Financial Assessment Officer

West Northamptonshire Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and family-friendly working

Generous annual leave

Employee benefits and discounts

LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme)

Learning and development opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

West Northants Council is seeking a Financial Assessment Officer to help adults navigate how care is funded and what support is available. You will gather financial information, complete assessments and explain decisions with empathy and clarity, supporting residents at important moments in their lives.

This role balances analytical work with strong people skills, applying legislation and guidance while safeguarding and promoting welfare.

Qualifications

• No prior financial assessment experience required.
• Ability to apply legislation and guidance with sensitivity.
• Strong communication and people skills.

Responsibilities

• Gather and review residents' financial information and complete assessments.
• Advise on welfare benefits and other sources of financial assistance.
• Collaborate with Adult Social Care and maintain accurate records to support fair decisions.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Analytical thinking

Rapport building

Attention to detail

Organisation

Job description

As a Financial Assessment Officer, you'll help adults receiving care and support understand how their care is funded and what financial support may be available to them. Money can be a difficult conversation at the best of times. When somebody is receiving care and support, it can feel even more daunting. That's where this role comes in.

Working closely with residents, their families and professionals across Adult Social Care, you'll carry out financial assessments that help determine what someone may contribute towards the cost of their care. While the role has a strong analytical element, it's equally about people. You'll be supporting individuals at important moments in their lives, helping them navigate complex information and ensuring they're treated fairly, sensitively and with respect throughout the process.

This is a role for someone who enjoys understanding people's circumstances, applying legislation and guidance, and finding solutions that make a genuine difference. It's not about spreadsheets all day. It's about combining sound judgement, attention to detail and strong people skills to help residents access the support they need.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Our Benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council

What will you be doing?

You'll spend much of your time speaking with residents, carers and families, whether that's in their home, over the phone, within a hospital setting or through written correspondence. You'll gather and review financial information, complete assessments and help people understand how decisions have been reached.

You'll also identify opportunities to maximise an individual's income by providing advice and support around welfare benefits and other sources of financial assistance. Some conversations will be straightforward, while others may be more sensitive, particularly when discussing finances with someone who is vulnerable or experiencing significant change in their life.

Alongside your work with residents, you'll collaborate with colleagues across Adult Social Care, contribute to service improvements and maintain accurate records that support fair and consistent decision making.

Why join us?

Financial Assessments is a specialist area where no two cases are the same. You'll develop expertise in adult social care funding, welfare benefits and legislation while working alongside colleagues with a wealth of knowledge and experience. It's an environment where questions are encouraged, learning is ongoing and knowledge is shared across the team.

The role offers a unique opportunity to build a broad skillset. You'll develop your analytical abilities, strengthen your confidence in handling complex conversations and gain valuable insight into the challenges and experiences faced by people across our communities. If you're someone who enjoys learning, developing and making a meaningful contribution, you'll find plenty of opportunities to grow here.

Alongside a Rewarding Career, We Offer

• Flexible and family-friendly working arrangements
• Generous annual leave
• Employee benefits and discounts
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Learning and development opportunities
• Health and wellbeing support

About you

We're looking for someone who is equally comfortable working with people and information.

You’ll be a confident communicator who can build rapport quickly and approach sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism. You understand that behind every assessment is a person, and you're able to balance compassion with the need to make fair, evidence based decisions.

You don’t need previous experience in financial assessments, but you’ll be someone who enjoys learning, can understand and apply legislation and guidance, and has the curiosity to ask questions and investigate details. You’ll be organised, resilient and comfortable managing your own workload while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Whether your background is in customer services, welfare benefits, housing, social care, financial inclusion, advice work or another people‑focused environment, you’ll bring a genuine desire to help others and the ability to look beyond the numbers to understand an individual’s wider circumstances.

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like‑minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.