Macmillan Welfare Benefits Advisor Team Lead

To engage in signposting of patients and their carers to appropriate agencies for help and assistance with tribunal representation, complex debt advice and other issues that fall outside the remit of the service. To liaise with statutory bodies (including the Department for Work and Pensions; HMRC and Local Authorities) on behalf of clients to progress their claims. To advocate and negotiate on clients behalf in arrears of complex case law and interpretation of legislation. To provide training and support to health and social care professionals on matters relating to the financial impact of a diagnosis of cancer.

Understand that there will be frequent exposure to distressing/ highly distressing situations and deal with difficult and highly emotive situations in a sensitive manner and base decisions on own judgement. Liaise with Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centres at other hospitals and other voluntary organisations. Demonstrate a high level of skill acquired through relevant training or equivalent experience whilst demonstrating awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/ advice. Maintain confidentiality at all times in line with Trust and Data Protection policies.

Support service users to find the information they need, ensuring that the information provided fully meets their needs in content, complexity and accessibility. Analytical and Judgement Skills To analyse complex financial queries and calculations where there may be a range of different options and present this information in a form appropriate to the needs of the client. To analyse government legislation and the implications for client group.Collect monitoring data consistently, accurately and timely, using service guidelines. Support staff and volunteers to collect good quality data.

Explain to service users how data will be used, and respect their choices. Collect feedback or comments from service users, and use information to improve and develop the service. Planning and organisational skills Plans own work and delegates to Welfare Benefits Advisers and volunteers as appropriate.it Team Able to make short term adjustments and is available to provide cross cover in the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre. Responsible for own time management, demonstrating effective use of resources.

Responsible for the day to day management of the Macmillan Welfare Benefit Advisors, including the management of staff and volunteers within the service. Act as a role model by demonstrating leadership and expertise, and by maintaining credibility across the Trust, the wider health community and external agencies, ensuring a positive image of the Trust is maintained. Be flexible in approach, able to exercise initiative and demonstrate a consistently high standard of professionalism, being aware for confidentiality and integrity. Create and maintain databases which record all support and information activity and information resources.

Develop and implement policies, procedures and guidelines related to own service. Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, taking action / alerting the Trust if practice appears to contravene policy. Work to achieve objectives within agreed timescales. Have the ability to be adaptable, multitask and prioritise under pressure working in a busy environment.

Be able to make short term adjustments and be available to provide cross cover to the Welfare Benefits Advisors in the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centres at the other CCC sites. Participate in meetings internally or externally to the Trust, relevant to specialist area of practice, proactively contributing to the meeting by providing advice and expertise in own specialist area Provide the Trust with a monthly update of the service. Provide Macmillan Cancer Support with quarterly service statistics. Produce an annual report for the Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Contribute to formulate long term plans to develop the service in line with the plans of the Trust, Macmillan and wider local community, for example the Advice Quality Standard Mark and adhering to the policies of AQS.