The Welfare Benefits Support Worker is a new fixed-term role funded by Independent Age, a charity working to reduce poverty in later life, and based at Ty Hosbis, our base in Whitchurch, Cardiff. Working alongside our experienced Welfare Benefits Advisors, you will be responsible for providing practical and side by side welfare benefits support for older people, making it easier for them to access timely financial help and support.
As a welfare benefits support worker, you will be responsible independent casework for activities such as dealing with initial calls, benefits checks and reviews, straightforward case work, and accessing appropriate concession, and making referrals to services that promote and maintain safety. You will also be responsible for administrative tasks such as appointment management, case recording and collection of statistics.
You will be compassionate, resilient, motivated and flexible, and as a member of the wider City Hospice team, be a strong advocate and supporter of the Charity.This role will involve regular face-to-face and telephone work with people with life-limiting illness.
Main duties of the job
Key Duties and Responsibilities
* Work as part of an AQS accredited and monitored Welfare Benefits Advice service offering needs led welfare benefits support for patients, carers and bereaved people.
* Be a point of contact for new referrals ,implement a screening processes to enable appropriate and timely case allocation.
* Effectively manage case work
* Complete Face-to-face or over the telephone benefits application, Sensitive applications including special rules claims, Make applications for blue badges, including renewals and make onward referrals to external services such as key safes, telecare and meals on wheels.
* Work with the Day Hospice and Wellbeing Services Team to provide direct and practical support to older people including completing applications, building digital skills and confidence.
* Support the Welfare Benefits Advisors with running money worries sessions as required.
* Be a first point of contact for incoming calls and queries.
* Maintain confidentiality and keep concise, up-to-date, and accurate records.
* Communicate sensitively and effectively with patients and families.
* Collect service user feedback as required.
About us
About us
City Hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care and support for people living with life-limiting illness and their families from our Ty Hosbis building and across Cardiff through our expert multi-disciplinary teams. Our focus is on enabling people to live well, and when the time comes, to die well.
We are ambitious to meet the needs of our community today but also be prepared for the future which will include greater demand and complexity.
For further information please visit www.cityhospice.org.uk
Job responsibilities
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
* Work as part of an AQS accredited and monitored Welfare Benefits Advice service offering needs-led welfare benefits support for patients, carers and bereaved people.
* Supporting patients and/or families in understanding their welfare rights
* Be a point of contact for new referrals and implement screening processes to enable appropriate and timely case allocation.
* Effectively manage case work allocated by the Welfare Benefits Advisors.
* Complete delegated task including:
* Face-to-face or over the telephone benefits applications
* Sensitive applications including special rules claims
Make applications for blue badges, including renewals
Make onward referrals to external services such as key safes, telecare and meals on wheels.
* Work with the Day Hospice and Wellbeing Services Team to provide direct and practical support to older people including completing applications and building digital skills and confidence.
* Support the Welfare Benefits Advisors with running money worries sessions as required.
* Be a first point of contact for incoming calls and queries.
* Spot the signs that patients, carers and bereaved people need extra or more specialist welfare benefits support and escalate appropriate.
* Work in an integrated way, ensuring seamless support for patients and families across City Hospice, and where appropriate across organisational boundaries.
* Be an advocate for appropriate needs-led care.
* Be aware of the requirement to maintain confidentiality and keep concise, up-to-date, and accurate records (paper and using relevant databases)
* Demonstrate sensitivity and respect for people from different religious and cultural backgrounds and sexual orientation.
Person Specification
Personal Attributes
* Able to work independently and as part of a team
* Able problem solve, and work both flexibly and methodically
* Able to cope with uncertainty and change
* Positive and can do attitude
* Excellent attendance record
Qualifications
* Maths and English GCSE
* Understanding of the needs of the aging population
* Understanding of the impact of financial issues
* Insight into the challenges and barriers to accessing welfare benefits
* Awareness of the need to escalate significant or critical issues in a timely manner .
* Awareness of other sources of welfare benefits and advice
* Understanding the needs of the vulnerable or seriously ill
* Experience in welfare rights or benefit advice
Experience
* Commitment to service and quality improvement
* Excellent organisation skills including effective diary management and meeting deadlines
* Administration and IT skills including good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and databases
* Experience of team working
* Experience of working in a health or social care setting
* Experience of liaising with departments such as the Department of Work and Pensions
* Experience of working within information services
Skills
* Good written and verbal communication skills
* Ability to impart information in a clear and easy to understand way
* Ability to speak Welsh
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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