Senior Debt Adviser (Part-time)

Job Salary: £34,660 FTE (pro-rated)

Team: Assist

Contract Term: Permanent

Location: Hybrid working (office base is Birmingham City Centre)

Hours: 26.25 hours per week

Role Purpose:

As a Senior Debt Adviser, you will work with, support, assist, and represent vulnerable people of all ages and abilities to improve their financial situation and wellbeing. You will assess people’s circumstances and advise them accordingly. This will involve offering support and advice in income maximisation, financial capability, energy comparison, welfare benefit, and specialist debt advice.

You will work with, support, and represent people of all ages and abilities, many of whom will be experiencing circumstances that make them vulnerable.

The role will involve delivering support and casework with a multi-channel approach. Some outreach visits may also be required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working with and supporting vulnerable people of all ages and abilities to try to maximise their income and improve their financial circumstances and wellbeing. You will establish a relationship based on trust to ensure you provide the necessary support and assistance.
• Providing technical supervision to support the Debt Advice team in their roles to ensure the service is accurate, effective, and tailored to the individuals’ circumstances.
• Actively seek ways of assisting the Management Team in the management of the Debt Advice service. This includes contributing to thinking about development of systems, services, and staff.
• To conduct monthly case reviews of the Auriga Assist Debt Team in line with established quality standards and provide feedback with team members.
• To be the first point of contact for the Auriga Assist Debt Team on complex issues.
• Develop and manage interviews with clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills to allow clients to explain their problem(s).
• Complete an initial assessment of a client’s needs to identify areas where support is required and plan next steps/ provide support throughout the process.
• Helping people to maximise their income, provide guidance on budgeting, provide unbiased and holistic advice and guidance on how to deal with problem debt, liaising and negotiating with third parties, including statutory and non-statutory organisations as required.
• Acting on behalf of the client wherever necessary to facilitate debt relief options to include form filling, drafting, or writing letters and telephoning, supporting clients to plan, implement, and review action and provide continuing support to clients where necessary, including assistance with disputes and complaints.
• Enabling clients to act on their own behalf and empower them to set their own priorities.
• Actively encourage engagement from clients referred through to the service from both internal and external sources.
• To carry a caseload of enquiries requiring detailed ongoing casework. To maintain accurate and appropriate records relating to each case, recording all activity, interventions, and outcomes within the case record whilst ensuring that correct procedures are followed, to ensure quality standards are met.
• Manage your own workload, administration, and diary commitments.
• To ensure a high-quality service to customers including, but not limited to, face to face, telephone, written, and emails.
• Collaborate with colleagues, stakeholders, and health and social care professionals to evaluate caseload needs and the progress that has been made.
• To keep up to date and share knowledge with the team on legislation, case law, policies, and procedures and undertake appropriate training as and when required.
• Able to proactively identify own training and development needs and those of others.
• Ability to work within and adhere to organisational policies and procedures and ensure work meets internal and external SLAs.
• Perform other duties commensurate with the post as required.