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Job Summary

Job title: Information and Support Officer

Responsible to: Primary Support Senior Practitioner
Salary: £20,160 per annum pro rata

Hours of work: 17.5 hours per week - Tuesday and Thursday and either Wednesday or Friday

Contract Type: Fixed term for 12 months, with possibility of extending to a permanent role

Annual leave: 30 days pro rata + 8 bank holidays per year

Location: Location is flexible with option to be home based anywhere in the UK

Closing date: 9am, Tuesday 23rd May 2023

Please refer to our Information and Support Officer Recruitment Pack for additional information about our organisation and the recruitment timeline for this role.

Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support to children and adults with M.E. It’s an exciting time to join us following the release of our five-year strategy last year. We provide vital support services, campaign for change and invest in ground-breaking research to help put an end to the ignorance, injustice and neglect experienced by people with M.E.

Job purpose

You will join a welcoming and friendly team of part-time and remote Information and Support Officers with a strong team culture of collaboration and peer support.

The purpose of this role is to provide a holistic, effective and efficient Information and Support Service to people affected by M.E. via phone, email and occasionally social media.

We support clients to:

• break issues down so they feel less overwhelming
• explore priorities and possible next steps
• frame questions to ask professionals
• feel heard and understood
• request useful resources which we can send by post or email
• access our other services for those that need help to do this.

It does not include:

• giving advice on any topic
• providing a casework service.

We measure (via a feedback survey) whether our service helps people to:

• understand their rights and options
• Feel less isolated
• Increase their knowledge of other services
• Communicate effectively with other professionals.

From April 2022 – March 2023, 98% of our clients say they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received.

Our clients are mostly adults with M.E., but we also support their family members and carers, parents of children with M.E., and occasionally professionals.

Some of our clients come to us in considerable distress. This work isn’t always easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding and is valued both by our clients and the wider organisation.

Some examples of typical enquiries include:

• “I have just been diagnosed with M.E. or CFS and I don’t know where to turn for support.”
• “I’ve had M.E. for 30 years, but a recent viral infection has made my symptoms worse and I don’t know if I can cope anymore.”
• “My son has been off school for two months now and his GP thinks it might be M.E. He remains too ill to attend school but his teachers are putting pressure on us over his attendance.”
• “I’ve received my Personal Independence Payment application form through the post and I don’t know how to fill it in.”
• “I think I might have M.E. and my employer is being unsupportive.”

Key duties

1. Service delivery

• Creating and maintaining a supportive and professional relationship with children, young people and adults approaching the charity for help via email, telephone and occasionally social media, by demonstrating empathy and an understanding of how M.E. can affect people’s lives.
• Offering emotional support via active, empathic listening, including to people in significant distress.
• Managing clients’ expectations and ensuring commitments to them are met.
• Providing information and support on a wide range of issues in areas such as welfare benefits, health and social care, and including on sensitive and confidential matters, in a way that is tailored and appropriate to the individual.
• Working with the client to understand their needs and wishes, empowering them to make informed choices and to take action to achieve their self-identified goals.
• Offering single, one-off pieces of advocacy; taking one action with an external agency on behalf of a client.
• Referring internally to other Action for M.E. services where appropriate; and signposting to other external sources of support.
• Working flexibly and collaboratively within the team to provide a resilient and responsive service.

2. Safeguarding and record keeping

• Identifying safeguarding concerns as they arise from contact with clients and escalating these to a manager, in line with our organisational Safeguarding Policy.
• Making safeguarding referrals where directed to by a manager or the Information and Support Senior Practitioner
• Keeping case notes that are appropriate, clear, up-to-date and in line with our policy and procedure.

3. Evaluation and improvement

• Gather outcomes and satisfaction data from clients to enable service evaluation and improvement.

• Identify opportunities for service improvement, and work with the Information and Support Senior Practitioner to implement these.

4. Other key accountabilities

• To attend Action for M.E. meetings and courses as required.
• To work co-operatively within the Action for M.E. team structure, supporting the work of other teams when appropriate and agreed with the Information and Support Senior Practitioner.
• To work within the charity’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding and data protection.
• Contribute to printing and posting information resources to clients from our office, if possible.
• Keeping up-to-date with best practice and comply with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements, working within the organisation’s policies and procedures and ensure that good practice is observed.
• Positively promote the work and activities of Action for M.E. at all times.
• Ensuring that internal and external communications are consistent with Action for M.E.’s brand and position on key issues.
• Undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post as requested by the Senior Practitioner, Chief Executive or any member of the Management Team.

Person specification

Qualifications

Educated to A level standard or equivalent experience in a similar role is preferred, however no one specific qualification is required.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience of working in a service providing at least one of the following to individuals (including via telephone and email): information, advice, support or advocacy; or, if not, proven transferable skills.

• An understanding of the challenges facing people with a long-term health conditions, physical impairments or disabilities, such as M.E.
• Demonstrable experience of working in a person-centred, needs-led way.
• Experience identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns, working strictly within organisational policies and procedures.
• Experience of working or volunteering in at least one of the following areas: health, social care, carers/family support, employment, education, financial inclusion or welfare benefits.
• Experience of working with people in distress.

Skills and Behaviours

• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly, systematically and with nuance, both verbally and in writing.
• Emotionally resilient and resourceful, with ability to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances to maintain your wellbeing.

• Strong team player and also able to work on own initiative.
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback, remaining solution-focused.
• Ability to identify options available, signpost appropriately and contribute to the development of internal and external resources.

• MS Office skills including Word and Excel, and proficiency with web-related programmes and software.
• Willing to travel and work flexibly, including taking part in 1-2-1s in person with your line manager at least twice a year (in our Keynsham office or other agreed location) and attending an annual Away Day (usually in September).

Attitudes

• Empathic and insightful

• Resilient and resourceful

Key Competencies

• Clear and empathic communicator

• Outcome-focused

• Diligent and meticulous

Please note that an enhanced DBS will be sought for the successful candidate.

How to apply:

Applications should be submitted by clicking "apply", below. Along with your CV your cover letter should, in no more than two A4 pages, explain your reason(s) for applying for this role and how you fit all aspects of the person specification set out above and in the Information and Support Officer Recruitment Pack.

Strong applicants will list each person specification bullet point related to experience, skills, behaviours, attitudes and competencies and provide evidence of how they meet each of these criteria.

Should you have any questions about the role, or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment team on [email protected]