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Mental Health Discharge Support, Advice Caseworker

Hours: 37 per week

Responsible to: Team-leader, Wider Determinants of Health

Salary Grade: £23,000 – £25,037 pro rata per annum

 Employer Pension: 3%

 Job Share: Considered

 Base: Citizens Advice South Somerset (CASS)

 Geographic Remit: Somerset

DBS: Enhanced

Closing Date: 21st Jan 2021 

Context of role

The role will work as part of a Somerset wide, multi-disciplinary team of personnel from voluntary and health sector agencies (Somerset Mental Health Alliance).   The aim of this project is to provide holistic and person-centred support to clients preparing to move on following in-patient mental health care.     Each client’s support network will be focused on their individual needs and recovery goals assisting them as they move from in-patient mental health services back into the community.     

This role will be ideal for someone with demonstrable experience of advising clients who have mental health support needs including those recovering from a period of acute mental ill health.    One of the biggest challenges for these clients’ recovery is often a lack of suitable accommodation and support.    The role will focus on resolving clients’ barriers to recovery including accommodation, financial independence and other advice related needs.   The role will require an adviser with considerable knowledge and expertise in housing advice and knowledge of supported accommodation.

Role purpose

The purpose of the post is to:

• Work in collaboration with the client and other members of their support network (Transition Team) to complete an advice needs assessment as part of the client’s transition support plan
• Provide advice and casework to the client in liaison with the client’s other support workers (their Transition Team)
• Adhere to the partnership’s systems and processes
• Undertake monitoring and evaluation including gathering and recording client outcome data
• Support the wider work of Transition Team

Letter to applicants CASS Covering Letter Advice Casework Mental Health Discharge Support

Background information about our organisation CASS Background Information 2020

Job description and person specification CASS Mental Health Discharge Planning Service Caseworker JD

Application Guidance CASS Application-form-guidance 2020       

Application form CASS External Recruitment application-form Rich Text Format 2020

Diversity monitoring form CASS Diversity Monitoring Form 2020

For an informal chat please email [email protected] 

Closing date: 21st January 2021

Citizens Advice Taunton is looking for a client-focused individual with experience of providing advice, to join us as a Universal Credit Help to Claim Adviser and to help ensure clients get the support they need either face-to-face, by telephone or web chat. This includes establishing if UC is the right benefit for the client, support to make a claim, the evidence required, and verifying identity.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate relevant recent experience and knowledge of the welfare benefit system including Universal Credit. Applicants should also demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills, be well organised and be proficient in using a range of IT tools to carry out their work, including case recording systems, Microsoft Office, benefit check programmes and be able to make and manage benefit claims.

Are you results-driven and supportive of the needs of others? Can you work on your own initiative and as part of a team? Are you committed to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and willing to follow and help develop procedures? If yes, we want to hear from you

Download the job pack UC Help to Claim ADVISER – Job Pack Dec2020

Informal chat:  Rhoda Cooke  [email protected]

Application Form

Applicants Diversity Monitoring Form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CKW8TLL

Closing date: 25^th January 2021

The Training and Advice Supervisor is a newly created role, which will work on two vital functions; the training of new advisors (most of which is delivered remotely using on-line training sessions and self-study), and the supervision of the core advice service that advisers deliver. 

This is a dynamic role, and candidates who have the training and advice delivery experience, but lack advice supervision experience will be considered, and of course full induction and training will be provided.

Lots of our training and advice (and therefore supervision) is delivered remotely, so the successful candidate will be adept with the relevant ICT platforms and able to train and motivate other staff in using them.

We are working in increasing partnership with the other Citizens Advice offices in Somerset, and at present this role is part of a pilot project delivering training via a single countywide operation.  So, we are looking for a candidate who will also embrace and exploit collaborative opportunities.  Some home working may be possible.

Download the job pack TrainingAdviceSupervisorRevised JobPack12 Jan 2021

Informal Chat:  Jon Shoesmith (Chief Officer) [email protected]

Application Form CAT External Recruitment application-form Rich Text Format 2020

Applicants Diversity Monitoring Form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CKW8TLL

Mental Health Alliance Adviser

Hours: 21 per week

Base: Citizens Advice Mendip 

Geographic Remit:  Mendip

Closing Date: 21st Jan

Interviews: w/s 1st February

Context of Role

The role will provide advice to clients accessing help and support from a partnership of community based mental health services. As a partnership service the adviser will work within a multi-agency team supporting clients. This will involve delivering a programme of advice linked to each clients’ needs assessments and recovery goals. The postholder will be responsible for their client administration, completing partnership records and outcome measures This role will be ideal for someone with demonstrable experience of providing one to one services for vulnerable clients with mental health support needs.

Role Purpose

• To work within the ethos and values of the service in order to develop positive, trusting, and professional relationships with clients, colleagues, and partners
• Support and advise a designated number of clients continuing to work with them and recording the positive actions and changes reported by clients during their programme
• Provide services from within mental health services, community settings or other safe environments of clients’ choice
• Deliver advice with follow-on casework support where appropriate
• Co-ordinate our work with clients and liaise with the other agencies also working with the client
• Undertake monitoring and evaluation
• Participate in multi-agency client care planning and team meetings

Role Description

Partnership

Work in collaboration with partners and project teams to create a positive working environment in which equality and diversity are well-managed, dignity at work is upheld and staff, partners and clients are supported.

Advice

• Provide assessment and advice to clients face-to-face, by telephone and by email or other channels accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation and the requirements of the partnership
• Undertake thorough and appropriate research and explore options and implications so that clients can be supported to make informed decisions
• Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning
• Refer internally or to other specialist agencies as appropriate
• Develop specialism in one or more advice area (Welfare Benefits, Debt, Employment etc.)
• Ensure that all work conforms to the organisation’s office manual and the Advice Quality Standard/funding requirements, as appropriate
• Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring, and report preparation 

Quality Assurance

Liaise with the Supervisors and quality assessors to make provision for the assessment and case-checking of an allocated number of cases as requested.

Learning, development, and training

Identify own learning and development needs and take steps to address these

• Keep updated on legislation, policies, and procedures
• Attend relevant internal/external meetings/training as agreed with line manager
• Support internal and external learning and development activities, related to debt advice, to ensure the competence and continuing development of staff and volunteers 

Research and Campaigns

• Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information about clients’ circumstances through the appropriate channel
• Alert clients to research and campaigns options
• Contribute to drafting a research and campaigns plan, identifying priorities for campaigns and development
• Keep up to date with research and campaigns issues and ensure research and campaigns is promoted and integrated in a way relevant to the role

IT and Telephony

• Use telephony and IT equipment for multi-channel delivery of advice services including face-to-face, telephone, email and webchat
• Maintain and review daily, electronic diary for working locations, absences, etc.
• Use IT for statistical recording of information relating to advice delivery, record keeping, producing statistical information and document production
• Ensure IT information assurance training is completed on an annual basis

Generic duties and responsibilities

• Keep updated on CAM aims, policies and procedures, and ensure these are followed
• Develop and maintain effective admin’ systems and records relevant to the role
• Attend regular CAM and external meetings relevant to the role
• Monitor and evaluate activities appropriate to the role and contribute to CAM planning process by providing regular reports and feedback on responsibility areas
• Work cooperatively with colleagues and encourage good teamwork, clear lines of communication and common practices within the CAM team
• Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own health and safety and that of colleagues
• Abide by CAM’s Information Assurance policies
• Carry out any other tasks within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service

Person Specification

• Confident and professional approach to your work and the ability to take personal responsibility for your own actions and work plans
• Demonstrable experience of working safely and appropriately with vulnerable clients and of working to standards of best practice in relation to confidentiality, information assurance and safeguarding
• Give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively
• Proven IT, numeracy and literacy skills and the ability to use office software, cloud based programmes and CAM IT systems
• Maintain an electronic diary
• An understanding of and commitment to the aims, principles and policies of the Citizens Advice Service and the positive value of diversity effectively
• Prioritise own work and the work of others, meet deadlines and manage workload in a busy environment
• Research, analyse and interpret complex information and produce and present clear reports verbally and in writing
• Experience of providing public presentations and producing marketing and PR materials
• Work effectively as part of a team
• Experience of recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers to assist in project activities

Please note that this job description does not constitute a ‘term and condition of employment’. It is provided only as a guide to assist an individual in the performance of the job and is not intended to be an inflexible list of tasks

Application Form

Diversity Monitoring Form

Salary:  £20,280 – £23,400 pro rata

Hours: 22.5 – 30 per week

Closing Date: 5th Feb 2021

Interview: 17th Feb 2021

Role Outline 

To supervise advice services

You will be a team player, flexible and friendly, with good IT skills and ideally have a good understanding of advice and social welfare law. Training and induction will be given, and all suitable candidates will be considered.

For further details or an informal chat please email 

Susan Clowes 

[email protected]

Application Form on the West Somerset Advice website  www.westsomersetadvice.org.uk