COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE(NORTHAMPTON AND COUNTY)
12,600 per year (pro rata)
Northampton
Part-time
COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE (Northampton & County) POST: Finance Assistant HOURS OF WORK: 18 hours per week - permanent. (Exact working days to be agreed with successful candidate) SALARY: £24,500 pro rata – actual salary £12,600 BENEFITS: 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (31 after 5 years’ service) pro rata 5% employer pension contribution Flexible working hours (within core hours) Contractual sick pay (after probationary period). ACCOUNTABLE TO: Chief Executive JOB PURPOSE: To ensure smooth and accurate running of the Charity’s day to day financial activities. OFFICE BASE: 49 - 53 Hazelwood Road, Northampton NN1 1LG JOB DESCRIPTION This is an important role within the Charity and requires close attention to detail and a high level of organisation. This post works closely with the Chief Executive and department managers to ensure all day to day financial matters are accurately dealt with in a timely manner. The role also provides accounting support to the Charity’s Bookkeepers and involves some administrative support for the Charity as required. Main duties: ● Basic inputting and invoice preparation using Xero accounting system (day to day payments and invoices) ● Process invoices for payment and seek appropriate authorisation ● Maintain petty cash and reconcile ● Administer staff expenses payments ● Bank cash and cheques received and collect cash from Bank as required ● Accurate maintenance of records for the Charity’s fee charging service ● Assist with preparation and payment of payroll (the calculations for payroll and posting to Xero are not within this role) ● Maintain records of staff pension payments ● Assisting with preparation of financial reports as required ● Some wider administrative support tasks including: o Source cost effective suppliers and maintain supplier accounts o Ensure adequate supplies of stationary and other goods to facilitate the smooth running of the advice centres o Maintenance of staff holiday and sickness records ● Any other duties as reasonably required by the Charity. Being part of something bigger You will be part of an established charity with a highly skilled and experienced staff team. CLS deal with approximately 20,000 people a year who are facing significant hardship. The organisation provides specialist debt, benefit, housing, immigration and fuel poverty advice across the county. This is an opportunity to support the advice team and Charity to continue vital work for households facing hardship. You will be joining a friendly, expert and hard-working team who make a real difference to our local community. PERSON SPECIFICATION Knowledge and Qualifications ● Good working knowledge of Xero accounting systems ● Accounts training/qualification Experience ● Experience of using Xero ● Experience of providing a finance support role, ideally in a Charity ● Experience of administrative work Skills and personal attributes ● Excellent attention to detail ● A commitment to confidentiality ● Reliability ● Excellent communication both orally and in writing ● Ability to work flexibly in a reactive environment ● Ability to organise and prioritise a varied workload ● A commitment to equal opportunities ● Self motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team ● Ability to ensure tasks meet deadlines.
COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE(NORTHAMPTON AND COUNTY)
28,119 per year (pro rata)
Weston Favell
Full-time
COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE (NORTHAMPTON & COUNTY)
WESTON FAVELL FOODBANK
JOB DESCRIPTION
POST:
HOURS:
PURPOSE OF POST:
Welfare Rights Advisor
18 hours per week (to include Wednesdays)
To work in partnership with Emmanuel Church and
the Weston Favell Foodbank team to support the
health and wellbeing of foodbank users through the
delivery of an holistic face to face money advice
service particularly
individuals and
families. The focus will be on providing welfare
benefits and basic debt advice, financial capability
support, energy advice and support to access any
available measures to address fuel poverty. An end
to end casework service will be provided.
Funding currently in place until 31 April 2027
to vulnerable
BENEFITS:
Mileage allowance
£28,119 pro rata. Actual salary £14,461 per annum
5% employer pension contribution
Some home working (after successful completion of
probationary period)
Contractual sick pay (after successful completion of
probationary period)
Ongoing training and development.
Background
Commuinity Law Service has a well established partnership with the
foodbank team having delivered advice in the foodbank for 3 years.
Due to staff changes, the current member of staff is leaving the post.
The adviser is present in the foodbank whilst it is operating. Staff and
volunteers actively encourage guests to speak to the adviser, the aim
of which is to address the underlying cause of the need to use the
foodbank. This is an effective collaboration bringing positive results
for those who engage with the service.
Other things to Consider
You will be working as the sole adviser in the foodbank but are well
supported by the team whilst there. When not in foodbank, you will
be based at CLS main office in Hazelwood Road, Northampton. This
post is part of our experienced benefit advice team, where numerous
other staff also work in different community venues, including food
banks and community larders. The team is friendly and provides
excellent peer support. CLS holds the LEXCEL quality mark for
specialist advice, is a member of Advice UK and also a member of
immigration and debt advice partnerships spanning
the East
Midlands. You will be joining a professional, friendly and experienced
team where you will have the opportunity to continue to develop your
knowledge and expertise.
Main Duties:
To provide Welfare Benefits advice and help with claims and support with
disputes including support with benefit appeals.
To provide money advice support to include basic debt advice and
financial capability support
To provide energy advice and facilitate access to any other available
assistance from energy providers
To attend outreach sessions at the foodbank
To refer as appropriate to other CLS advisors for specialist advice funded
from other sources e.g. Housing Legal Aid
To provide advocacy services as appropriate.
To provide awareness sessions for staff delivering the foodbank provision
and other staff as appropriate
To assist in the preparation of promotional materials and relevant literature
aimed at promoting take-up of the services provided by the Project
To offer consultancy advice and support to Emmanuel Church staff in
respect of social welfare advice and information.
To maintain an effective referral procedure from staff to the Project.
To contribute to the development of website information about the
services provided and how they can be accessed, as required.
To make referrals for support from other agencies or schemes as
appropriate.
To comply with the Lexcel specialist quality mark standard.
To obtain user feedback on the Project and utilise this information in
developing the project.
To keep accurate statistical information on the work undertaken.
To assist in the preparation of reports on the progress and achievements
of the project.
To keep up to date with knowledge and developments in the relevant
areas of social welfare law.
To undertake in-house and external training relevant to the post. To
represent the Service at meetings as required.
To attend relevant internal and external meetings as required.
To undertake any other relevant work as required.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
KNOWLEDGE
Good knowledge of welfare benefits entitlements and the claiming
process.
Knowledge of enforcement procedures in respect of priority and non
priority debt and the remedies available to clients (any more complex debt
matters are referred into CLS specialist debt team)
Knowledge of debt counseling practice and procedure
Knowledge of energy saving measures including the support available
from energy suppliers
A good understanding of services provided by the voluntary and statutory
sector.
EXPERIENCE
Recent experience of providing specialist social welfare law advice to
include welfare benefits and preferably debt advice.
Experience of working with vulnerable client groups
Experience of outreach/community based work.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Excellent communication skills – the ability to communicate effectively
both orally and in writing.
IT literacy
Good time management skills.
Good administrative skills.
Excellent advocacy skills.
A commitment to equality of opportunity.
Self motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team.
Ability to work effectively in partnership with other agencies whilst
maintaining the confidentiality and independence of the Service.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Potholders will require use of a car and postholders must hold a full driving
license and have use of a car which must be insured for business use.
All postholders are required to have a Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS)
check.