Specialist Welfare Adviser

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity for candidates looking to develop their expertise in complex welfare casework, safeguarding and advocacy within a large and diverse university community. You will support students experiencing challenges, including homelessness and housing insecurity, family breakdown and estrangement, financial deprivation, victimisation and exploitation, domestic abuse and sexual violence, harassment, online harms, safeguarding concerns, significant life events and barriers to engagement with university life. Working within a multidisciplinary team, you will help students navigate complex situations, access appropriate support and advocate on their behalf where needed.

We welcome applications from candidates with experience supporting vulnerable young people or adults in settings such as social work, youth work, education, victim support, safeguarding, mental health services, housing or community services. This role offers the opportunity to develop expertise in complex case management, multi-agency working, safeguarding and institutional welfare practice, while helping shape preventative and early-intervention approaches to student support. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience supporting victims of crime, financial exploitation, fraud, cybercrime or other emerging forms of harm.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about empowering individuals, navigating complex systems and responding to the evolving welfare challenges affecting students. You will join a service that continues to develop its approach to prevention, awareness-raising and early intervention, creating opportunities to influence future service delivery and help students access support before issues escalate.

This is a full-time, permanent post.

About you:

Essential criteria

• Relevant professional experience and/or qualifications in an area such as social work, youth work, safeguarding, victim support, welfare support, housing, community services or a related field.
• Experience of supporting young people or adults experiencing complex welfare, safeguarding or wellbeing concerns, including those presenting with multiple and intersecting needs.
• Experience of working with individuals affected by homelessness or housing insecurity, family estrangement, victimisation, exploitation, crime, harassment or other complex welfare concerns.
• Experience of managing a caseload and providing person-centred support, advocacy and case coordination in a professional setting.
• Experience of conducting risk assessments and contributing to safeguarding, support or safety plans within an education, community or statutory setting.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders to coordinate support and achieve positive outcomes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds and communicate effectively in challenging situations.
• Knowledge of safeguarding principles, confidentiality, professional boundaries and ethical practice, together with the ability to manage competing priorities, maintain accurate records and exercise sound professional judgement when responding to complex or sensitive situations.

Desirable criteria

• Experience supporting students, young adults or other populations undergoing periods of transition or significant life change.
• Experience of supporting victims of crime, financial exploitation, fraud, cybercrime, online harms or other emerging welfare and safeguarding concerns.
• Experience of working within a higher education setting or knowledge of the higher education sector.
• Experience of developing, delivering or contributing to preventative, awareness-raising or early intervention initiatives.
• Experience of providing informal supervision, coaching, mentoring or support to colleagues.

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