Welfare Rights Advisor
Blackett Avenue, Newport
About the role
Salary: In line with minimum wage
Hours: 22.5 hours per week
Closing date: Monday 24th February 2025
Role type: Permanent
Job Summary:
- To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team assessing the individual eligibility and needs of St Davids Hospice Care patients and their families/carers in relation to welfare benefits advice.
- To share specialist knowledge with the multi-disciplinary team.
- To participate in education and training.
Key Working Relationships:
- Family Support Team.
- Clinical Nurse Specialists and Day Hospice Nurses.
- In patient unit staff.
- Patients and families.
- Department of Work & Pensions.
- Local Authority Departments.
- Voluntary Agencies.
- Council Tax and Housing Benefit Offices.
Key Areas of Responsibility:
- Assess individual needs and eligibility in relation to welfare benefits and grants systems.
- Give information and explain options to individuals.
- Identify the level and nature of action to take, and by whom.
- Give appropriate assistance in response to need, e.g. completing applications, contacting third parties to seek information.
- All case recordings to be made in line with SDH policy and to show the advice given, next actions to be taken and by when and whom.
- To monitor and take part in the evaluation and support of unqualified staff, students and volunteers within the team.
Professional
- To manage a caseload of clients who require benefit advice and support
- To carry out telephone benefit check assessments, calculate entitlements
and support people to claim, as appropriate - To see referrals in welfare rights advice clinics in day hospice and resource centres and at home where necessary
- To achieve positive outcomes for patients and families and maximise appropriate benefit entitlements
- To act as an advocate to make the claim process as smooth as possible
- To keep all records in accordance with organisational policy
- To keep accurate written statistics on the work of the welfare rights service
- To liaise with all appropriate statutory agencies
- To produce written reports, as required
- To attend staff meetings and contribute to the development of the welfare rights service
- To liaise with voluntary organisations and charities to maximise support services and financial grants for patients
- To promote independence and autonomy of the patient
- To undertake other appropriate duties as directed by the Family Support Team Manager and the Director of Nursing.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Sound recent knowledge of welfare benefit systems
- Excellent time management and time keeping skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Excellent written and communication skills
- Ability to understand and respect confidentiality
- Ability to develop effective and constructive working relationships within the organisation and with other agencies.
- Ability to use information technology
Desirable
- Experience of advice work directly with clients, or willingness to learn
- Experience of working in a health care or palliative care setting
- Experience of liaison with both voluntary and statutory organisations
- Good knowledge of Microsoft office
Qualities & Attributes
Essential
- Ability to provide compassionate, person centered support.
Use of a car and possession of a UK driving licence is also essential
Other Information
Health and Safety
To ensure that the agreed procedures are carried out and be aware of the responsibilities placed on employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act. To maintain a safe environment for employees and visitors.
Data Protection
If you are required to do so, process and/or use information held on a computer or word processor in a fair and lawful way. To hold data only for specific registered purposes and not to disclose it in any way incompatible with such a purpose. To disclose data to authorised persons or organisations as instructed.
Equal Opportunities
It is the aim of St David's Hospice Care (SDHC) to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality or ethnic origins, or is placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable. To this end, SDHC has an Equal Opportunities Policy and it is for each employee to contribute to its success.
No Smoking Policy
SDHC operates a No Smoking policy.
Conditions of Service:
In accordance with SDHC Employment Manual.
Pension Scheme
A Pension Scheme is offered on appointment. Staff may prefer to make their own arrangements.
Confidentiality
All information concerning patients/clients and staff must be treated as strictly confidential at all times.
Thank you for your application
We will get back to you as soon as we can.
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