Welfare Rights Officer | Welfare Rights Team | Preston

Please ensure you have uploaded and attached your supporting statement to evidence how you meet the criteria for the role. The panel may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence.
In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.
We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

If you're already a Lancashire County Council employee you must apply via the internal vacancies option on . You can do this by logging into Oracle Fusion and then going to Me - Current Jobs.

We're looking for an experienced Welfare Rights Officer to work within the Welfare Rights Team at Lancashire County Council supporting the most vulnerable people in society.
This service was one of the first Welfare Rights in the country so has been operating for over 35 years, helping numerous families, young people and individuals to ensure they receive the benefits and services to which they're entitled; maintaining a level of income that enables them to live as independently as possible.
The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'.
You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.
What we are looking for…
Passion - you'll be passionate about changing the impact that poverty has on society, about caring for others and be driven by wanting to make a difference to the lives of our most vulnerable - you'll be passionate about social change, about increasing awareness and understanding by engaging with groups, relevant organisations and individuals, supporting training programmes so not just focusing on the immediate but on the long-term changes that need to be made so that situations that currently arise are hopefully reduced in the future
Challenge - you won't be afraid of challenge whether that's yourself or others, challenging processes and decisions that have been made - so you'll have a good understanding of the relevant legislation in the welfare arena and be able to both interpret and advocate around it - you'll fight for those who can't fight for themselves for the entitlements they should be receiving whether that's pay, food or shelter - you'll need to be honest and pragmatic to work round the systems currently in place
Empathy and Resilience - you'll be working on a daily basis with those who need our support the most; using compassion, empathy and understanding to help achieve the best outcomes possible so you'll be a "people person" - you'll be a great listener, have the ability to build trust quickly and not be afraid of working with both vulnerable and challenging people who are often judged by others - you'll understand the long-term mental health impact that living in poverty creates and be able to access front line services where needed - we appreciate the impact this can have on your own wellbeing so we'll support and enable you to look after yourself too
Why join us…
Location: Lancashire (rated one of the best places to live in the UK!)
Benefits: A plethora of discounts and benefits from dog care to day care to days out or in, log cabins by Snowdon or holidays abroad, pampering and fitness for your mind, body and soul, long service awards, Medicash, support groups, public service pensions, cycle to work schemes and eye tests plus many more
Development: you'll get support and development along the journey - there will be time for supportive reflection and supervision for yourself, opportunities for personal growth and development, multidisciplinary initiatives, mentoring, the opportunity to make a difference, feel valued and achieve the job satisfaction you've always wanted
Inclusivity: we don't have a "one size fits all" idealism, we embrace diversity and that includes around personal and family requirements so appreciate that you'll want to be working from home when you can, your hours may vary or change and for us - delivering successful outcomes is more important than watching the clock