Community Outreach Officers x 4

This is an exciting opportunity to join Act on Energy working on a flagship project across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. The energy efficiency sector is experiencing significant growth, with ever-increasing levels of fuel poverty accompanied by assistance programmes. The links between poor overall wellbeing and fuel poverty are well established and we're on a mission to address this. Community Outreach Officer roles work out in the community and are involved in helping vulnerable residents with their basic to complex energy needs. You will support householders with impartial energy advice; always seeking to understanding their personal needs and finding pathways to support them in their own homes and save money and energy. The householder is at the heart of what we do. By reducing householder expenditure on energy, we can better support the running costs of their home and enable them to live in a warm and healthy home. No day will be the same, you will be responsible for developing and managing your own caseload, have excellent organisational and time management skills to navigate competing priorities.,

• As part of our outreach officer team, you'll be working with the public and creating links with partner agencies to tackle the impact of fuel poverty.
• You will engage with professional health workers such as GP practices and health visitors; community based social prescribers and health and social care organisations.
• You will generate new partnerships in the community especially where there are aligned interested and ambitions to support marginalised and more vulnerable customer groups.
• You will feed the project training lead with new organisational contracts who may require energy training sessions for staff so as they may better support their own customers, clients and service users.
• You will attend events in your locality area with partner agencies but also holding and managing your own independent advice surgeries in strategic locations across the region.
• You will be helping to prevent re-admission to hospital; reduce over-reliance on GPs/home care providers; reduce social isolation; improve health and wellbeing whilst at the same time improving people's lives by tackling fuel poverty and helping people to improve their home's energy efficiency.
• You'll be supporting people in their homes with energy advice and offering relevant support. Delivered person centred support that reflects and individual circumstances and needs.
• You'll always provide a holistic working approach - providing residents with advice with energy saving tips, income maximisation work, general energy advice, and referrals to help improve the fabric of their homes with funded insulation measures.
• Provision and fitting of low-cost small measures e.g. LED lightbulbs, draughtproofing.
• You will also identify eligible households for crisis support funding.
• You'll take the time to understand people's often complex needs and understand the right referral pathways to seek further help and support.
• You'll also provide support to other front-line workers so that they can understand the relationship between warm homes and improved health outcomes.
• The role is based in the community you serve for at least three days per week, but you will also spend time working from home and in the office completing administration, assisting with inbound calls to our freephone number, follow up calls and feedback.
  
  This role will suit individuals with experience of working in community or experience gained in relationship development roles.
We need outgoing individuals who are able to effectively build relationships in the community. Not only directly with customers, but also with other community-based organisations and key stakeholders. You must be a confident communicator, able to interact with various audiences at all levels. This isn't a role for shrinking violets……. Most importantly you should also have a caring and compassionate disposition and really enjoy working with, and supporting, individuals in the community. You will also be passionate about recording and evidencing your successes and impacts. Successful casework relies on quality data, so you should be able to keep comprehensive records and understand how data can be used to tell insightful and powerful stories to our funders and wider audiences alike. It is also essential that you understand, and have a commitment to, climate and sustainability issues. Supporting positive climate change outcomes is our business.,
• The ability to work independently and manage your own workload.
• Experience of working with vulnerable households within their homes and/or in the community
• Experience of handling complex and sometimes difficult situations
• Experience at delivering public energy advice through presentations and community based events.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work with a wide range of audiences.
• Highly developed networking and soft selling skills.
• An eye for detail with excellent numerical skills Flexibility - being able to respond positively to changes in work at short notice and to set deadlines.
• Commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices to work with a diverse customer base.
• Excellent IT skills including use Microsoft packages and a good working knowledge of CRM systems and data inputting.
• Enthusiasm and ability to get stuck in and hit the ground running.
• To be able to offer your full commitment to the role during your working hours with the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as required.
• Full clean driving licence with use of own vehicle.
Desirable skills:
• Knowledge and experience of housing, health, and social care practice
• Knowledge of domestic energy advice and affordable warmth issues
• Level 3 in Energy Awareness (although full training will be given)
• Good general knowledge of energy industry
• Experience of working in - or supporting - local authorities or other statutory bodies
  
  Act on Energy is a fast growing and dynamic energy advice charity.
We've been at the forefront of expert energy advice in the Midlands for over 25 years now and although Energy is in our name - we have people at our heart. The climate crisis and drive to Net Zero - as well as rising energy prices and increasing fuel poverty - means that people need us more than ever. Demand for our help has never been greater and that's why we're hiring. So, if you're looking for a role that absolutely makes a difference to people's lives our region and the environment…come and join us!