Position: Social Welfare & Digital Support Adviser
Location: East London
Salary: £31,000
Type: Permanent
The Role
As a Social Welfare & Digital Support Adviser, you will play a key role in providing comprehensive advice, casework support, and digital support to the residents of Tower Hamlets. As a dedicated and empathetic Social Welfare Advice & Digital Support Adviser, your role will be essential in empowering individuals with complex and multiple needs, helping them navigate the intricacies of the welfare benefits system and access the financial support they deserve. Additionally, you will provide vital digital support to enable clients to manage their welfare claims online, enhancing their digital confidence and independence. Through a holistic approach that incorporates social, cultural, financial, and digital issues, you will address the diverse needs of our clients, ensuring they receive well-rounded support and are equipped to navigate the online systems essential to managing their welfare benefits.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Conduct detailed, confidential interviews with clients, applying a holistic approach to assess their needs for advice and support, including digital needs.
Assess various aspects such as financial situation, social welfare entitlements, debt, digital literacy, and other significant issues affecting clients and their families.
Provide guidance to clients in accessing and managing welfare benefit claims online. This includes assisting clients with online Universal Credit applications, managing online accounts, and building their digital skills for greater self-sufficiency.
Provide high-quality advice and casework support on all social welfare benefits such as Universal Credit (UC), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance (AA), Council Tax Reduction (CTR), Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP), Carer's Allowance (CA), Housing Benefits (HB), legacy benefits and travel-related services such as blue badge/freedom passes, unemployment benefits, and other welfare benefits. This includes offering digital assistance where needed.
Assist clients in completing application forms, mandatory reconsideration, appeals, and other paperwork related to social welfare benefits, money and debt, funding, and grants, both in person and online.
Ensure that services are adapted to the needs of each client, considering communication, digital abilities, understanding, and vulnerabilities, while supporting their navigation through online platforms.
Provide advice on income maximisation, debt management, budgeting, savings, and accessing financial support, empowering clients to achieve financial independence, including offering digital tools to help manage finances.
Through clear communication and consultation, ensure clients are involved in resolving their social welfare issues, including welfare benefits, debt, and money management, and are kept informed on the progress of their case, particularly regarding digital aspects.
Assist clients in developing digital skills to independently manage online claim forms, journals, and accounts, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate online welfare systems.
Provide advice and casework support that adheres to the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) and digital best practices.
Use the Lamplight database system to organise and manage client support, including digital support case recording and compliance with LHP's case management procedures.
Skills & Experience
Minimum 2 years experience in a similar post.
Experience in advice work on social welfare issues.
Excellent organisational skills, (including attention to detail), managing multiple workstreams, and tasks and working to tight deadlines.
An understanding of financial literacy.
Providing one-to-one Information, Advice, Support or Guidance sessions.
Working to clear goals and targets. Recording outcomes and report writing.
Working within a diverse community.
Knowledge of how the voluntary sector operates in providing service & how the voluntary sector may be funded.
Detailed knowledge on AQS/Community Legal Service Quality Mark standard.
Good knowledge of computer systems - Microsoft Office, Apps, Google Docs, CRM (e.g. AIM's, Advice Pro, Lamplight, Key2CRM software etc.).
Experience in providing digital support for clients, particularly in helping them manage online welfare claims, develop digital confidence, and navigate digital systems.
Ability to provide and present professional reports.
Committed to delivering a high-quality service.
Highly motivated and enthusiastic approach to work.
Commitment to developing social policy based on local action with an ability to think in these terms.
Ability to work under pressure, both on your own and as part of a team.
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