Financial Support Officer

SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL; Mid Suffolk; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

LGPS pension

Travel benefits

Pay progression

Training

Career development

Staff networks

Flexible working

Job summary

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Financial Support Officer to help vulnerable adults manage their finances, including paying bills, benefits and interacting with banks. You will work with families, carers and professionals to ensure decisions are in the clients' best interests.

You will travel across Suffolk to visit clients, manage a busy caseload and respond to changing priorities with care and professionalism.

Qualifications

• Experience handling confidential financial information.
• Ability to work with vulnerable adults and families.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.

Responsibilities

• You will manage clients' day-to-day finances including bank accounts, bills, benefits and investments.
• Prepare Deputyship applications for the Court of Protection.
• Maintain clear financial records and correspondence, ensuring best interests.
• Travel across Suffolk to visit clients, working independently and in a team.
• Safeguard clients from financial abuse and explain financial decisions clearly.
• Communicate with compassion with clients, families and professionals.

Skills

Financial management

Budgeting

Communication

Organisation

Caseload management

Relationship building

Advocacy for clients

Job description

As a Financial Support Officer, you will help vulnerable adults who are unable to manage their own finances. You will manage their money on their behalf, from paying bills and managing benefits to dealing with banks and other organisations, ensuring decisions are always made in their best interests.

What we are looking for

You don't need a professional finance background to succeed in this role. If you're used to managing budgets, keeping on top of finances and making money go further, you may already have many of the skills we're looking for.

You will need to be organised and confident working with financial information, with the ability to manage a busy caseload and balance different priorities and deadlines. You should also be comfortable dealing with banks, utility providers, government departments and other organisations, including questioning or challenging decisions when needed to achieve the best outcome for clients.

Strong communication and relationship-building skills are essential. You will work with people who may have dementia, learning disabilities or other vulnerabilities, as well as their families, carers and professionals, so you will need to communicate with compassion, patience and sensitivity.

The role involves regular travel across Suffolk to visit clients, and you will work both independently and as part of a supportive wider team.

If you are organised, confident with finances and want a role where you can make a meaningful difference to people's everyday lives, we would love to hear from you.

Your role and responsibilities

You will manage your own varied caseload of clients, taking responsibility for their financial affairs and ensuring decisions are made in their best interests.

Your responsibilities will include

• managing clients' day-to-day finances, including bank accounts, household bills, benefits, occupational pensions, savings and investments.
• ensuring clients have access to the money and financial support they need while helping to safeguard them from financial abuse.
• getting to know your clients and understanding their individual circumstances, needs and wishes.
• keeping in regular contact with clients, including visiting them in their own homes, care settings or community environments across Suffolk.
• working closely with family or more… (content trimmed)
• preparing Deputyship applications for the Court of Protection and completing reports for the Office of the Public Guardian.
• maintaining clear and accurate financial records, correspondence and case information.
• dealing sensitively with confidential information and making careful, accountable financial decisions on behalf of clients.

This is a varied role that combines financial management, case management and direct work with vulnerable adults. You will need to feel comfortable taking responsibility for someone else's finances while always keeping their needs and best interests at the centre of your decisions.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the 'How to apply' section towards the bottom of this advert.

The team

The Client Affairs Team is dedicated to supporting some of Suffolk's most vulnerable residents. We manage finances on behalf of individuals through DWP appointeeships and Court of Protection deputyships, helping to safeguard their financial wellbeing and enhance their quality of life.

As part of our friendly and knowledgeable team, you'll benefit from a collaborative environment where learning, innovation and personal development are encouraged. We work flexibly, support one another, and are always looking for new ways to improve the services we provide.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!