Job title: Welfare Rights Worker Salary: £36,124 - £37,938 (pro rata) Hours: 37 but open to Job Share / Part Time Contract: Temporary for 12 months Location: Merrion House, 1st Floor West, 110 Merrion Centre, LS2 8BB with Hybrid Working in place As a Welfare Rights Worker you thrive on making a difference to people lives by providing advice and support regarding Welfare Benefits. Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions. About You As a Welfare Rights Worker, you will bring to the role: Excellent listening and communication skills Excellent attention to detail A willingness and ability to learn The ability to work under pressure and multitask A working knowledge of Welfare Benefits About The Role As our next Welfare Right Worker, you will play a vital role in helping the Citizens of Leeds maximise their income. Your role will be to provide comprehensive Welfare Benefits Advice to ensure clients are fully aware of what is available to them. This advice is predominantly provided by telephone but there will be some face-to-face advice sessions involved at various sites across the city. You will assist clients to complete benefit application forms ensuring the information completed is accurate and clearly reflects their circumstances and needs. The role also involves assisting clients appeal benefit decisions therefore you will need the ability to read and interpret complex Benefit Legislation along with excellent written skills to argue a client case. The role is integral to the Welfare Rights team to ensure the Citizens of Leeds have access to free impartial advice regarding Welfare Benefits. What We Offer You We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including: a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further How To Apply Apply for this job online. Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Diane Coombes, Section Manager. Call 0113 3788394 or email diane.coombes@leeds.gov.uk A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children or Adultsbarred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy. We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people. This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying. Job Description Job purpose The Welfare Rights Unit offers information and advice on a whole range of welfare benefits to clients across Leeds. We are looking to appoint a Welfare Rights Worker who is hard working, committed and enthusiastic and who wants to help make a real difference to people lives. Responsibilities To provide a comprehensive welfare benefits and rights service that is confidential, impartial and non-judgmental To offer information and advice on a whole range of welfare benefits and to have the ability to convey very complex benefit legislation in a simple way to clients To provide advice and information via surgeries, telephone, home visits, email and web chat To support clients with appeals, producing submissions and if appropriate representing at appeal hearings To actively encourage benefit take-up To assist with the production of publicity material including leaflets and posters etc To deliver talks and awareness sessions in the daytime and evening as necessary To develop positive working relationships with other Council departments and agencies to share information and make good referrals as appropriate To manage own workload, and undertake clear case recording and follow up work from enquiries To act as mentor and help to support new Welfare Rights Workers and Assistant Welfare Rights Workers To work as part of a team, to support and assist colleagues, and to attend regular team meetings and training courses as required To maintain a high level of confidentiality and to sign a declaration to that effect To work flexibly to meet the needs of customers, and the ongoing development of the service The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post. Qualifications Minimum grade C GSCE in Maths and English Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements. Skills Ability to case record effectively Ability to carry out complex calculations Ability to deal sensitively with a wide range of enquiries Ability to respect confidentiality Ability to work to customer care standards Ability to develop productive working relationships with health partners, Council departments and other agencies Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, face to face, over the telephone. Ability to deliver talks/presentations to groups Excellent organisational skills Ability to prioritise and organise own work Ability to read and interpret very complex benefit legislation Ability to manually calculate benefit entitlement and to provide better off calculations to enable customer to make informed financial decisions Ability to work under pressure and multitask Ability to remain calm when dealing with clients who become upset/aggressive KNOWLEDGE A excellent understanding of welfare rights issues An excellent in depth working knowledge of welfare benefits legislation Good level of understanding of the public sector Experience Experience of working in a customer services environment Experience of working in a welfare rights field Experience of doing appeal work Experience of directly advising clients on a one to one basis Experience of working to tight deadlines, and with competing priorities Experience of using a variety of computer packages Behavioural And Other Related Characteristics Ability to work effectively as part of a team Totally committed to excellent customer care and putting the customer at the heart of everything you do Willing to be adaptable and flexible To work on own initiative, without supervision, and to show self-reliance and foresight Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct. Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies. Carry out all duties having regard to an employee responsibility under Health and Safety Policies. Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities. Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities. Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures. Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council. Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person. The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters. Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates Experience of outreach work including home visits Apply for this job