Local Government Chronicle
Financial Assessment and Benefits Officer - Client Finances Team
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Financial Assessment and Benefits Officer - Client Finances Team
Salary: £29,071 to £40,444 Per year
Contractual hours: 37
Basis: Full time
Region: Permanent / Full-Time
Job category/type: Adult Services, Finance, Social Services
Are you passionate about helping people, confident working with financial information, and looking for a role where you can make a genuine difference to vulnerable adults in your community?
We are seeking a proactive and customer-focused Financial Assessment & Benefits Officer to join our Client Finances team. This is an exciting opportunity to support residents by providing financial assessments, welfare benefits advice, and guidance on adult social care charging, helping ensure people receive the support and entitlements they need.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We support hybrid working, it's important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you'll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
About The Role
As a Financial Assessment & Benefits Officer, you will manage a varied caseload, carrying out financial assessments for individuals receiving adult social care services, either over the phone or through face to face home visits. You will work directly with residents, families, carers, colleagues, and partner organisations to gather financial information, explain charging policies, identify benefit entitlements, and help customers navigate often complex financial situations.
The role combines customer service, financial assessment, problem-solving, and case management. You'll conduct assessments, provide welfare benefits advice, maintain accurate records, support benefit applications, and ensure customers receive clear and understandable guidance about their contributions towards care costs.
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Working as part of a supportive and knowledgeable team, you'll also contribute to service improvements, maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation and policy changes, and help deliver high-quality outcomes for our residents.
About You
We're looking for someone who has:
- Experience working in a customer-focused, financial assessment, welfare benefits, or social care environment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex financial or legislative information clearly and sensitively.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload independently.
- Experience using Microsoft Office applications and working with electronic case management systems.
- Good analytical skills and attention to detail when reviewing financial information and making decisions.
- A commitment to delivering excellent customer service and achieving positive outcomes for residents.
Experience within Adult Social Care, welfare benefits, financial assessments, or social care charging would be advantageous, but we welcome applications from candidates with transferable skills and a willingness to learn.
You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Benefits
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
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- Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
- Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
- Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
- Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A Competitive Salary Alongside a Range Of Benefits Including
- Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
- A wide range of flexible working opportunities
- Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
- Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
- On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
- Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
- Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: Sunday 18
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