EXPERIENCE- SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Experience of maximising client’s income (or willingness to be trained) - including identifying benefit entitlements, providing budgeting advice, managing simple debt problems and preparing grant applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent people skills and the ability to make and maintain excellent working relationships with a variety of individuals at all levels. Personable and approachable and ability to talk to and communicate with people who may be vulnerable in an empathetic and supportive manner.
• Ability to manage own workload, able to keep case records, prepare reports and work under pressure to meet changing priorities, deadlines, and targets.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Commitment to equal opportunities.
• Flexible and reliable, a good team worker, prepared and able to work outside office hours from time to time.
• Able to represent the organisation as required and demonstrate an empathy for the aims of the service.
• Proven time management skills – able to work to timescales accurately and efficiently
• Working knowledge/experience of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• Experience of working as part of a team and working on your own without direct supervision and the ability to use initiative.
  Closing date for applications is 9.00am on Friday 26th September, Interviews for successful applicants are currently planned to take place during the week commencing Monday 29th September 2025.
  Job Type: Full-time
  Pay: From £25,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension

Work Location: In perso

JOB PURPOSE

LCALC is a specialist Social Welfare Law Advice agency providing free specialist advice to clients in the areas of debt, welfare benefits, housing and immigration. The role will involve working with clients to maximise their income, reduce their expenditure and help them manage their finances in the cost-of-living crisis. The service will be free and available to anyone who needs it living in Leicester city.
The role is suitable for an experienced adviser or a trainee who is able to demonstrate relevant skills/experience.

The advice and support will involve.

• Identifying relevant benefit entitlements and assist/support clients to claim benefits for which they are eligible.
• Budgeting advice and support to improve clients’ money management skills and minimise expenditure, including accessing grants and advising on reducing fuel costs.
• Providing basic (generalist level) benefit and debt advice, and where appropriate referring clients to LCALC specialist debt and benefits services.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deliver advice at multiple outreach venues in Leicester, including food banks and community centres.
• Provide information, advice, and support to clients via face-to-face meetings, telephone, emails, and letters.
• Carry out a holistic, person-centred assessment of each client’s situation, undertaking casework and case advocacy as required.
• Advise clients on their welfare benefit entitlements (including carrying out benefit checks) and provide assistance as necessary in completing electronic and paper application forms.
• Support clients to maintain ongoing claims and online welfare benefit accounts and to challenge benefits decisions, including via mandatory reconsideration/appeal requests.
• Assess money management skills and the need for help with budgeting and financial management. Provide support in switching to cheaper, more cost-effective options for routine household expenses.
• Provide generalist level information and advice on basic debt problems.
• Make referrals either internally to LCALC’s other services, (or externally to relevant agencies), where clients require advice on complex welfare benefit and debt matters or in other areas of social welfare law.
• Assist clients to identify and access other appropriate financial support (e.g., crisis fuel support, the Big Difference Scheme, local and national charitable grants).
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records of all client work and data using the Advice Pro case management system.
• Comply with all monitoring requirements of LCALC recording statistical information, accurately and regularly, using manual and computerised systems.
• Attend and contribute to both internal and external meetings, training events, conferences etc. as required.
• Contribute to the overall aims of LCALC by attending staff meetings, and any other meetings as required.
• Develop collaborative and supportive relationships with the staff at the food banks and community venues.
• Act as an ambassador for the project, contributing to activities to promote and publicise the service and encourage take up of the service.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• To ensure that all duties and responsibilities are discharged in accordance with LCALC Health and Safety at Work and other work-related policies.
• The post holder will comply with the LCALC equal opportunities policy and assist with its development and promotion within LCALC, and amongst partner organisations.
• The post holder will be expected to undertake additional duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with the grade of the post that may arise from time to time, as directed by the Director of Service Delivery or the CEO.