Assistant Manager Call-back Specialist, National Services

The Scotland-wide advice and information service for single parents provides:

• OPFS Advice Service for single parents and practitioners seeking advice via our Helpline, Webchat, advice@, 'Ask a Question' and social media platforms.
• OPFS Advice Information which hosts on-line content about issues that matter to single parents.
• OPFS Advice Training service which delivers online and in-person training courses for practitioners working with single parents.
Management duties
• Assist the Advice and Information Service manager and take responsibility for some operational duties of the service including rotas and leave, quality control and auditing, workload management, equipment and IT checks.
• Act as a support source for Advice and Information colleagues. Also have some responsibility for providing support and supervision.
• Network, develop and maintain relationships with both internal and external colleagues and partners.
• Attend events, meetings, conferences relevant to the work of the service.
• Monitor the progress towards key targets or outcomes set by OPFS, funders and other stakeholders.
• Participate in and support ongoing improvements of the service.
Call-back specialist duties
• Hold and manage a case load referred primarily from the Advice and Information Service advisors where additional need has been identified.
• Handle out of remit cases from local OPFS services.
• Use professional curiosity to identify and assess need.
• Work holistically, in line with OPFS values and priorities, to provide support to single parent households to improve their circumstances and encourage the family's potential.
• Advocate and liaise with other organisations on behalf of the single parent household.
• Work within professional boundaries.
• Use a number of communication channels to contact single parents.
• Report on trends and policy areas reporting these to OPFS policy team through established channels.
Equal opportunities and family friendly employment
• OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer and flexible working requests will be considered. OPFS has Investors In People status and Living Wage accreditation.
  Relevant experience and skills are more important than qualifications, and this is a role open to both graduates and non-graduates. However, a qualification relevant to the type of work mentioned above would be helpful.
• Satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure Check
Experience
• Experience of leading a team or working in a supervisory capacity.
• Recent, substantial experience, paid or voluntary, providing advice in an advice setting such as a public advice helpline, Citizens Advice Bureau or similar.
• Experience of operating in a modern digital workplace with experience of using online case management systems.
• Experience of handling with discretion information which may be confidential or sensitive.
Skills & attributes
• Great inter-personal skills and an approachable, friendly and supportive manner.
• Be able to work independently and be responsible for managing your own workload.
• Strong team-working skills and an ability to be flexible and adapt to change.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Confident and comfortable in a number of professional settings.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to provide advice and information in a professional, relevant and non-judgmental way.
• Proven ability to absorb new information and learn quickly to diagnose and respond to advice issues in a pressured advice environment.
• Able to work confidently in a digital environment, including standard Microsoft office software packages, CRM systems and digital communication tools.
• Ability to assess need and identify areas of work.
Knowledge
• Excellent working knowledge of the UK system of welfare benefits, Scottish social security benefits, awareness of child maintenance and Scottish family law.
• Knowledge of current government policies relevant to one parent families.
• Knowledge of barriers and challenges surrounding one parent families in Scotland.
Values and attitudes
• Ability to take a flexible approach to work and duties within your range of responsibility and carrying out other duties as directed by line manager.
• To champion and promote equal opportunities and exhibit values which are non-discriminatory and that encourages single parents to access services.
• Clear understanding of the importance of excellence of customer service.
• Ability to support cross-team working, and a solution focused approach.
• Work in line with OPFS values and priorities.
Terms & conditions
• Period of appointment: The appointment is permanent. Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period, Disclosure Checks and receipt of satisfactory references.
  Salary: OPFS scale 19-23 (£28,629 - £34,991) pro rata for 28 hours a week.
• Hours of work: 28 hours per week, days to be agreed with line manager. As a flexible employer with life and family-friendly culture, flexible hours will be considered as will hybrid working - spreading the working week between the home and office.
• Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays, pro rata.
• Pension: You will be auto enrolled from your start date. OPFS pays 7% of your salary and you pay a minimum of 3%.
• Training and support and supervision: You will receive induction training and frequent support in the first three months. Thereafter you will receive monthly individual support and supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings will be held, and staff have access to internal and external training.