Advice and Information Worker

CARERS UK

ADVICE AND INFORMATION WORKER

SALARY:£22, 221 - £25,472 + £3,299 ILW pro rata

HOURS:35 per week

ANNUAL LEAVE:25 days + 3 days to be taken at Christmas when the office is closed

PENSION:5% salarycontribution to Group PersonalPension

RESPONSIBLE TO:Head of Advice and Information

RESPONSIBLE FOR:The provision of advice and information services to carers in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelseaand one day/week Carers UK Adviceline work.

POST BASED AT: 20 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4LX and frequent delivery of services in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.

DURATION OF CONTRACT:Until August 2013

JOB DESCRIPTION

Aim of the Post

To provide carers with detailed and accurate advice and information on social security and community care law and the local services and health support available in Kensington and Chelsea.

To deliver information events and advice session on a regular basis in Kensington and Chelsea.

To give accurate and detailed advice, information and support to carers contacting the national Carers UK Adviceline.

Note: This post will provide one day/week of advice and information to carers through the national Carers UK Adviceline. The rest of the time will be spent working on the Carers Kensington and Chelsea project. The post will work with both the national Carers UK Adviceline team and Carers Kensington and Chelsea – a service run by Carers UK.

Main Duties

Providing advice and information

To provide accurate and detailed advice and informationon a range of social welfare legislation and practice - including welfare benefits, community care and the local services and health support available in Kensington and Chelsea - to carers and to other people who advise carers - face to face, over the telephone, by email, in writing and by other media as appropriate.

To give accurate and detailed advice, information and support to people who contact the national CarersUK Adviceline. Advice and information are given over the telephone, by email, in writing and by other media as appropriate.

To keep accurate case records of the advice given to carers and others.

To develop and maintain a knowledge base of local services for carers and the people they are looking after in Kensington and Chelsea - and to develop an excellent understanding of the working practices of those services.

To keep up to date with developments in legislation and the policy and practice of statutory and voluntary agencies nationally, and in Kensington and Chelsea, that may affect the rights of carers or the people they look after.

To organise and promote advice sessions for carers in a variety of locations at different times across the borough.

To network with professionals with a view to implementing and developing new advice services for carers.

To develop excellent working relationships with other voluntary sector agencies, local authority and health staff and employers and to work in partnership with them to promote, enhance and deliver services.

To promote all the services available to carers within Kensington and Chelseaand neighbouring boroughs.

To promote assessments, assist in completing self assessment forms for carer’s assessments and promote awareness of personalisation.

To deliver advice sessions and information events at a number of new locations throughout the project.

To ensure that the carers’ advice and information service is promoted amongst carers and professionals, including GPs surgeries, health professionals, sister organisations etc.

To ensure that hidden carers and those from vulnerable or excluded groups have access to advice, information and support and to actively work to promote Carers Kensington and Chelsea amongst these groups.

To give presentations on the work of Carers Kensington and Chelsea, the support available in the borough and carers’ needs to a variety of audiences.

To deliver information events and training in Kensington and Chelsea.

To contribute to the planning and development processes of the Council and the PCT, liaise with senior council and health officialsand enable carers to contribute to the planning and development processes.

To collect relevant information for the purposes of monitoring, evaluation, feedback and improvement of services

To work in co-operation with colleagues from within Carers UK.

To work in accordance with Carers UK’s diversity policy.

In co-operation with the other teams within Carers UK, to work towards keeping colleagues, carers and outside organisations aware of developments in legislation or in the policy or practice of statutory and non statutory bodies. To attend meetings with such bodies as appropriate.

In co-operation with colleagues, to represent the views of carers and of Carers UK to both statutory and non-statutory bodies.

To help devise and develop policy initiatives that will benefit carers. To attend meetings with colleagues and outside agencies.

To provide technical support to colleagues where their work requires a detailed knowledge of legislation, practice and policy as it effects carers.

To provide briefing papers and case studies to support the work of colleagues.

To represent and explain the policies and principles of Carers UK to carers.

To attend staff meetings and Carers UK staff conferences as directed.

To work at all times in accordance with all policies and procedures of Carers UK.

To be self servicing in the use of IT such as Microsoft Word, spreadsheet and database programmes.

To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post as required by the Head of Advice and Information.

Person Specification

Recent experience of advice work and specifically of dealing with and resolving complex social security or community care enquiries.

In depth knowledge of welfare rights legislation and practice as it affects carers and people with disabilities, including the ability to calculate benefit entitlements, orin depth knowledge of community care legislation and practice as it affects carers and people with disabilities.

A demonstrable ability to learn about – various areas of social welfare law, specifically community care or welfare rights; the health and social care support available to carers and the people they are looking after in Kensington and Chelsea; and the working practices of relevant local and national service providers.

Experience of producing clear and accurate information resources in a variety of different formats for different audiences.

The ability to work independently from various locations, demonstrate initiative, be comfortable in a variety of environments and enjoy working with people.

Experience of instigating, developing and promoting new services.

Experience of networking and developing excellent working relationships with a broad range of organisations.

Experience of delivering presentations.

A track record of meeting targets and deadlines.

Extensive experience of communicating complex information regarding carers rights over the telephone, by email, in writing and face to face.

Willingness to undertake home visits and work in a number of different locations.

Experience of maintaining accurate records of all advice given.

Organisational ability - an ability to juggle a variety of tasks and meet competing deadlines.

Willingness to work under pressure and to respond to carers queries within short timescales.

Excellent listening and interpersonal skills including the ability to work sensitively with individuals who are under a lot of pressure.

The ability to represent Carers UK at meetings.

An understanding of the problems faced by carers.

Good IT skills – including demonstrated proficiency in programmes such as Microsoft word and spreadsheet and database skills.

Ability to create good working relationships with staff in Carers UK and other organisations.

An understanding of equal opportunities

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