Welfare Benefits Team Supervisor

BRADFORD CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU; Bradford; On-site; USD 45,303 - 46,635; Full time

Job summary

Bradford Citizens Advice Bureau is seeking a Welfare Benefits Adviser to interview clients with sensitive listening, explore entitlements and empower them to set priorities. The role includes benefits checks, signposting, casework, and contributing to campaigns.

You will maintain case records, support service delivery, and work with colleagues to ensure high-quality advice across channels. Experience in welfare benefits, strong communication, and ability to manage multiple priorities are

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years' experience delivering welfare benefit advice.
• Tribunal advice and representation (desirable).
• Experience under legal aid contracts for welfare benefits (desirable).
• Experience in third/charity sector advice and information (desirable).
• Engaging with clients across channels (webchat, telephone).
• Flexible working, prioritising multiple tasks.
• Strong written and verbal communication; maintain professional boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning to understand problems and priorities.
• Offer comprehensive benefits checks, exploring available state entitlements.
• Identify emergency issues and advise on next steps.
• Assess eligibility for grants and other support; signpost or refer as appropriate.
• Determine if a food/fuel bank referral is required.
• Research options and implications so clients can make informed decisions.
• Advocate for clients using appropriate communication channels.
• Ensure work meets quality standards and funder requirements.
• Maintain detailed case records for continuity, retrieval and reporting.
• Support research and campaigns through case studies and data collection.
• Participate in peer reviews and quality assessments; support team colleagues.
• Promote best practice across the team; assist service delivery rotas.
• Monitor workload and progress with minimal supervision; self-manage delivery of tasks.
• Comply with supervision, data collection procedures and monitoring of outcomes.
• Liaise with external agencies and stakeholders to support service delivery.
• Present a professional appearance and uphold Citizens Advice reputation.
• Undertake other duties within scope to ensure effective delivery.

Skills

Welfare benefit advice

Client communication

Casework management

Research & information gathering

Tools

Cloud-based systems

IT packages (word processing, spreadsheets, email)

Job description

Key accountabilities andresponsibilities

• Interview clients usingsensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients toexplain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities
• Offer comprehensivebenefits checks, exploring the range of available state entitlements
• Identification of emergencyadvice issues, and advice on how to move forward with those issues
• Identification and assessmentof eligibility for grants and other one-off support, signposting/ referringas appropriate
• Determination of whether afood/ fuel bank referral is required
• Research and explore optionsand implications so that clients can make informed decisions
• Act for the client wherenecessary using appropriate communication skills and channels
• Ensure that all work meetsquality standards and the requirements of the funder
• Maintain detailed case recordsfor the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statisticalmonitoring and report preparation
• Support our research andcampaigns work through various channels including case studies, datacollection and client consent

Supporting Clients

• Takepart in peer-to-peer file reviews and quality of advice assessments
• Bean active member of the wider team, acting and supporting colleagues in a collabrative way
• Support and actively contribute to service delivery rotas
• Promote best practice across the team

Performance, Personal Management and Administration

• Take ownership formonitoring own workload e.g. proactively reviewing when new cases are takenon, progress on current cases, outcome of completed cases and qualitycontrol, with minimal supervision
• Be responsible forperformance management at an individual level through: self-management;delivery of goals and tasks set; targets and outcomes; and reporting progress
• Undertake file reviewsand quality of advice assessments, in line with organisation/ contractualrequirements and expectations as required (adviser level only)
• Comply with operationalmanagement systems of supervision, objectives, appraisal and induction
• Complywith data collection procedures and reporting to ensure effective recordingof
• performance monitoring,outcomes and client information

Service Development

• To assist with thedevelopment of the service locally, regionally and nationally, publicisingwork as and when necessary
• Work with colleagues tomaintain a positive working and learning environment, in which equality anddiversity are well managed, dignity at work is upheld and volunteers achievetheir full potential
• Carry out other tasks withinthe scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of therole.

Training

• To ensure throughreading, training and consultancy, that your own level of knowledge aroundWelfare Benefit advice law is up-to-date and that this is disseminated asappropriate
• To identify your owntraining needs in conjunction with the designated lead/ supervisor and beprepared to undertake appropriate training in line with your training andprogression plan
• Deliver training(internally and/ or externally), either through formal training sessions, or 'on the job' coaching to colleagues (adviser level only).

Other duties andresponsibilities

• Liaise, as appropriate,with relevant outside agencies (voluntary and statutory), other LocalCitizens Advice offices and other stakeholders
• Be an active member ofthe wider team, acting and support colleagues in a collaborative way
• To present aprofessional appearance, help maintain an orderly working environment, andact at all times to uphold the good reputation of Citizens Advice
• To comply with allpublished organisational policies and procedures
• Work flexibly toundertake such other reasonable duties and responsibilities

Please note that this jobdescription does not constitute a 'term and condition of employment'. It isprovided only as a guide to assist an individual in the performance of thejob and is not included to be an inflexible list of tasks.

The Citizens Advice Service isa fast-moving organisation and therefore an employee's duties may be variedfrom time to time. The post holder accepts that they may be required to workflexibly and undertake any other work or duties as may reasonably be required,within the scope of and commensurate to the nature of the post.

PersonSpecification

(all criteria are essential, unless otherwise indicated)

Experience (through paid or voluntary work)

• Minimum 2 years' experience of delivering Welfare Benefitadvice in a social welfare context
• Experience of tribunal advice and representation(desirable)
• Experience of working under legal aid contract for welfarebenefits (desirable)
• Experience of working within an advice and information organisationwithin the third/ charity sector (desirable)
• Experience of engaging with clients across a range of channels,including webchat and telephone - sensitive and empower clients
• Experience of flexible working, according to business need, whilebalancing multiple priorities and managing a high workload
• Experience of flexible working according to business demand
• Experience of communicating effectively, both orally and in writing,with a wide range of people
• Experience of accurately drafting letters, reports and complexapplications and presenting work in a clear layout
• Experience of working towards targets

Knowledgeand Understanding

• Technical welfare benefit knowledge
• Comprehensive knowledge of local and national advice servicestrategies and a thorough understanding of poverty, advice issues and theproblems people face; and the ability to translate this understanding intosolutions for people
• Demonstrable understanding and awareness of the relationship betweenWelfare benefits and other areas of Social Welfare Law
• Demonstrable understanding of the emphasis on quality of advice andrelated advice checks
• Demonstrable understanding of funder requirements
• Literate and numerate to the level required by the tasks
• A thorough understanding of professional boundaries and the issuessurrounding confidentiality, data protection and information assurance

Qualificationsand Training

A commitment to continuous professional development (CPD), including awillingness to develop knowledge and skills in required areas

Skillsand Abilities

• Ability to interpret regulations and explain them to clients andcolleagues and to produce clear advice and empowerment
• Ability to provide constructivefeedback to colleagues within a supervision setting or as and when required
• Ability to work on own initiative, proactively manage a variedworkload, ensuring deadlines are met
• Ability to contribute as a member of the team but also work on owninitiative and without close supervision
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including theability to deal appropriately with a range of people via face-to-face,telephone and digital communication methods
• The ability and willingness to liaise with outside agencies, and buildeffective working relationships with local and regional partners
• Willingness and ability tocommit to a rota within the required service delivery hours.

AdditionalFactors

• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team and a commitment tocollective team responsibility
• Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of theCitizens Advice service in which equality and diversity is embeddedthroughout
• Proven ability to use cloud-based systems and IT packages, including,word processing, spreadsheets and email (maintain one or more electronicdiary/diaries), and the ability to use or learn to use other packages asnecessary
• Commitment to continual professional development, including awillingness to develop knowledge and skills in advice topics
• Awareness that Citizens Advice clients are at the heart of everythingwe do

£34,000 - £35,000 PA (pro-rata where part-time)