Visiting Officer (Benefits Advice)

Grade E scp 11 £29,071 to scp 17 £32,046, essential car user allowance up to £963pa. pro-rated salary range £14,535 to £25,983
Contract: permanent
Hours: 18.5 minimum to 30 max per week
Essential requirement : full driving licence, DBS
Interview date: TBC
For further information about this role, contact: sue.browne@bolton.gov.uk

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Please read the detailed information at the bottom of this advert before you make an application as it may be rejected if we detect AI use.

Ask us about flexible working options to fit with your work/life balance - #HappytoTalkFlexible

The Role

The Visiting Officer supports our residents to claim their full benefit entitlement and provides help completing paper or online claim forms. You will be visiting vulnerable people in their own home or community spaces and completing benefit checks and applications for a range of benefits including Personal Independence Payment, Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance.

Are you caring, person centred and committed to helping people maximise their benefit entitlement?
Do you have a Full Driving Licence and access to a vehicle to use for work purposes? If so, we are looking to recruit a Visiting officer who will work as part of the Welfare Rights Service and Visiting team to promote benefit take-up. We are looking for someone who can work for a minimum of 18.5 hours and a maximum of 30 hours per week. The hours will be agreed at the start of the contract; and are not expected to vary from week to week.

About You

You will already have a current and comprehensive knowledge of social security benefits and be able to give both detailed and accurate advice on the full range of benefits available to residents, especially disabled people and pensioners and be able to support them with the claiming process.
You will be able to work on your own initiative and be comfortable with lone working. You must have the ability to communicate clearly with people of all levels and explain customer’s needs clearly on their benefit applications.

If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you. Please kindly submit your CV and a Covering letter on our system. Within your covering letter, please answer the following questions:
Explain how you gained your benefits knowledge and tell us about your experience advising customers on benefits issues, please give us some examples of the advice and assistance you have delivered.
Tell us how you have helped vulnerable customers and what adjustments you have made to meet their advice needs.
Explain how you would manage and prioritise your own workload of visits

About Us

This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.

Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents.

As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services.

Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too.

Ready to apply? Then please click Apply and upload your anonymised CV and supporting statement discussing your relevant skills and experience and explain how you believe they make you a strong fit for this role.

Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Employment offers are conditional subject to satisfactory clearances. For roles where a criminal records check from the DBS is required, this includes satisfactory clearance of this check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of an individual’s offence/s. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. Bolton Council’s policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders is available here.

This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.

This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.

For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact recruitment@bolton.gov.uk