About the Role
The Client Finance Officer role involves applying for and managing all appointeeships and deputyships held by the Council.
The role involves:
Managing the welfare benefits received from the Department of Work and Pensions and ensuring all relevant payments such as rent, council tax and utility bills are made.
Applying for welfare benefits to ensure full income maximisation is achieved.
Completing Office of Public Guardian forms and completing annual visits to those the Council hold Deputyship
Answering emails queries and phone calls
Liaising with other teams such as Accounts Receivable, Financial Assessment Team and Adult Social Care workers
Completing imports/journal entries and raising purchase orders and invoices when necessary
About Us
The purpose of the team is to manage the welfare benefits of those who receive an adult social care service and have been assessed as lacking capacity to manage their finances. The team works closely with the allocated social worker or support officer to ensure all financial commitments and transactions are completed. The team will accept referrals to the appointeeship service when criteria is met, apply to the Department of Work and Pensions for authorisation to be appointees, and manage the money received and pay all relevant bills and financial commitments. The team also manages the finances of those on deputyship and will complete annual visits and return forms to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Office of Public Guardians.
About You
The successful candidate will be able to evidence these essential requirements of the role:
A minimum of 5 GCSEs
Knowledge and evidence of experience of the Welfare Benefit system and how to achieve income maximisation
Provide excellent telephone and customer care.
Additionally, it would be desirable to show evidence of working with and supporting vulnerable people.
Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps. Our Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme embraces new ways of working. It provides improved work life balance for our staff as it allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:
Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
Three volunteering days per year in Sutton or Kingston
Comprehensive learning and development programme
Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
Interest free season ticket loans
Local Government Pension Scheme
Car parking scheme
Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
Zip car scheme
Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
Subsidised gym membership
Application Process