These roles represent a unique opportunity to provide advice and representation in relation to social security benefits, alongside support and assistance with access to financial advice provision across the County. Two Financial Inclusion Support Officer posts are available. The successful candidates will provide advice and assistance to parents and carers living in County Durham, helping to improve financial wellbeing and access to support. The Financial Inclusion Support Programme actively explores innovative ways to tackle child poverty. Its primary objective is to proactively support families and alleviate poverty by providing personalised, one-on-one support. This includes a strong focus on welfare rights and education entitlements, particularly supporting families to access the benefits they are entitled to, alongside assistance with debt management and reconciliation. The roles are temporary until 31st January 2028. WHAT IS INVOLVED? You will manage a case load advising on financial support and assistance with a particular emphasis on social security benefits and liaise with and refer to other advice agencies and providers where appropriate to promote financial well-being. You will provide a range of services relating to financial advice and assistance through multi-communication channels which will include face to face provision, telephone and on-line. You will advise on financial support and assistance with a particular emphasis on social security benefits. We encourage you to contact Julia Waterhouse via email at julia.waterhouse@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. WHAT WILL I NEED? You will require a Level 4 qualification in a relevant subject. Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. Our commitment to safeguarding Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children. INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held on 30th April 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. OUR OFFER TO YOU We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. HOW TO APPLY Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. Please visit our website to understand our position on using AI to support your application and for guidance on completing your application. If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentCYPS@durham.gov.uk All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161