Welfare Benefits Team Supervisor

Bradford and Airedale Citizens Advice & Law Centre; Bradford; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Bradford and Airedale Citizens Advice & Law Centre is seeking a Welfare Benefit Adviser to support clients with benefits checks, eligibility, and signposting entitlements. You will gather information, assess needs, and empower clients to make informed decisions.

You will work within a team, maintain detailed case records, and ensure quality advice in line with funder requirements. Commitment to CPD and flexibility are essential to success.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years’ Welfare Benefit advice experience.
• Experience with tribunal advice or welfare benefits contracts is desirable.
• Experience in third/charity sector advice organisations desirable.
• Experience engaging with clients across channels including webchat and telephone.

Responsibilities

• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning to understand problems.
• Offer benefits checks and signposting of entitlements.
• Identify eligibility for grants and one-off support.
• Maintain detailed case records for continuity and reporting.
• Work as part of a team and participate in quality checks.

Skills

Welfare Benefit Advice

Client Empowerment

Data Protection

Communication

Team Collaboration

Education

CPD Commitment

Tools

Cloud-based Systems

Word Processing

Spreadsheets

Email

Job description

Key accountabilities andresponsibilities

Key elements & tasks

Supporting Clients

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

Working as part of a team

Takepart in peer-to-peer file reviews and quality of advice assessments

Bean active member of the wider team, acting and supporting colleagues in acollaborative 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) plus 3.1% salary uplift pending