Cheetham Hill Advice CentreGeneral Advice Worker

Person Specification

1. Significant experience of delivering advice in welfare benefits, debt, and housing.

2. Knowledge of key areas of social welfare law, in particular welfare benefits, debt and housing, and ability to research and use relevant information to appropriately advise clients.

3. Good negotiation and advocacy skills.

4. Ability to organise and prioritise work in a busy environment, including an ordered approach to managing casework, and maintaining accurate case records.

5. Ability to work collaboratively with other agencies for the benefit of the client.

6. Ability to work effectively in a team of paid and volunteer staff, and commitment to supporting the development of volunteers.

7. Strong written and spoken English and the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, including people who do not speak English as a first language.

8. Good numeracy skills.

9. Good level of computer literacy including ability to use word processing, spreadsheet and database packages, the internet and email.

10.Ability to understand and implement an equal opportunities policy in a multi- cultural community.

11.Willingness to: travel to different parts of Manchester to deliver services undertake training as appropriate, and commitment to keeping knowledge

up to date work occasional unsocial hours with time off in lieu

Desirable1. Ability to effectively communicate in Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, or

an Eastern/Central European language2. Experience of advising migrants and understanding of the impact on welfare

benefits of people’s immigration status..