Financial Assessment Assistant

We have an excellent opportunity available for a Financial Assessment Assistant to join our motivated Financial Assessments Team at Wokingham Borough Council, on a full time, 12-month fixed term contract.

As the Financial Assessments Assistant, you play a key role in providing customer and officer support in respect of social care services customers, to decide if a financial contribution is required, whilst maximising income for the Council and the Customer, carried out in line with the Council’s policy and the Care Act 2014, whilst considering the MCA 2005.

Benefits:

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including: 

⭐ A generous annual leave entitlement of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 5 years continued local government service), plus Bank Holidays 

⭐ An excellent local government pension scheme 

⭐ An employee assistance programme including 24/7 wellbeing helpline 

⭐ A range of local & lifestyle discounts 

⭐ Use of a free onsite gym (located at Shute End office) 

⭐ Salary sacrifice car & cycle to work schemes 

⭐ And much more! 

Key responsibilities:

• Be capable of working in an accurate and organised way and have a good eye for detail.
• It’s essential that you can work well under pressure, meet deadlines, achieve challenging service performance targets and adopt a flexible approach.
• You will help to provide an efficient, cost effective, and quality focused service enabling effective delivery to our Adult Social Care customers.
• Give general advice and guidance to customers and their representatives, via phone, email or in person callers, in respect of financial assessments and at times other welfare & council benefits utilising software packages available.
• First contact for financial assessments and annual reviews under the Council’s Charging Policies and other legal frameworks, through desk-based work, in accordance with defined legislation, procedures and timescales so that financial assessments may be carried out and charged correctly for services.
• Provide general explanations and support to colleagues and clients about charging policies and payment policies. Respond to general enquiries in writing, face to face and by telephone, providing accurate information in easy-to-understand language.

Candidate requirements:

• Experience of working in an office environment.
• A commitment to embracing change.
• The ability to interpret, extract and assess important information.
• The ability to work with volume and be accurate.
• Customer service ethos, striving to continually improve.
• The ability to work on their own initiative and take ownership as well as working as part of a team.
• Working with colleagues to achieve service performance targets.
• Good IT skills.

Our Area: 

Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside. 

We’re home to a range of high performing schools including 69 primary and 21 secondary, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. We have a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life. 

For more information or to arrange a confidential call, please email Frances.Jewson@wokingham.gov.uk

Closing date: 27 April 2025

Interview date:  w/c 05/05/2025

Whilst this is a fixed term contract appointment, for anyone already employed by Wokingham Borough Council this would be classed as a secondment if successful.  Therefore, the usual permission requests for secondments apply and you must speak to your line manager in the first instance before applying.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. 

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer. 

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.