[Hiring] Regional Support Officer @Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

Role Description

To work as part of a team that provide high-quality casework and grant applications to farming people that come to RABI for support.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high quality information, advice and guidance in an empathetic and professional manner.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of welfare and benefits legislation, ensuring awareness of any changes that may affect beneficiaries or service delivery.
• Conduct a holistic needs assessment for each service user according to their individual circumstances.
• Manage a caseload of beneficiaries working with each service user to establish the most appropriate sources of support and agree an action/support plan with them.
• Collation of evidence for grants applications, checking that essential criteria have been met and progressing applications to the next stage of RABI’s internal grants process.
• Provide a face-to-face service when there is an over-riding need to do so by visiting service users.
• Collaborate with other agencies/service providers who can offer additional support options and attend meetings when required and in collaboration with RSM/SRSM.
• Liaise with partners, ensuring that agreed actions are followed up.
• Log and communicate details of cases within the CRM system, in a timely and accurate manner to ensure that records are up to date and the wider team has the information they need to provide support.
• Explore, assess and escalate any safeguarding concerns according to the RABI safeguarding policy.
• Contribute constructively to the development of the Service Delivery team and function, for the benefit of service users.
• Work constructively and collaboratively to solve problems with the support of colleagues.
• Attend all internal and external meetings as required.
• Be an ambassador for Service Delivery internally within RABI and with external organisations.
• Demonstrate commitment to Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity and Health and Safety promoting a safe and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience providing services to vulnerable service users, listening and supporting in a non-judgemental way.
• Knowledge and insight into state benefits and complementary support services (whether national/local/statutory agencies).
• Strong ability to manage a diverse caseload effectively, prioritising competing demands to include keeping excellent case records.
• Excellent communication skills, being able to establish rapport and build trust quickly.
• The ability to build a practical plan alongside a service user and adapt approach to different circumstances and personalities.
• Excellent problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, particularly in complex situations.
• Knowledge of data protection principles and how to apply them.
• Knowledge or experience of safeguarding best practice.
• Excellent IT software skills and aptitude to adapt to new systems and processes.
• Flexible, resilient and solution focused working with sensitivity and integrity.
• Collaborative, constructive, and solution-focussed.
• Ability to work flexibly, depending on the needs of the team and of service users.

Requirements

• Farming background or knowledge of the farming community environment.
• Experience providing support remotely.
• Relevant qualifications in health and social care.
• Use of own car, ability to travel to support service users/attend meetings.

Benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (based on full-time working).
• Enrolment to Nest on commencement of employment and the opportunity to join RABI’s group pension scheme with Standard Life where RABI make contributions equivalent to 10% of your basic salary, provided you make a personal contribution of 5%.
• Life assurance from day one.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site parking.