Warmer Homes Advice and Money Energy Caseworker

Job Title: WHAM (Warmer Homes Advice and Money) Energy Caseworker

Location: Bristol & North Somerset

Salary: £25,953 rising to £28,520 upon successful completion of probation after six months.

Job Type: Full-time, fixed term, period of 12 months

The Centre for Sustainable Energy’s mission is to support people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. As we grow, we are seeing increasing enquiries from people about how welfare reforms, stagnant incomes and more recently the fuel price rises and increasing cost of living are impacting their lives. As a result, these queries are often sensitive in nature, requiring our energy advisors to have an empathetic approach and a can-do attitude to their work.

Main purpose:

• To travel across Bristol & North Somerset to give advice to people in their own homes, coordinate partner activity, deliver events, talks and presentations
• To provide information to help clients to access appropriate support
• To provide energy advice to clients by phone and email
• To provide in-depth casework support to clients
• To provide administrative support to the delivery of projects
• To maintain accurate and detailed records of all interactions with clients

Responsibilities include:

• Engage with households who need help with their energy issues
• Improve the wellbeing and safeguarding of households in fuel poverty whose health conditions are exacerbated by living in a cold home
• Improve the understanding and confidence of households in fuel poverty to better manage their energy use
• Reduce the financial hardship and stress of households in fuel poverty by supporting their access to lower tariffs, grants for heating and insulation improvements and income maximisation
• Build a strong partnership within hospitals and the wider health and social care community and other key partners. Improve the capacity of health and social care staff and third sector organisations supporting vulnerable households returning to the community, to better understand and deal with their energy issues
• Share the learning from our work with other practitioners who wish to build on best practice
• To identify energy improvements that can be made to the home and refer to installers who can fit them
• To refer households to other support organisations in the area as appropriate for further support
• To give advice to people in their own homes
• To support households over a period of time if there are a number of different issues to be resolved.
• To deliver complex casework and home visits with minimal support
• To help households make applications for grants and switch energy tariffs where appropriate

The Candidate:

• Minimum Maths and English GCSE or equivalent
• Experience of giving advice
• Experience of customer service
• Understanding of energy efficiency measures and fuel poverty
• Experience of taking a lead on the delivery and coordination of project based activity
• Ability to respond to vulnerable clients in a respectful and engaging manner
• Ability to present complex information in an accessible and appropriate manner
• Ability to work in a team and able to identify areas where their skills complement others

Benefits:

• Salary is paid monthly across the fixed term of 24 months, pro-rata for part time
• We will pay fees and expenses for attendance on relevant training courses, and any expenses incurred in the course of work will be reimbursed in accordance with CSE’s standard staff expenses policy
• You will be entitled to 25 days paid holiday (plus statutory holidays). There will be a six-month probationary period and review. Although the post is remotely based, the postholder will be expected to attend the Bristol office throughout the first month for induction and City & Guilds training and exam
• Tech Scheme
• Cycle scheme

After probation coming to the office on an ad hoc basis for key meetings will be expected.

Please click on the APPLY button to complete the first stage of the application process by sending your CV and Cover Letter for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of: Helpline Advisor, Helpline presenter Customer Service Advisor, Customer outreach, Customer Service Representative, Customer Support, Consumer Aid, Consumer Support Advisor, Consumer Services Officer, Client Services Support, Client Support Agent and Consumer Services Administrator will also be considered for this role.