Rethink Mental Illness Hiring for Debt Adviser (Homebased) at Remote Full Time

Location: Homebased

Salary (pro rata): £22,407.40 to £25,690.03 per annum

Total hours per week: 35 between Monday to Friday 9-5

Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2023 (potential to extend subject to funding)

The Mental Health and Money Advice Service is the first UK-wide service to address mental and financial health together. We aim to stop the spiral of debt and mental health issues by providing online information and advice and casework provided by telephone. The service launched in November 2017, commissioned by Mental Health UK and delivered by Rethink Mental Illness in England, Hafal in Wales, Support in Mind in Scotland and Mindwise in Northern Ireland.

How will you make a difference?

As a Debt Adviser you will use your existing knowledge and expertise to identify and address a range of issues and provide debt and financial capability advice to people with mental health issues, in particular those who have just come out of a mental health crisis and are within a ‘Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space’. You will take on case work within our remit on debt (including enhanced income maximisation), mental health and financial capability issues.

You will also develop your knowledge and experience of mental health and social care to set your advice in a meaningful context. You will help clients identify the barriers that are hindering progress in dealing with their money worries and provide help, support and advice to overcome these barriers.

You can read more about the rewards you will receive on the job description attached to the advert on our website.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

evidence of training (caseworker and/or specialist levels) in money advice from accredited training providers e.g. IMA and Wiser Adviser

experience providing money advice (including debt and financial capability, welfare benefits/income max) either face to face or via telephone

experience of providing casework covering debt, welfare benefits or mental health

experience of working with electronic case recording systems

experience in remote advice delivery e.g. telephone, email, virtual chat etc.

experience of working with vulnerable clients, particularly people affected by mental illness

Knowledge about relevant legislation, regulation and guidance covering welfare benefits and money advice

Wide range of money advice knowledge; budgeting, dealing with priority and non-priority debts, County Court / High Court options, insolvency options and a wide range of welfare benefits.

You may also:

Be accredited by the Institute of Money Advisers or willing to work towards this accreditation.

Demonstrate evidence of meeting Money Advice Service Individual Quality Framework at Advice, Casework and Court Representation level for Money Advice e.g. CMAP or Wiser Adviser Route

Demonstrate evidence attending recent training in Welfare Benefits especially Universal Credit e.g. CPAG

Have experience of providing telephone-based casework in debt welfare benefits or mental health

Have experience of working directly with people affected by mental illness

Why join us?

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”

We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:

Wellbeing support: our Wellbeing hub gives physical, emotional, and mental health support. We also have a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments.

Taking time for you: we work flexibly –you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off.

Planning for the future: We have a contributory pension scheme.

Structured Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.

£300 when you introduce a Friend: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member

We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ ), people with a disability, or those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status. We have an ambition of becoming an anti-racist organisation and we recognise there is more to do in ensuring our recruitment is fair and inclusive, which is why we are recruiting new roles in helping us to achieve this.