Welfare and Housing Adviser

Title: Welfare and Housing Adviser

Responsible to: Advice Services Manager

Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £29,000 to £34,000 FT (depending on experience and qualifications)

Based: Haringey borough (outreach venues including Hornsey, N8 9LP), Willesden, NW10 2JR + other locations if required

Contract: Permanent (subject to continuation of funding)

Please Note: DBS check will be required

JOB OVERVIEW

Do you want to work for an organisation that makes a real difference, every day, to people from all walks of life? Do you have a passion for advocating for vulnerable people, helping clients access their welfare entitlements and fighting homelessness? If so, this is an exciting opportunity for you to take the next step in your career by joining the Brent Irish Advisory Service (BIAS) as our Welfare and Housing Adviser for Haringey borough.

BIAS s welfare and housing advice service supports members of the local Irish community and beyond with a range of complex issues, including disability benefits, pensions, Universal Credit, Irish passports, homelessness, rehousing, tenancy sustainment and disrepair. We are looking to appoint a dynamic, enthusiastic person who has a background or demonstrable interest in advice, welfare or housing to join our friendly advice team. Your role will involve contributing to the establishment, expansion and day-to-day running of BIAS s advice service in Haringey borough, providing specialist advice on welfare and housing via one-to-one client appointments, completing casework and advocating for positive outcomes for your clients.

You will need to have strong people skills and the ability to build good working relationships with colleagues, clients and partners, an aptitude for working independently, excellent organisational skills and the ability to digest complex briefs. You will be required to manage an active caseload, ensuring that cases are appropriately actioned and recorded and that deadlines are met. You will work with the Advice Services Manager to build and develop the new advice service in Haringey, ensuring that we replicate our excellent quality of service, strong record of positive outcomes and loyal client base.

If you don t yet have all the knowledge or experience required, please consider applying as we are willing to consider appointing the right candidate in a training and development role.

KEY WORK AREAS AND MAIN DUTIES

• Providing appropriate advice, information and practical help to clients via in-person appointments, outreach visits, telephone, letter or email. Where necessary, advocating on behalf of clients in the appropriate forums.
• Ensuring that all casework records are kept up to date and completed clearly and effectively.
• Contributing to monitoring service delivery and recording client outcomes.
• Maintaining a good knowledge of other available services, and signposting or referring clients as needed.
• Participating in regular team file reviews and supervision sessions, and contributing to maintaining BIAS s high-quality service in line with Advice Quality Standard (AQS) requirements.
• Engaging positively and constructively with other service providers, including local authorities and housing providers, to maintain partnerships.
• Staying up to date with developments in welfare benefits and housing legislation and identifying opportunities to effect positive policy change, together with the Advice Services Manager.

These are the basic duties required of the Welfare and Housing Adviser. However, it is necessary for all staff to be flexible and you may be required from time to time to perform other reasonable duties which are required for the efficient running of the organisation. We will also offer training opportunities to support your career development.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK. This role will be based in our advice venues in Haringey 1 , with some presence required at our main office in Willesden and some options for flexible working (i.e. one or two days per week).

1 BIAS is currently running its Haringey advice services from the Hornsey Vale Community Centre, with plans to expand into additional venues in the borough later in 2025.

ABOUT BIAS

BIAS is a local charity which has supported England s largest Irish community in Brent for over forty-five years. We deliver our support through our welfare advice drop-in service, our active ageing clubs and our Be-a-Friend volunteer scheme. We raise over £2 million in extra income for the most vulnerable every year and have over 3000 attendances at our club services. BIAS has exciting plans for further expansion and has a range of medium- to long-term grant funding, including from Ireland s Emigrant Support Programme.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter should demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for this role, as detailed in the person specification.

The deadline for applications is 3rd December 2025 but we encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible as interviews may be carried out on a rolling basis.