This Pack Contains The

1 This pack contains the following sections:

 About Age UK  About Age UK Merton  How to apply  Role description & Person Specification  Staffing structure  Key Competency framework

About Age UK

Age UK is a national organization which came into being when national Age Concern and Help the Aged combined. Many individual and locally based Age Concerns like us opted, at the time of the merger, to become Brand Partners, which means that Age UK Merton benefits from using the recognized branding, support, campaigning and research, whilst remaining a separate charity. About Age UK Merton

Age UK Merton is a Company Limited by Guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. In November 2011 we rebranded and became Age UK Merton (we were previously known as Age Concern Merton).

We are registered as a charity with the Charity Commission.

We are one of the leading voluntary sector providers of services to older people in the London Borough of Merton.

Our vision

2 is for everyone in the borough to love later life

Our mission is to ensure that everyone in Merton has the opportunity to make the most of later life, whatever their circumstances, wants and needs.

Our delivery of this aim is guided by three key objectives:

1. To enable and support older people in Merton to love later life and change it for the better, to stay independent and keep doing the things that they enjoy.

2. To be the voice of older people in Merton, influencing decision makers and raising awareness of the contribution that people in later life make to our community.

3. To ensure that older people benefit from a well-run, sustainable organisation that involves them in the running and design of services

Over the 64 years since its inception, Age UK Merton has substantially increased the range of services offered to people in later life and their carers. Currently we provide:

 Information and advice  Health Programmes for people  Campaigning with a long term health condition  Activities and social centre  Sole Mates foot care  Walks and trips in the community  Life After Stroke support and further afield  Befriending  Helping Hands – home support  Confidential incontinence service services including shopping & cleaning  Emergency grants  Handyperson  IT support at home

Our Staff and Volunteers A committed team of 18 staff and 100+ volunteers enable us to provide the wide range of support as listed above. Our staff team are dedicated, well-trained and committed to providing the best services to older people in Merton. Our team is diverse and possess a range of skills further enhancing what Age UK Merton are able to deliver. Staff are encouraged to be innovative and suggest new ideas, and listen to the older people they support so that we are led by the needs of people in later life and the community in Merton.

Our team of volunteers continues to grow, reflecting the strength of volunteering in the local community. We calculate that each year we benefit from over 6000 hours of volunteering time. Volunteering comes in many forms; some volunteer weekly, others

3 monthly and some on an occasional or seasonal basis. All are committed to enabling people in later life to get the most out of their lives and, for those volunteers who are older people themselves, there is a strong desire to continue to use their skills and energy for the benefit of the community whilst continuing personally to learn and develop. Friendship and fun are also a large part of volunteering as is feeling part of the community.

Our Trustees Our Board of Trustees brings a wide range of skills and experience to the governance of the organisation, including business, accounting, legal, media, housing management, local community knowledge, health governance and social care management.

Our Partners Age UK Merton is committed to working in partnership to provide many of our services. Some of our current partners are the London Borough of Merton, Merton CCG, Wimbledon Guild, Merton Vision, Merton Mencap and Merton Centre for Independent Living. We also work closely with Merton Seniors Forum as part of our campaigning for quality services and rights for older people. We continue to develop new partnerships to reflect the needs of the community, and to ensure best value for the funders and for the individuals who receive our services.

How to apply

You can apply electronically, by downloading and completing an application form, which can be returned to us by email or by post.

Please ensure that your supporting statement demonstrates how your experience‚ skills and abilities meet the selection criteria set out in the Job Description and Person Specification. These can be found in the next section of this pack. Please also ensure you complete the equal opportunities monitoring section at the end of your application form.

Completed applications should be returned to us by 1pm Friday 2nd June 2017. Applications received after that time will not normally be considered for short listing. Completed electronic applications must be sent to:

[email protected]

4 ensuring you clearly identify in the email the post you are applying for. Applications sent by post should be marked confidential and for the attention of Rob Clarke, Chief Executive at Age UK Merton, 277 London Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 3NT.

We will contact you by email or telephone by Friday 2nd June if you have been shortlisted, and explain the process for the interview the following week.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 6th June 2017.

5 Job Description

Information & Advice Officer

Salary: Salary: £24,461 pro rata Hours: 15 per week Responsible to: Ask Us Anything Manager Location: Mitcham, with home visiting in The London Borough of Merton.

Role Purpose:  To deliver information, advice and assistance in a wide field of subjects, including benefits, housing, social care, and local resources, to older people in Merton.

 To deliver the service either face to face at our center and in clients home or over the phone. To assist the Ask Us Anything Manager in the training and support of volunteer project workers.

 To assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Summary of Duties: 1. To publicise the service through the writing and distribution of printed information, and with advertisements, and website entries.

2. To liaise with appropriate agencies in order to promote develop and run the service.

3. To collect information for the monitoring of service delivery both manually and on an electronic management database.

4. To record case records in written and digital form.

5. To complete outcome measure tools with appropriate clients.

6. To answer emails, letter, and telephone calls from clients, giving appropriate information and advice and assistance.

7. To see clients in the office, in their homes, or in other venues as necessary.

8. To respond to client enquiries in a wide field of subjects of concern to older people, by giving information, advice, and assistance. Also to refer, or sign post, clients to sources to specialist help where appropriate.

6 9. To conduct work in line with all internal policies necessary to deliver a good quality service, including confidentiality, conflict of interest, and referral procedures.

10. To work with the Information & Advice Development Manager to support and train volunteers.

General Duties 1. To work in accordance with all Age UK Merton’s policies and procedures.

2. To attend employee, team and supervision meetings as required.

3. To attend events to represent Age UK Merton as required.

4. To undertake any relevant training as may be required.

5. To be flexible in undertaking any other duties required by the organisation which are consistent with the aim of protecting and advancing the welfare of the client group.

Person specification

Experience

1. At least six months experience of providing information and/or advice to the general public.

2. Experience of face to face work in a helping role.

3. Experience of researching information from written and digital sources.

4. Experience of working in a team.

Knowledge

1. Specialist knowledge in at least one of the following: housing and/or social care, and a basic knowledge in money and benefits and local services..

2. Ability to obtain, with help, further knowledge in the areas mentioned above.

3. Willingness to develop in areas with a basic knowledge.

Skills

1. Strong communication skills with an ability to relate to people at all levels and from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

7 2. Strong interpersonal skills suitable for dealing sensitively with clients who may be vulnerable and distressed.

3. Ability to work competently across organizational boundaries.

4. Ability to organise your own work to ensure that priorities and deadlines are met.

5. Strong numeracy skills.

6. Ability to write clear, concise, and comprehensive case notes and letters.

7. Sound IT skills particularly Microsoft word, email, Internet, and database.

8. Ability to use, or to learn to use, a computer management database, such as Charitylog.

9. Proven ability to function well, and contribute to, teamwork.

10. A knowledge of, and commitment to, equal opportunities.

11. A sound understanding of the need for confidentiality in the role, and an ability to adhere to all agency policies.

12. An understanding, and commitment to, the needs and dignity of older people and the contribution they make to society.

Other requirements

1. An enhanced criminal records bureau check will be required in this post.

2. An ability to undertake home visits for housebound and older people requiring travel across the borough.

May 2017

The Age UK Competency Framework

Age UK has 5 core competencies. These have been developed to shape our culture through the way we work. These are:

8 Achieving Results - Anticipates and seeks Effective Communication - Actively listens to solve problems. Understands processes and adapts message and communication and procedures. Takes responsibility for style to appeal to the interest and level of own work and personal development. audience. Questions and challenges Being accurate and achieving quality information in a tactful, diplomatic and results. sensitive manner. Championing Age UK - Fully understands Focusing On The Customer - Ability to Age UK and know your role within the identify customers in and out of Age UK charity. Understand the challenges of and build positive relationships. Listens people in later life and promoting Age UK and acts on customer feedback and strives products and services. Be willing to share to provide a positive customer experience. success and be a credible ambassador for Builds trusting and professional Age UK. relationships with a diverse customer base and seeks to exceed customer expectation. Change & Innovation - Generates and shares new ideas and finds creative Please note that as part of our solutions to current and future work recruitment process you may be asked issues. Embraces new change initiatives competency based questions in your and adapts to new ways of working. interview. Challenges existing ways of working and considers pros and cons of new ideas and choice of best option.