Welfare Officer

The role of the Welfare Officer will help continue the excellent work delivered by the Council in response the cost-of-living crisis, supporting delivery of the Council's Preventing Financial Exclusion Strategy. The postholder will take a data led approach to supporting financial inclusion in Maidstone. Using the Policy in Practice Low Income Family Tracker Dashboard they will identify and residents in need of financial assistance, offering targeted support and signposting as necessary. The postholder will work closely with external partner organisations and internal departments, building and maintaining connections and knowledge to help maximise the support available to residents. The Welfare Officer role forms part of the Policy, Communities and Engagement team. A multi-functional team delivering funding and support to the Voluntary and Community Sector and Parishes alongside Policy Development, Consultation and Engagement and Equalities for the Council.

You will have excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to build relationships with external partners and internal departments. You will have experience of working in a customer focused role and the ability to adapt your communication style to suit different audiences and provide advice in accurate, spoken and written English. You will be enthusiastic, flexible and creative and have the ability to tackle a wide range of tasks - often to tight deadlines. Previous experience in a similar role is essential., Disability Confident About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy. We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans. We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.

• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy additional leave
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role
Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.