Generalist & Outreach Adviser (MTSP) at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (CUH)
Salary starting at NJC Scale 10: £25,545 (pro-rata)
Part time, 15 hrs per week and flexible working (outreach/home-based) required
This is a unique role that will provide you with the opportunity to work alongside Major Trauma NHS staff and other connected organisations such as the Cardinal Management and Headway UK.
We provide free, confidential, and independent advice to help people overcome their problems. We are a voice for our clients and consumers on the issues that matter to them.
Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (MTSP) is designed to provide support and advice to people with serious injuries as a result of major trauma. We are looking for someone to join the Citizens Advice team to collaborate on this project. This will involve providing advice and guidance to patients who need social welfare, housing, benefits and financial advice whilst in and post discharge from the Major Trauma Centre at Addenbrookes Hospital.
- Collaborate with clinical staff and project funders
- Collect and record data to help analyse the service outcomes
- Provide training to clinical staff regarding the MTSP service and what the project offers
- Collect and record project related data accurately.
- Plan and organise workload to ensure patients are proactively managed
- Liaise with NHS staff to identify patients within the project cohort.
- Assist and advise the patient and their family at bedside whilst they are in-patient at CUH
You must have an understanding of, and a commitment to, Citizens Advice aims, principles and equal opportunities.
Benefits
- 7% pension contribution
- Holiday: 24 days pa plus Bank Holidays. One additional day each 12 months. Up to four days Christmas closure
- Death in Service insurance/ EAP schemes
- Variety of learning and development options
Closing date: Sunday 19th January 2025
Interviews: w/c 20th January 2025
Charity: 1056102 Company: 3191085
Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 617537
Job Description
Job Title: Generalist & Outreach Adviser (MTSP)
Employer: Cambridge & District Citizens Advice
Responsible to: Specialist Projects & Outreach Manager
Based at: Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
Purpose of Job: Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (MTSP) is designed to provide support and adviser to people with serious injuries, as a result of major trauma. This involves providing advice and practical support to patients and their families, who need help with welfare benefits, housing and money advice whilst in hospital, and post discharge from the Major Trauma ward at Addenbrookes Hospital.
Main responsibilities
- Advice and support to clients
- Planning and development
- Service delivery
- Administration
- Training, development and recruitment
- Research and campaigns
- Other duties and responsibilities
Advice and support to clients
- Carry out comprehensive benefit checks for means tested & check eligibility for disability
- Provide practical help to apply for benefits where appropriate
- Carry out grant checks for both local and national funds & check eligibility
- Assisting clients to apply for benefits and grants, including Cambridge Local Assistance Scheme
- Make homelessness applications if required
- Carry out initial Debt assessments & refer to an in-house Debt Specialist if appropriate
- Identify any other issues such as debt, employment, housing or other problems & emergencies and look to deal with these, as appropriate
- Liaise with NHS staff to identify patients within the project cohort.
- Assist and advise the patient and their family at bedside whilst they are in-patient at CUH
- Ensure work conforms to the Bureau’s Quality Standards and procedure
Planning and development
- Plan and organise workload to ensure patients are proactively managed
- Advise Management on service delivery issues and problems
- Contribute to activities, procedures and systems so as to promote common practices within the advice team
- Utilise IT systems and other resources
- Participate in bureau initiatives as appropriate and contribute to the work of associated committees, working parties and projects
Service Delivery
- Provide support for clients over email, video, face to face and telephone
- Work from Addenbrookes Hospital primarily. (Also occasionally at the office, or from home as agreed)
- Collaborate with clinical staff and project funders
- Ensure that systems are maintained for case recording, statistics, follow up work and quality control, in partnership with other members of the team
- To ensure recording of all outcomes estimated or confirmed in casebook
- To work in accordance with data protection and ensure specific consent and authority for recording and storing of special category data
- Meet targets set by management
- Manage own diary to ensure maximum effectiveness and client’s seen in a timely manner
- Arranged workload to maximise use of time and help the most clients
- To be a team player and attend meetings as necessary
Administration
- To ensure effective and efficient administrative systems are maintained
- Abide by the health and safety policy with regard to staff, equipment and premises with statutory requirements
- Proper case recording and recording of statistical information with regard to advice given to clients and workload
- Collect and record project related data accurately.
- Collect and record data to help analyse the service outcomes
Training, development and recruitment
- Provide training to clinical staff regarding the MTSP service and what the project offers
- Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to all subject areas and undertake appropriate training
- Read relevant publications provided by the Bureau
- Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager
- Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings as appropriate internally and externally
- Assist with service initiatives for the improvement of services and make recommendations where improvements can be made
- Give external talks/training to partner organisations as agreed by Line Manager
- To ensure that you make time in your own calendar, for your own development (each month)
- To record all training undertaken over the course of the financial year, to hit a target of 20 points, each year.
Research and campaigns (Social Policy)
- Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients’ circumstances, either anonymously or with the client’s consent
- Provide statistical information on the number of clients and nature of cases and provide regular reports to Bureau management
- Monitor service provision to ensure that it reaches the widest possible client group
- Alert other staff to local and national issues
- Liaise with statutory and non-statutory organisation’s and represent the Service on outside bodies as appropriate
Other duties and responsibilities
All staff at CCAB are required to:
- Have a full commitment to the aims and vision for the organisation as laid out in the business plan and take part in annual processes such as business plan reviews, production of annual and other reports, etc.
- Have a commitment to on-going change management in order to achieve those aims and objectives
- Have an understanding of and commitment to, the aims and principles of the service and its equal opportunities/diversity policies
- Have an active commitment to promoting Social Policy/Research and Campaigning as a key driver for effecting a positive change for our clients
- Have a commitment to working as a team player – supporting and respecting each other in a time of limited staff resource – having a flexible approach to covering functions that may be outside a specific job
- Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own safety and that of colleagues
- Undertake duties in a resource efficient way, minimising impacts to the environment wherever possible
- Attend meetings, conferences and events that may entail staying away overnight; to undertake outreach work when required.
- Undertake any other duties connected with the operation of the Cambridge Office as may be required from time to time
- To provide cover for other outreach workers during holiday or sickness periods where possible.
Person Specification
Essential
- Experience providing advice to members of the public
- Experience of using a benefit calculator to estimate client’s probable awards
- Understanding of the eligibility criteria for common benefits such as UC, ESA, PIP, DLA, AA Universal Credit and Council Tax support
- Ability to implement and promote equal opportunities policies and relate to clients in a non-judgmental way
- Numeracy skills for monitoring and analysis of statistical information for project funders and management
- Ability to prioritise and manage own workload, appointments letters and telephone calls.
- Ability to work closely with and support training of volunteers
- Effective oral and written communication skills with particular emphasis on ability to work with a wide cross-section of clients, reports and correspondence.
- Competent at using computers and other IT equipment and resources to enable good case checking
- Ordered approach to the prioritisation and management of work and an ability and willingness to follow and develop procedures
- Ability to give and receive feedback to colleagues objectively and sensitively
- Ability and willingness to work as part of a team and to maintain a positive attitude whilst under pressure
Desirable
- CAB certificate of general advice
- Experience of income maximisation
- Experience of budgeting & money management
- Experience of working in a hospital setting
- Understanding of other related benefits, debt and housing
- With knowledge of income maximisation & reducing expenditure, budgeting.