Ealing Mencap - Job Description Job Title: Ealing Specialist Advice Service (ESAS) advice worker Responsible to: ESAS Manager (employed by Ealing Mencap) Salary: 26,000 Full Time: 35 hpw Fixed Term Contract until: 31 st March 2019 Overall Purpose of the Job: The primary role of this advice caseworker is to provide advice, guidance and customer representation to adult Ealing residents from the following client groups: with sensory impairments including people who are both blind and deaf; whose disabilities limit their physical mobility; with learning disabilities; with autism; with organic and functional mental health problem with substance misuse issues Carers of the individuals listed above Who have other needs/complex issues that require signposting and support to access other appropriate provision This can include older people, people who are socially isolated and people who cannot speak English as a first language. The target number of clients receiving support from the service is estimated at 118 each year The advice caseworker will be required to work within the Advice Quality Standard framework AQS and the Grape Growing Real Advice Provision for Ealing referral standards Working hours As the advice service functions 7 days a week, the role requires staff to work occasional days during weekends and later hours for evening sessions on a rota basis. Place of work
This is a peripatetic role, the post holder whilst having hot desking facilities at a main base, will be expected, on a rotational basis, to work across the borough of Ealing at different sites within the community. Main Duties and Responsibilities are: To deliver support to enquirers and manage a caseload of individuals as agreed with the project manager. You will be expected to assist with: housing advice and housing-related support for those with care and support needs; general money and debt management Information on adult social care and health provision treatment and support for health conditions; and quality of health services availability of services that help people remain independent such as handyman services; availability of befriending services and other services to prevent social isolation availability of aids and adaptations, tele care, assistive technology, apps and other technology to increase independence advice, and applying for disability benefits and other types of welfare benefit availability of employment and training support for disabled adults children s social care services and transition availability of carers services and benefits parenting and caring support sources of independent advocacy, advice and information advice on breaks from caring health and wellbeing of carers; and advice on wider family relationships carers access to financial and legal issues caring and employment, education and learning carer s need for advocacy raise awareness of the need to plan for future care costs; Practical help with planning to meet future or current care costs; access to independent financial advice (anticipated to be registered financial advisors). Assistance completing supported social care self assessment documents for both the vulnerable adult and carer. At the discretion of management take responsibility for the development and facilitation of peer/self- advocacy groups. Enabling local users of health and social care and carers to participate in consultation activities and partnership boards and have a view and a voice on local services and support. Where required, attend client appointments in the community, at their home or at surgeries. Attend training, forums and meetings to ensure knowledge remains relevant and up to date. Suggested forums include housing benefit liaison meetings, advice worker support network, Ealing Advice Forum and on-line resources.
Will keep up to date about current best practice and legislation within the health and social care and advice fields. Provide updates and feedback to the ESAS team Assist colleagues within ESAS with enquiries which relate to your specialist knowledge and experience of working with a particular client group. Use the Charity Log database to record details of all client contacts and ensure client information is kept up to date. Using the correct templates, conduct outcomes assessments with clients at the following times: o With all existing open cases at the start of the project o With all new cases as part of the initial assessment o When a case closes Ensure that, using the correct template, satisfaction surveys are conducted with clients within 3 months of their case being closed. This role can be delegated to a volunteer or colleague. Record the results of outcome assessments and satisfaction surveys on Charity Log. Work in line with triage procedures and use the GRAPE website and referral process when referring cases to external organisations. Meet regularly with the project manager to feedback about the progress of the project and ensure it is relevant to local strategy and national Government priorities. Work with the external evaluator who will be producing a written report on the project at the end of each financial year. The evaluator is expected to request information including satisfaction survey results and case studies and will audit the customer pathway of a sample of clients. Work with the project manager and AQS when they perform an audit on the service as part of the accreditation process. A volunteer will be recruited through the project to conduct satisfaction surveys and carry out low-level administrative work. You will work with the volunteer co-ordinator to support the volunteer to perform this role. Contact with clients will take place either over the phone, in the office or in an agreed location Follow the policies and procedures in ESAS manual and where necessary provide suggestions for improvement. Person Specification
Job Title: Ealing Specialist Advice Service (ESAS) advice worker To apply for this job you must be able to demonstrate and state on your application form how you meet the criteria below. Please address in turn as many points as you feel relevant. ESSENTIAL: Qualification/ Experience 1. Substantial experience of working with vulnerable adults in a similar position 2. Relevant experience of providing information to and for a range of people and groups of people with different needs and abilities including accessible written information and more detailed reports. 3. Experience of managing complex cases 4. Experience of delivering desired outcomes in a timely manner 5. Experience of working with multiple agencies 6. Experience of delivering advice, information and customer representation Knowledge/skills 7. Relevant knowledge of welfare benefits, housing and social care. 8. Ability to communicate effectively face to face both on a one to one basis and with groups, over the telephone, and in writing. 9. PC literate, and able to use MS Office, picture banks, email systems and databases (inputting information and extracting reports). 10. Ability to create and deliver presentations that are informative and engaging for both our customers and for other professionals. 11. Ability to liaise with a range of people customers with support needs, carers and a range of different professionals. 12. Ability to keep your cool in challenging situations and reinforce boundaries. 13. Ability to support people to manage difficult feelings, and communicate their needs effectively. 14. Knowledge of ESAS policies including lone working, data protection and safeguarding. 15. Willingness to undertake training in housing and welfare benefit reform Competencies/behaviours required 16. Good listening skills 17. Ability to remain calm, patient and to deal with challenging situations. 18. Good team player 19. Good Communicator 20. Ability to work on your own initiative Circumstances (eg: WE work, travel ) 21. Due to the nature of the work, if successful, you will need to have a Criminal Records Bureau check conducted by your employer 22. You will be expected to work evenings and weekends on a rolling rota basis.
23. You will need to feel comfortable visiting people in their own homes, as well as supporting people in the community or meeting them in the office. 24. You will need to be able to travel across the borough of Ealing and be able to work in different offices and community environments, as well as clients own home.