South West London Law Centres Legal Action for Local Communities

Job Title: Money Advice Caseworker
Salary: £34.5k – 36.5k per annum
Reports to: Economic Justice Manager and Senior Money Adviser
Line Manages: Volunteers assigned to the project.
Functional Links: Board of Trustees, CEO, Deputy CEO, Head of Legal Practice, Finance Manager, Team Leaders, Branch Administrator
Contract Type: Permanent (subject to grant funding with the funder - Debt Free Advice)
Working Hours: Full time - 35 hours per week
Location: Croydon with travel to our SW London offices and outreach locations as required. If required our staff can work 2 days per week at office/outreach locations and 3 days homeworking

Our award-winning team helps local people on low incomes at some of the most difficult times in their lives, by providing legal advice that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

In 2020 we were awarded the prestigious Legal Aid Firm of the Year award, in recognition of our team’s commitment to and excellence in helping people in need across south-west London to understand and uphold their rights. We were also highly commended in the Law Society’s Excellence in Access to Justice Award in 2021.

We’re committed to equality

We’re committed to the active promotion and support of equality and opportunity both in the way services are delivered and in our role as an employer. We monitor the sex, age, ethnic origin and disabilities of job applicants to help determine if our equal opportunities policy is effective. We therefore ask all applicants to also complete an equality and diversity monitoring form at the end of the application form.

If no jobs are listed below, please check back later or take a look at our opportunities for Pro Bono work and general Volunteering.

We are currently recruiting for roles that will help us continue delivering high-quality advice and support to people across South West London.

Whether working directly with clients or supporting the smooth running of our services, our vacancies offer the opportunity to make a real difference as part of a supportive and collaborative team. We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are organised, proactive, committed to social justice and passionate about improving access to advice and support.

Key Task

1. To provide a targeted debt and money advice service to clients in accordance with the Debt Free Advice Debt Advice Partnership under funding from a Money and Pensions Service programme. The provision of the service will be face to face and also via video, telephone, email, WhatsApp and web access.
2. To be part of a team including volunteers to provide advice to around 1804 people per year.
3. If you are recruited without holding the MIMA qualification and without being a Debt Relief Order Intermediary then these would be expected to be applied for as part of the role.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. To meet the performance targets set by Debt Free Advice and the Economic Justice Manager and Senior Money Adviser.
2. To ensure that all advice, assistance and representation complies with the requirements of our Lexcel quality mark
3. To ensure all work is recorded within the Debt Free Advice framework. Ongoing casework will be recorded through the Advice Pro case management system. The post holder will be expected to meet Debt Free Advice performance targets.
4. To carry out file reviews in accordance with Lexcel requirements.
5. Produce files for Debt Free Advice to review and score an average quality score of 90% or higher under the Debt Free Advice File review scheme
6. To participate in team and staff meetings.
7. To be responsible for your own word processing, filing and case recording within the Debt Free Advice framework and the Advice Pro case management system.
8. To advise and provide training and talks to Law Centre staff and volunteers and to front line advice agency staff within the Law Centre’s catchment area as necessary
9. To attend coordinating bodies as required.
10. To share the work of maintaining everyday necessities.
11. To provide cover for colleagues during absences.

Advice & Casework

1. Provide casework face to face, via telephone, video, Flex, email and outreach
2. Provide the full range of advice activities including full advice on debt options available to our client group.
3. Deal with contentious and complex debt advice problems, including mortgage and rent arrears re-possession cases, bankruptcy proceedings, and Consumer Credit Act disputes.
4. Prepare information for clients, where appropriate, who have cases at County Court, Valuation Tribunals and Magistrates Court as well as assisting clients who are self-representing with information.
5. Advise on and assist with income maximisation issues making appropriate referrals for things which cannot be dealt in-house.
6. Identify debt emergencies, deadlines and other social welfare advice needs to enable signposting or making referrals to other agencies where they cannot be dealt with in-house.
7. Keep up to date, accurate and detailed case records.
8. Complete statistical information records fully compliant with organisational: Debt Free Advice and Money and Pensions Service requirements.
9. To assist other teams in the Law Centre in helping clients resolve any debt and money advice matters

Project Record Keeping and Reporting

1. Maintain relevant client databases and produce monthly returns to Debt Free Advice – in accordance with Debt Free Advice and Money and Pensions Service requirements
2. Search for and collect missing data to enable monthly return to Debt Free Advice and Money and Pensions Service
3. Work with the Senior Money Adviser to provide monthly case studies and follow up clients to develop profiling reports and data
4. Assist with the development and maintenance of a database of standard documents - wording to aid in the efficiency of delivery of money and debt advice

Training and professional development

1. Attend relevant training courses and appropriate internal and external meetings, to enhance skills as a money advice caseworker. Undertake and pass core training programme to become a debt specialist through the MIMA qualification and a Debt Relief Order intermediary if not already qualified
2. Consult relevant colleagues to ensure that working practice is consistently of a high quality.
3. Keep up to date with all relevant current legislation and policy and share knowledge with colleagues
4. Provide feedback to trainers and own manager or supervisor on the effectiveness of informal and formal learning activities
5. Take part in regular supervision meetings with Senior Money Adviser and other caseworkers and obtain informal support as necessary.
6. Take on and competently progress a money advice caseload reflective of the post holder’s money advice casework experience
7. To be appraised regularly and to engage fully in this process to further personal development and maximise your contribution to SWLLC.

Supervision and Support

1. Supervise your own volunteers and file/peer review of colleagues.
2. Oversee and monitor volunteer advice sessions to provide money and debt advice.
3. Assist with the Operations Manager in maintaining a cadre of volunteers to assist with all aspects of money and debt advice and including the administration of this project.

Service Development

1. Take part in service planning activities to help ensure relevant elements of the Capitalise project meet project targets.
2. Take part in activities to raise the profile of the organisation’s Debt Free Advice services.

Social Policy

1. To be alert at all times to the social policy implications of issues presented by clients.
2. To take appropriate action to influence social policy in regard to these issues

Equal Opportunities

To have regard at all times in the planning and execution of duties to SWLLC’s Equality and Diversity Policy.

Other Duties

Play a full role in the organisation supporting colleagues to maximise their effectiveness.

In addition to the tasks and duties listed in this job description to undertake such duties as may be identified and which are generally compatible with the functions of the post

Working Hours

This post requires some vary rare evening and weekend work across South West London.

Location

South West London Law Centres is made up of 4 branches based in Wandsworth, Croydon, Kingston, and Merton. You will be required to work out of outreach locations in these locations and at any of our 4 offices. You may also be expected to undertake one-off outreach sessions at other locations in our catchment area

1. We require at least twelve months of experience providing debt advice either as a trainee or as a qualified caseworker under a Money and Pensions Service contract. We require at least twelve months of experience as a qualified caseworker providing debt advice if working under any other contract or employer.
2. If you have not worked under a Money and Pension Service contract then to hold to the MIMA qualification.
3. Good GCSE passes in English and Maths grade B or above or equivalent qualification.
4. Good customer services skills both face to face and over the telephone and other media. Ability to respond sensitively to clients from a variety of backgrounds that are under pressure and negotiate with third parties in order to minimise conflict.
5. Ability to meet stringent Debt Free Advice – Money and Pension Service funding specification and target client numbers. Each full-time caseworker with volunteer support is expected to provide full advice and debt options to 230 new clients per year.
6. Ability to write detailed up to date case notes, letters and reports as required in plain English. Accurate typing speeds of at least 40 words per minute.
7. Ability to deal with client’s advice needs face to face, over the telephone, via video, email, Skype, WhatsApp or outreach
8. Ability to manage a challenging caseload and prioritise work in the face of competing demands on your time.
9. Ability to research, understand and explain complex information both orally and in writing.
10. Practical knowledge of IT sufficient to use Microsoft Office applications including Word, Outlook and Excel to administer your own workload. Proficient use of Excel
11. Commitment to taking part in social policy, research or evaluation activities as required, for example by responding to surveys and identifying trends in your caseload
12. Commitment to undergo training and participate in other forms of professional development.
13. Willingness to travel to outreach sessions as required within the boroughs of the employing organisation and in neighbouring boroughs as required for daytime and evening advice sessions.
14. Willingness to undertake evening and weekend work if required with prior notice.
15. Commitment to equal opportunities as set out in the principles and policies of South West London Law Centres

The post is available for immediate start. If you would like to discuss the post further, please email recruitment@swllc.org.

To apply, send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@swllc.org.