Responsibilities include providing leadership in the operational delivery of welfare advice and anti-poverty activity through the Advice Shop section of the Anti-Poverty Service.Ensuring that services are delivered in accordance with the council’s objectives and values as set out whilst ensuring the service adheres to the principles of best value and agreed national strategies and guidance. Strategic direction support of a council wide service with responsibility for delivering Anti-Poverty actions, the Financial Inclusion Plan and externally funded projects. Responsible for the development and delivery of the service specifically, for the provision of advice, welfare reform, debt, energy and money advice and delivery of targeted projects including working in partnership with internal and external services i.e. Social Policy, Housing and MacMillan Cancer Support and developing, managing and maintaining stakeholder relationships.Responsible for a multi-disciplinary teams including training, development, support and supervision and human resource and line management responsibilities such as sickness absence, performance management and recruitment.Specification, development and implementation of systems and procedures driving the service towards delivering the Anti-Poverty Strategy and the provision of a forward thinking, dynamic and customer-oriented advice provision and innovation of new approaches to service delivery. Developments which have been project managed include the customer record management system AdvicePro, increased delivery and support channels including hybrid options and self-help tools to continue to provide invaluable support and information throughout the pandemic and service design developments to drive service improvements and accessibility.Project managed the successful accreditation of Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers.

Responsibilities include providing leadership and line management support to Income Maximisation Team and Welfare Rights Officers by providing operational direction including team development and training. Successfully supporting and supervising the varied team and with responsibility for recruitment, inductions and management of staff to agreed standards.Responsible in ensuring the delivery of high-quality advice in effective and efficient advice service and that the service is delivered in accordance with the council’s objectives and values as set out in the Corporate Plan, West Lothian Community Planning Partners Tackling Poverty Strategy, the Anti-Poverty Service Plan and other associated policies.Lead role in the delivery of service initiatives, including assisting with the formulation and implementation of policy and procedures and the specification and development of relevant IT systems and processes which will develop the unit into a forward-thinking customer-oriented service.Identifying and developing partnerships initiatives with internal services and external organisations, including NHS Lothian, Housing Associations and Citizens Advice Bureau and lead delivery of cross-service initiatives such as the St Johns Project and the Contributions Policy to provide tailored support.Through modernisation and digitisation initiatives, managing self-referrals through various digital channels, including self-referral forms and email referrals and online chat facilities.Development of a quality assurance system to maintain high standards of performance across the team and identifying training and development needs, ensuring high quality advice is maintained.Successfully managing and monitoring of key performance indicators, risks and actions continually achieving targets to a high standard. Successfully driving the service forward to achieve local and national frameworks such as National Standards and the West Lothian Assessment process.

Responsibilities include working to promote financial inclusion and alleviate poverty through advice and advocacy in the areas of welfare benefits/appeals, money/budgeting, housing and energy advice. Working with a range of partners including social policy, housing associations and NHS Lothian to develop new and strengthen existing relationships and processes to offer targeted support to customers who are affected by poverty or financial insecurity through holistic advice and support to maximise income and promote financial wellbeing. Delivery of poverty awareness training, organisation of information events and deliver talks & presentations to relevant groups including local councillors, internal and external partners, staff and members of the public.Detailed research and analytical skills to effectively plan, develop, deliver and report on initiatives designed to help and support people at risk of financial exclusion, concentrating on research and development of initiatives to mitigate the effects of poverty on West Lothian residents aged 60+. Ensuring the service had the ability to be pro-active and re-active dependant of customer need, completed through analysis of information and up to date knowledge of welfare reforms, guidance and legislation. Providing advice, advocacy and representation in the key areas of welfare benefits and support in areas such as money, housing and energy.Contributed to the success of the Better Off: West Lothian Anti-Poverty Strategy by ensuring that The Advice Shop met the targets set through the strategy, contributing to a wider knowledge of poverty related issues, income maximisation and expenditure minimisation.

To provide information and advice to customers, and to negotiate on their behalf mainly in the areas of benefits, housing, money advice and energy advice. Advice was provided to customers in person and also over the telephone.To negotiate internal and external agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenues and Customs and the Revenues and Benefits Department within the Council.To build on existing and develop new partnerships to minimise the impact on customers and maximise the support which was provided by offering a holistic service.To maintain customer record files, promotion and reference materials and to support management in developing the Advice Shop Annual Report and other materials.Additional responsibilities included developing and delivering talks to publicise the service to customers and stakeholders. To develop and deliver training to staff on new system requirements and processes.Lead responsibility for developing a bespoke case record management system, ensuring this met all the services requirements as well as responsibility to review internal process and procedures.Supporting the Service Manager through the introduction and development of Key Performance Indicators and managed the online content of the Advice Shop Service.

I provided advice and support to customers and supported Management.To be the first point of contact for customers both on the telephone and face to face.I gathered information regarding their enquiry and updated the appropriate systems.Working with partners and refer cases to suitable partners and other service to ensure customers were receiving a complete and holistic service.I managed the appeal filing

I provided support to officers in relation to recovery of council tax. This included completing letters and establishing contact with customer over the telephone.I completed data entry on the computer systems and complete tasks such as photocopying and filing