JOB ROLE DESCRIPTION

Role Title: Advice and Information Officer / Service Area: Advice and Support
Location: Head Office, London N17
Reports To: Deputy Chief Executive / Salary: £27,227
Date: May 2012
Context:
Age UK Haringey is at a turning point in its development - as it looks to re-design its services in line with the current and future needs of older people in a way that is sustainable for the long term. This will help us meet the needs of older people and enable them to continue living as active citizens in the local community, access healthy living activities and contribute their skills whilst making and regaining friendships.
The Advice and Support service area works with older people empowering them to obtain the information, advice and practical support they need to lead independent lives.
Age UK Haringey is re-designing its services in line with the current and future needs of older people in a way that is sustainable for the long term. This will involve recruiting, training and deploying volunteers to support an updated approach which will ensure older people are signposted to appropriate local services; ensure that they access benefit entitlements, help them organise practical help at home and support their continued active participating in the community
Core Purpose of Role:
Provide a holistic and personalised information and advice service for older people and their carers, delivered to Community Legal Services quality standards. To promote the opportunities of working with volunteers, signposting to available support and maximising benefit entitlement.
To work collaboratively with the Development Officer, Advocacy.
To train, supervise and support Information and Advice volunteers.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Main Responsibilities:
1.  Deliver face-to-face advice and casework at a range of community venues and in people’s homes.
2.  Comply with the Community Legal Service Quality Mark and other relevant quality standards.
3.  Train supervise and support volunteers to provide information and advice including welfare benefits.
4.  Train, supervise and support volunteers enabling them to use a time specific, goal oriented approach.
5.  Contribute to the ongoing refresh of the Information and Advice Strategy.
6.  Make use of qualitative and quantitative data across information and advice initiatives to demonstrate their value; providing reports and service statistics are required.
7.  Liaise effectively with a range of people across the local community, including statutory, voluntary and commercial sectors.
8.  Keep abreast of all relevant legislation and health and social services provision that affect the provision of care for older people and share this knowledge with colleagues and service users.
Key Accountabilities:
1.  Provide an agreed combination of drop-in and appointment-based information and advice service sessions supported with Information and Advice volunteers.
2.  Oversee the risk assessment process for all venues used for information and advice activities, ensuring compliance with health and safety guidance.
3.  Maximise the opportunity for people who use the information and advice service to move on to becoming information and advice volunteers themselves.
4.  Work with Development Officers leading on local networks to enable them to address the non-specialised needs of older people at neighbourhood level.
5.  Maintain accurate, effective casework notes.
6.  Collate and analyse quantitative (output) data in required report formats to agreed timescales.
7.  Produce outcome-focused reports including qualitative data, demonstrating the impacts, benefits, risks for the services delivered to agreed timescales.
8.  Implement agreed methods of obtaining and responding to older people’s views with particular emphasis on capturing information and advice service user satisfaction feedback in a timely, appropriate and culturally sensitive manner.
9.  Maintain up to date knowledge of national and local information that can lead to new opportunities for initiatives to be developed; use report writing skills to show why and how these could be of benefit to local people.
10.  Ensure the Information and Advice initiatives and activities are promoted and marketed to all sections of the community, delivering effective presentations to encourage take-up of available services with a diverse range of older people.
11.  Contribute to relevant websites and newsletters (etc) to promote the work of Age UK Haringey and the wider voluntary and community sector.
12.  Participate in regular allocations meetings to review progress against agreed Information and Advice quality standards; ensure correct opening and closing of files are observed.
13.  Monitor the range of services (information, advice, advocacy, leisure / educational activity, medical, social, benefits, housing, etc) that service users are being empowered to access; take affirmative action enabling individuals to maximise opportunities.
14.  Contribute to the preparation of fundraising bids for the sustainability of established and evolving projects within your service area.
Other Accountabilities:
1.  Energetically contribute to Age UK Haringey’s professional, friendly and timely welcome, enabling older people to access and gain from our own and other organisations’ services.
2.  Support the ethos of Age UK by maximising engagement with activities and tasks that promote volunteers and volunteering, implementing a consistent and effective support structure for volunteers and staff.
3.  Develop innovative and individually-focused solutions to respond to the changing needs of service users.
4.  Work as part of a team acting as a leader and/or participant as required.
5.  Contribute to fundraising initiatives including new ideas that use entrepreneurial solutions to meet the challenges faced by Age UK Haringey and our service users; supporting the organisation to move from grant provided services to offering charged-for services using the principles and values of a sustainable social business model.
6.  Develop external networks that support collaborative working, such as, working on a voluntary and community sector led service initiative (e.g. Timebank - that will enable older people to access non-paid for support).
7.  Attend and participate constructively in supervision and appraisal sessions, training programmes, and meetings.
8.  Contribute to relevant websites and newsletters (etc) to promote the work of Age UK Haringey and the wider voluntary and community sector.
9.  Be responsible for recognising vulnerable people and following agreed procedures to report and record, following all Safeguarding Policies as required.
10.  Undertake other duties as required to support the smooth functioning of Age UK Haringey in keeping with the overall grading and general responsibilities of the post.

NB: All employees are expected to adhere to Age UK’s Data Protection, Diversity & Equality and Health & Safety Policies.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Abilities:
Able to train, support and motivate a team of volunteers.
Good verbal and written communication skills; able to write concise, accurate and timely reports and casework notes.
Able to grasp and interpret complex and detailed information; able to explain and share this with others.
Good interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate at different levels and across a range of agencies to support service users and ensure service development.
Knowledge:
Extensive and up to date knowledge of the welfare benefits system.
Understanding of the issues around working closely within a multi-disciplinary team.
Understanding of older people’s circumstances with knowledge of their physical, psychological, social and financial needs.
Awareness of the principles of ‘personalisation’ and the related changes being implemented across care and related sectors; how these relate to the work of Age UK Haringey.
A wide range of typical IT tools including database, word processing, email and spreadsheet applications.
The importance of confidentiality and protection of data.
Safeguarding Legislation and its practical implementation within a voluntary sector organisation; knowledge of social services procedures around Fair Access to Care Services.
Equal Opportunities Policy within employment and service delivery areas; knowledge of issues related to equalities and diversity.
Health and Safety requirements, including First Aid.
Experience:
Experience of undertaking casework as a welfare rights worker or similar.
Involving older people in the development of services and activities; taking a holistic view of the person and their needs.
Working with volunteers.
Experience of working within the third, public or social sectors.
Telephone-based or face-to-face assessment, advice and signposting.
Qualifications:
A current Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau assessment
Good numeracy skills
3