Welfare Benefits Apprentice Full Time

Estuary Housing Association is offering an apprenticeship in the Welfare Benefits Team as Welfare Benefits Assistant for a fixed period of 18 months. As an apprentice, you will work closely with the Welfare Benefits Advisors, Housing and Income Officers as well as the Allocations Team.

What you’ll do

We provide a full welfare advice service to our tenants so you’ll be dealing with people face-to-face, over the telephone or by letter or email. You’ll be supervised and mentored by the Welfare Benefits Advisors.

Your day-to-day tasks will include:

• checking clients are claiming all their benefits entitlements
• helping fill in forms
• provide advice and signposting
• explaining who can claim what types of benefits
• working with benefits agencies and other organisations
• referring clients to appropriate services
• keeping confidential records
• learning about relevant laws
• publicising the service or campaigns
• keeping our client record system up-to-date
• writing letters
• extracting information from database to produce reports
• help monitor the team’s performance
• possibly train staff and volunteers
• Filing, scanning and photocopying.

Apprenticeship framework – Business and Administration

You will be trained by Southend Adult Community College, which is rated as an outstanding vocational training provider. You will also receive excellent training and experience in the workplace. You will need to be dedicated and committed to your study and be responsible for your own learning.

You will be studying for an advanced (level 3) diploma in Business Administration.

You will also be expected to attend welfare rights training or any other training identified by Estuary to help you develop in this role.

This is a full time position – you will be working 4 days per week and will attend college for 1 day per week for duration of the course.

Entry requirements

Essential:

• Have GCSEs in English, Mathematics and ICT at Grade A – C or equivalent;
• Possess excellent administration skills and time management, with the ability to prioritise activities;
• Be accomplished at using the full range of available software packages, i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access;
• Understand the need for total confidentiality.

Desirable

• A-levels in a relevant subject, like social policy or community work may be useful;
• Volunteering experience in a legal advice center like Citizens Advice Bureau;
• A full driving licence and access to your own car would be helpful.

Safeguarding & Recruitment

Estuary is committed to safeguarding and practices safer recruitment standards and expects all staff to share the commitment to safeguarding children and people with care and support needs. The successful applicant will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

This post is also subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check . This is due to the workplace having shared access with our Family Centre & Nursery.

Equality & Diversity

At Estuary Housing Association we value inclusiveness and we are committed to embedding equality and diversity at the heart of our work. We aim to be an inclusive organisation, where individual differences are respected, where staff, people who use services, as well as their families and carers, are treated with dignity and on the basis of their merits, abilities and needs, and where everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential without suffering discrimination or disadvantage.

The closing date for applications is midday on Tuesday 5 th September 2017.

How To Apply
Please download and complete the attached Housing & Communities apprenticeship application form, and return it via email to
by the closing date of 12pm on Tuesday 5th September.

If you are unable to use the online process please contact 01702 463268 (24 hour answer service), quoting the reference and closing date and we will send you an application pack.