Gateway Assessor

**JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION**

**Job Title**:
Gateway Assessor

**Reporting to (Job Title)**:
I&A Manager

**Salary**

£22,000 FTE

**Hours**

35 hours per week (negotiable for right applicant)

**Contract Type**

Permanent

**Brief overview of the Position**:
**Working with**:
The overall purpose of this role is to provide a triage service for clients who need advice and support from the Information and Advice Department.

The Gateway Assessor will be required to provide, through telephone contact and/or face to face appointments/outreach sessions, accurate, personalised, relevant information and guidance on a range of issues.

Operations Manager, Information and Advice team, Services team, Marketing, Media and Comms Officer, and other internal and external stakeholders.

**Main duties and Responsibilities**:

- Undertake initial assessments and assess the client’s [VM1] query whilst working within strict time limits, key dates and any requirements for advice or action.
- Agree next steps and appropriate levels of service taking account of the client’s circumstances, and the complexity of the problems and the organisation’s resources.
- Provide person-centered holistic assessments to identify the needs of older people in relation to all aspects of independent living including benefit entitlement, health and well-being, care needs, income/expenditure, fuel costs, and social inclusion etc.
- Identify safeguarding issues and report to the relevant person/agency[VM2]
- Signpost and refer clients appropriately (internally and externally) following agreed procedures.

Maintain accurate case records on the Age UK Charity Log database to ensure continuity of advice, information retrieval, statistical monitoring, report preparation and quality checking.
- Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures.
- Prepare for and attend supervision/team/staff meetings as appropriate.
- Carry out any other tasks that are within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
- To provide general, day to day operational support to the Information & Advice Team.
- Maintain detailed case records for the purposes of continuity of casework.
- Assist and support the I&A Manager with information gathering, statistical monitoring and report preparation.
- Ensure all work meets the Advice Quality Standards.
- Identifying and escalating specific issues for more specialist advice within the I&A team.
- Carry out telephone interviews with clients to obtain further information for the I&A advisors prior to benefit checks.

**Summary of key attributes & Qualifications for role**:

- Have a basic understanding of Welfare Benefits
- A confident communicator with the ability to talk to groups of people in informal and semi-formal settings
- Able to work as part of a team
- Competent in the use of IT systems and Programmes, including Microsoft office Excel and Word, CRM systems (such as Charity Log)
- Ability to remain calm and take a problem-solving approach to address challenges
- Excellent time management ability, and capable of prioritising to work to deadlines
- Recent experience of delivering information and/or advice to the public, preferably older clients.
- A good understanding of the skills and techniques used in interviewing clients by telephone.
- The ability to monitor and maintain standards, prioritise work and meet deadlines and targets.
- Ability to analyze and interpret information and communicate effectively in writing.
- Excellent typing and IT skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal[VM3]
- Good understanding of the needs of older people.
- To undertake all recommended and mandatory training.

**Main KPI’s / performance measured against**:

- Regular review and accurate reporting on targets using CRM system in line with funder and organisational requirements.
- Effective use of resources including IT systems and Programmes
- Compliance with personal mandatory training.

**Generic Clauses**:
1. To comply in all aspects with Age UK Barrow and District policies.

2. To participate and contribute generally to Age UK Barrow and District activities, attending meetings, training courses etc. as required.

**Flexibility Clauses**:

- The nature of this post will require flexibility to meet urgent needs as they arise, this may entail occasional weekend or evening work.

Pay: £22,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

**Education**:

- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: GA I&A