Senior Welfare Advisor

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals from cradle to career. Our work builds a better society - one where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live. Read our latest Annual Review and Voice from the Frontline summary here.

We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Senior Welfare Adviser to join the Advice Service at Community Links. The role forms part of Catch22's Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), commissioned by HMPPS, and will provide specialist welfare benefits, debt and social welfare advice to men involved in the criminal justice system, while also contributing to the wider Community Links Advice Service.

The postholder will deliver high-quality advice, advocacy and casework to people experiencing poverty, financial hardship, debt, housing difficulties and other social welfare challenges, with a particular focus on supporting men engaged with probation services and those moving through rehabilitation and resettlement.

Working within a holistic advice model, the adviser will help clients understand their rights, maximise income, improve financial wellbeing and access the support they need to achieve positive outcomes.

The role's core specialisms are welfare benefits and debt advice. The postholder will manage a varied caseload, supporting clients with benefit entitlement, claims, appeals, debt issues and available debt solutions, while also advising on housing issues, income maximisation and wider social welfare matters. The successful candidate will support volunteers and trainees, contribute to quality assurance activities and work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners.

Community Links is committed to investing in staff development and will support the successful candidate through funded debt advice training and ongoing professional development opportunities. This role offers opportunities to further develop specialist debt advice knowledge, achieve recognised accreditation and progress within the service, while delivering high-quality support to people facing complex debt and social welfare challenges.

• Specialist knowledge and experience of welfare benefits and debt advice, including Universal Credit, debt options and relevant legislation.

• Ability to manage a varied and complex caseload.

• Minimum two years' experience providing social welfare advice at casework level, including advocacy and representation.

• Experience preparing welfare benefit appeals, mandatory reconsiderations or tribunal submissions.

• Experience supporting vulnerable individuals with multiple and complex needs.

• Experience providing welfare benefits and debt advice.

• Experience working within AQS standards and FCA requirements.

• Knowledge of safeguarding, GDPR, confidentiality and information governance requirements.

• Experience maintaining accurate records and working to performance and quality standards.

Those interested in applying for this opportunity should review the Job Description & Person Specification to find out more.

When applying please be cautious over the answers you provide. If you select “NO” to the screening question regarding Right to Work in the UK, your application will automatically be closed. 

Contract: Permanent

Hours & work pattern: Full time, 38 hours per week. 

Salary: £37,324 Per Annum 

The salary shown reflects the band for this role, with the final offer taking account of experience and relevant skills.

Location: Community Links, 105 Barking Road, E16 4HQ, London

Closing Date: This vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate is appointed.

Screening: Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check, HMPPS vetting check, and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK. Catch22 does not currently provide a licence to sponsor visas but please see this register to see those that do.

To Apply: Please provide your CV and cover letter, along with the completion of the screening questions to express your interest in this opportunity. Please note, in the interest of safer recruitment and ensuring that applicants are a right fit for the role, submitted applications must contain a CV, satisfactory responses to the screening questions, and information detailing interest in the role, to be considered for this position.

Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) should not be used to exaggerate skills & experiences, create generic responses that are not unique to the individual, and for any assessments used by the Hiring Team to measure an individual's natural abilities. 

Catch22’s Commitment to Opportunity & Progression

At Catch22 we are proud of our commitment in supporting people develop in their careers and progress in our organisation. In 2024, within our Justice Hub, we have 68% of those in management roles that originally joined Catch22 in the frontline workforce and some worked across a number of roles and Leadership positions before joining management. This allows us to have a highly experienced management group and provides development opportunities for those in our much valued front-line.

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.

Missing Links?

A number of our job aggregators do not allow for us to use hyperlinks in our advertisements. To view information contained within these links, please click apply, where you will be taken to the advert in our ATS. This will allow you to view and access the links contained within our adverts. 

Social Media Search

Please note, we may conduct an online search as part of our due diligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media.

Vetting Requirements
This role is subject to the satisfactory completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include HMPPS vetting, NPPV, or other role-specific security clearances.

Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful outcome of these checks. Where clearance is not granted, or is subsequently withdrawn, Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment.

Catch22 Justice requests no contact from agencies or media sales

Benefits / Apply for Opportunities / recruitment process / Recruitment Policy / Set up Job Alerts

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.