Role: Financial Assessment and Charging Officer
Contract Length: 6 months
Location: Hybrid/Walsall – 3 days per week on site
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: £26.95 per hour
Security Clearance: Enhanced DBS
Spinwell is recruiting for a Financial Assessment and Charging Officer for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT AND CHARGING OFFICER
- To be responsible for assessing the financial affairs of clients who are eligible for Residential, Community and respite care services to determine their ability to contribute towards the cost of their care in line with statute and legislation.
- To work with Adult Social Care (ASC) clients of all ages, disabilities, dementia, mental health concerns, sensory impairments, elderly residents and their families and other service users both in Council offices and home visits.
- To ensure that residents are financially assessed promptly in accordance with legislation, statutory guidance and the Councils ASC Charging Policy, maximising income by way of identifying applicable welfare benefits, monitoring take-up, and supporting residents to make payments of care charges when due.
- To undertake manual calculations for benefits and calculating care charge.
- To identify potential opportunities for the Council to secure debt, informing and advising residents of all options available including the option of a Deferred Payment agreement.
- To identify and investigate where deprivation of assets/income or safeguarding concerns are apparent; producing reports, compiling evidence, working across directorates with colleagues in Legal Services, Finance and ASC, Money Home Job (Council Tax and Rebates) to analyse evidence and make recommendations in ongoing investigations.
- To support the recovery of ASC debt, undertaking site visits, investigating underlying issues resulting in the non-payment of invoices, instigating a financial re-assessment, and negotiating re-payments as appropriate.
- To participate in ASC panel meetings and ‘task and finish’ groups relating to safeguarding, deprivation of assets, client debt and financial assessment appeals.
- The post holder is expected to hold a high level of technical expertise and judgement regarding the complexities associated with ASC services; in particular, charging for care services, benefit maximisation and income recovery.
- The post holder is required to identify complex and problematic cases, collate and evidence barriers to accessing information and partake in solution-based strategies with their Team Leaders and Managers to resolve and complete cases in a timely manner.
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT AND CHARGING OFFICER
- Driving licence and access to a car needed.
- Ability to deal objectively and with empathy with distressed or angry service users in order to obtain information, negotiate successful outcomes and explain financial contributions.
- Ability to interpret, understand and communicate complex advice on Adult Social Care charging and/or financial issues in an understandable way to internal colleagues and residents.
- Ability to manage a caseload and maintain accurate records within defined standards as well as providing advice on complex issues.
- Ability to embrace change and adapt to changing situations and new ways of working positively and effectively. Including the ability to learn new systems, processes and contribute towards improving working methods.
- Ability to take ownership and ensure goals are successfully achieved within tight deadlines and deliver on competing priorities
- Ability to work under pressure and remain calm in difficult situations
- Ability to communicate both orally and in writing with a wide range of audiences, providing clear and accurate information
- Ability to identify potential safeguarding situations.
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility to meet the changing demands of service
- Ability to work in partnership at all levels, including negotiating, communicating, and working collaboratively with internal/external organisations to achieve outcomes.
- The ability to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- A working knowledge of welfare benefits and criteria for entitlement as it applies in the residential setting and people in the community.
- A working knowledge of financial assessments and charging processes, calculation, and reconciliations.
- Knowledge of financial assessments charging and payment processes for residential and community care.
- Knowledge and understanding of legislation and regulations which influence\impact on how services are provided by the Council.
- Experience of the Care Act, Fairer Charging Guidance for Non-Residential Services and Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide (CRAGs)
- Experience of dealing with the treatment of service user property and other assets in the financial assessment, completing complex capital depletion calculations and calculating deferred charges in line with relevant legislation.
- Experienced at dealing with complaints from all sections of society, from service users to institutions representing service users, care givers or family members; dealing with and resolving appeals in a timely and sensitive manner; communicating the outcome as appropriate.
- Experience in the use of the Mosaic case management system, financial systems and other related software.
- Demonstrable experience of collating and analysing information, running data reports and presenting findings to suit different audiences in a range of formats.
- Knowledge and experience of key performance indicators.
- An understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding vulnerable people.
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office Systems including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
- Evidence of being educated to a degree level either finance, business management, or substantial experience of working within a financial assessment and charging environment.
If you are a Financial Assessment and Charging Officer, apply now or send your CV to Spinwell!
We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
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