Citizens Advice Calderdale

Debt Caseworker - MAS DAP contract

Hours:37 per week

Salary:£21,000 - £24,000 pa

Location:37 Harrison Road, Halifax

Responsible to:Project and Quality Manager

Purpose of Post

To provide a comprehensive money advice and debt casework service to clients under the Money Advice Service Face 2 Face contract. To provide casework support to other debt caseworkers and consultancy and training to other advisors within the organisation.

Duties of Post

Advice and Social Policy

  • To undertake detailed casework in money advice and debt matters.
  • Have passed the National Occupational Standards stipulated by the Money Advice Service to enable you to deliver advice at caseworker level
  • To prepare for and represent at County Court hearings.
  • To consult and liaise with other advice workers involved in County Court representation work and with referrals into and from this contract.
  • To negotiate with creditors, landlords, the local authority, finance companies, the Inland Revenue and other agencies as required.
  • Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate welfare benefits, tax refunds etc
  • To analyse information gained from interview and other workers and ensure advice delivered is appropriate and within agreed deadlines.
  • To prepare any necessary case papers and ensure that these are correctly recorded along with key dates, information etc. in the format specified under Citizens Advice PQF
  • To develop and maintain administrative systems for case recording, regular review of cases, monitoring of workload, information retrieval and statistical recording of caseload.
  • To maintain and keep up to date clear and understandable case sheets, records, files and statistics.
  • To monitor advice enquiries around money advice and debt for administration and social policy purposes.
  • To develop and maintain reference and background information around money advice and debt.

Administration:

  • To assist with the development of the service locally and across the District and to publicise the work as and when necessary.
  • To liaise with relevant outside agencies, voluntary, statutory and professional and with other bureaux throughout the Region.

Training:

  • To ensure through reading, training and consultancy that your own level of knowledge around money advice and debt is up-to-date and that this information is disseminated to all advice workers.
  • To identify your own training needs in conjunction with the contract Manager and be prepared to undertake appropriate training.

Supervision

  • Supervise and direct the work of administrative and support staff when they provide direct administrative and secretarial support
  • Undertake file reviews

Other duties:

  • Carry out this job description observing Citizens Advice policies in relation to confidentiality, equal opportunities and anti discrimination at all time
  • Attend team and staff meetings
  • To abide by the health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own safety and that of your colleagues
  • Undertake such duties as are necessary to ensure the smooth running of the office
  • Liaise with your Line Manager to facilitate your own personal and professional development through regular supervision meetings, annual JPR's and ongoing training
  • Participate in undertaking periodic reviews of this job description for consideration by the Trustee Board.

Person Specification - Debt Caseworker MAS DAP

Essential Criteria
Experience / Proven recent experience of money advice and debt work
Experience of advocacy and representation of clients and preparation of cases for presentation at court and relevant hearings.
Experience of handling a caseload showing ability to prioritise work, supervise own workload and meet deadlines.
Skills and Knowledge / Ability to interpret regulations and explain them to clients and other workers and to produce clear, written submissions
Ability to have an ordered approach to casework and to establish and follow set and thorough procedures for casework, file management etc
Ability to manage own workload, plan prioritiesand meet deadlines
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
Ability and willingness to assimilate and learn new skills quickly including information technology
To hold the following National Occupational Standards:
SFJGA2, SFJLA5, SFJAE2, SFJGA6, SFJGA5, AFJBF3, SFJIB11, SFJBF1, SFJGB9, SFJIB12, SFJHA5, SFJBF2, SFJIA2, SFJDA7, SFJDA4
Other / Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice Calderdale service and its equal opportunities policies.
Understanding the importance of confidentiality
A willingness to learn and develop and reflect on practice.
Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.
Numerate and literate to the level required by the tasks.
Effective written and oral communication skills.
Ability to use IT applications to record statistics, produce documents and training materials and keep accurate project records
Ability and willingness to work flexibly, mainly independently and to travel throughout Calderdale.