Welfare Rights Officer

Coventry City Council; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Welfare Rights Officer in its Migration Team. This role focuses on supporting new arrivals in making informed career decisions and navigating welfare systems. Ideal candidates should possess strong communication skills and a proactive attitude towards stakeholder engagement. The organization values diversity and offers a comprehensive rewards and benefits package, promoting inclusion in the workplace.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to engage with refugees and newly arrived communities.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to develop positive working relationships.

Responsibilities

• Screening new arrivals and creating action plans.
• Calculating better-off figures and discussing income benefits.
• Delivering outreach sessions on financial stability.
• Managing a caseload aimed at reducing welfare dependency.

Skills

Excellent communication

Proactive engagement

Organizational skills

Job description

Overview

Coventry City Council’s Migration Team is an innovative and dynamic team that focuses on meeting the needs of newly arriving communities in the city and supporting integration. We work closely with the Job Shop and an array of delivery partners to provide a wide portfolio of top‑quality support to newly arrived communities who are looking for work. We actively partner with local employers to generate opportunities for people who have recently arrived. The Migration Team celebrates diversity while ensuring rights, opportunities and responsibilities are understood. Projects include UK Resettlement, Coventry Step and Step Forward, Homes for Ukraine. We are committed to inclusivity and welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities.

Values

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

Job role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a client‑focused Senior Welfare Rights Officer within the Migration Team. The role involves supporting clients who are being assisted by the Council’s Migration Team, enabling them to deal with queries quickly and effectively and to make better career decisions. Key responsibilities include:

• Screening new arrivals and creating action plans with regular follow‑ups.
• Calculating better‑off figures and discussing the advantages of working income over welfare income.
• Delivering outreach sessions on financial stability to new and long‑term clients.
• Working closely with Employment Officers, Caseworkers and the Housing Team to ensure action plans are followed and supported.
• Producing reports on client progress.
• Managing a caseload of benefit and debt cases aimed at reducing welfare dependency and supporting employment and financial independence.

Who are we looking for?

We seek an experienced Welfare Rights Adviser who is organised, proactive and capable of engaging a wide range of stakeholders. Desired qualities include excellent communication, the ability to develop positive working relationships, and the skill to listen, understand and support clients in a positive manner. Candidates should have a proven ability to engage with refugees, newly arrived communities, disabilities and mental health, and should be dynamic, creative and driven to make a real difference in the resettlement of refugees in Coventry.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups. To qualify you must meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the groups below:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Currently in care or have previously been in care
• Disabled or have a long‑term health condition

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are not offering sponsorship for this role.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a fantastic rewards and benefits package. To find out more, please visit Coventry Council Vacancies.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change. We are committed to excellence in everything we do and aim to recruit and develop talented people who focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.