Pension: Contribution of 7% based on 4% employee contribution

Employee Assistance Scheme: Health Assured

Birthday Leave: Take a day to celebrate your annual personal milestone. This leave does not form part of your annual leave entitlement.

Christmas Closure: Our office will be closed between Christmas and New Year’s, and these days won’t count towards your holiday entitlement.

Flexible Working Policy: Includes compressed hours, flexitime, homeworking/hybrid

Role purpose

The role is Temporary Housing Caseworker working with clients in the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury area who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. You will be based remotely and will be working closely and supporting our Housing Specialist. You will report to our Health Projects Manager.

In addition to housing support, they you will provide advice on income maximisation, energy,
budgeting and debt.

Role profile

Key work areas and tasks:

Casework

• Provide casework covering the full range of housing advice including homelessness, allocations, anti-social behaviour and landlord issues;
• Work with colleagues to ensure clients are assisted with other related problems such as benefits, debt and energy where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate;
• Access grants and charitable support for clients as required;
• Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts as appropriate and negotiate with third parties as appropriate;
• Assist clients where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning;
• Maintain case records for the purposes of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation;
• Ensure that all casework conforms to the organisation’s Office Manual and the Advice Quality Standard and the specialist Quality Mark as appropriate.

Research & Campaign

• Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information about clients’ circumstances;
• Provide statistical information on the number of clients and nature of cases and provide regular reports to the organisation’s management.

Professional Development

• Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to specified area and undertaking appropriate training;
• Attend training courses;
• Prepare for and attend supervision sessions and team meetings.

Administration

• Use IT for case recording, record keeping and document production; Attend internal and external meetings as agreed with the manager;

Other duties and responsibilities

• Promote the aims, policies, and membership requirements of the Citizens Advice service;
• Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
• Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
• Maintain complaints procedures in accordance with Citizens Advice guidelines;
• Comply with data protection regulations and report any issues to the Health Projects Manager.
• Work cooperatively with colleagues and encourage good teamwork, clear lines of communication and common practices within the LCA team.

Person specification

Essential

1. Previous experience working for a local Citizens Advice, including knowledge of case recording system.
2. Recent experience of housing case work, ideally two years of practical advice experience, including knowledge of the Renters Rights Act
3. Effective oral and written communication skills with particular emphasis on negotiation and representation
4. Good numeracy skills with the ability to carry out accurate benefit calculations
5. The ability to prioritise tasks, to identify and work to deadlines and to manage time effectively under own initiative
6. The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with clients. An  understanding of the need for confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach to advice provision
7. The ability to give and receive feedback objectively and a willingness to challenge constructively
8. Demonstrate an understanding of research and campaigns issues, social trends and their implications for clients and service provision.

Applying for this post

To apply for this post, please complete our application form, which can be found on our website by clicking on Apply Now. Completed application forms should then be emailed via the email address to the right of this advert.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted for interview.

If you have not been contacted within one week of the closing date, please assume that your
application has not been successful on this occasion.

In accordance with Citizens Advice national policy we may require the successful candidate to
be screened by the DBS. However, a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to your being
able to take up the job.