The role
Key responsibilities include:
- Assessing and managing referrals for income maximisation, Emergency Support, and Hardship Fund
- Developing and maintaining effective partnerships with organisations such as the DWP, Job Centre Plus, and local authorities
- Attending and promoting Local Support services at outreach and community events within the borough
- Providing training and developing materials on Welfare Reform and related issues to other teams within Southwark Council
- Marketing and public relations activities to promote the Local Support Team's services both internally and externally
- Contributing to the creation, implementation, and maintenance of Quality Assurance processes
- Preparing reports and maintaining accurate records to support team objectives and performance targets
- This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about making a tangible difference in the community.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will need a strong background in welfare benefits and a passion for community support. You should be adept at building partnerships and have experience in promoting services to a diverse audience. Your ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and your knack for problem-solving will be crucial to your success.
- Comprehensive knowledge of welfare benefits systems and social security legislation
- Strong IT skills, particularly with Microsoft 365, NEC Northgate Revenues and Benefits, and DWP systems
- Proven experience in providing welfare benefits advice and working collaboratively with various partners
- Excellent customer care and interpersonal skills
- The ability to work independently with minimal supervision while being an integral part of a team
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to prepare detailed reports and maintain accurate records
- A proactive approach to promoting and marketing services
Additional details
About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
About The Role:
Southwark Council is seeking a dynamic and motivated Business Development Officer to join our Local Support Team for a 3-month fixed-term position. This role is integral to our mission of promoting wellbeing and independent living by maximising benefit income and providing essential services to the residents of Southwark.
As a Business Development Officer, you will play a crucial role in our efforts to tackle poverty within the borough. You will be responsible for reviewing referrals and ensuring that our customers receive their full entitlement to benefits and support services. This involves working across various channels, including outreach surgeries, direct enquiry lines, third-sector organisations, and customer contact centres.
We will only consider applications from internal candidates, that are current employees or agency workers on an active assignment. We encourage any internal staff to to gain agreement from their substantive line manager if considering this is as a secondment opportunity.
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Recruitment timetable
Advert close: 12th July 2024
Shortlisting: 17th July 2024
Interview: 24th July 2024
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
SWCINT
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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