About The Role

The Service & Team

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our dynamic Appointee & Deputy Team as a Finance Support Officer. As part of this friendly and supportive service within Care & Wellbeing, you’ll help manage the financial affairs of around 700 vulnerable adults who lack the capacity or family support to do so themselves. This is a rewarding role where your work will make a real difference to the everyday lives of people within Adult Social Care.

The Role

Our Finance Support Officers (FSOs) are responsible for processing referrals for Appointeeship with the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) and Deputyship requests with the Court of Protection (COP). Our FSOs are also responsible for reviewing and monitoring the finances for people who have been assessed to lack the capacity to do this for themselves and have no one willing or able to do this for them. The FSOs monitor and maintain a person's benefit entitlement and their personal day to day finances including any outgoings such as utility payments, personal spending and any costs towards their care and support.

The role entails a high level of contact with service users, their families, the DWP, the COP and other third parties by telephone, email and face to face.

The FSOs must be able to work consistently and promptly, showing sensitivity and tact. This is a demanding role that requires someone who can remain calm and focused under pressure.

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.

This position will be subject to an enhanced criminal record disclosure check.

This position is a hybrid role which includes both home and office working.

What you’ll need to succeed

The role will require a high level of contact with customers and the applicant will need to demonstrate excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. The applicant should also show attention to detail, be able to work on their own and as part of a team, understanding your individual contribution towards team goals. A good level of literacy and numeracy skills that can demonstrated by GCSE grades 9-4 (A-C) in Maths and English or relevant work experience.

You should have experience in the use of Microsoft Office (including Outlook, Word and Excel) and have experience of diary management, prioritisation and problem-solving skills.

Knowledge of Appointeeships & Deputyships is desirable, but not essential, as full training will be provided to the successful candidate. The most important attribute is a can-do attitude and the desire to learn and enhance your existing skills.

What you’ll get in return

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include

a competitive salary.
a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Additional Information

Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer exisiting sponsorship for this role.
The full role profile is attached here - Finance Support Officer Role Profile
We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.
To learn more about the role please contact Rebecca Whitlock or Dan Warner, Appointee & Deputy Team Finance Support Managers, by emailing [email hidden] or [email hidden] .

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application. Your supporting statement should answer the following three questions.

What experience do you have that makes you suitable for working within the Appointee and Deputy Team?

How would you ensure you provide a high-quality service to vulnerable adults and their representatives?

Describe a situation where you had to manage sensitive information or financial records accurately and confidentially.

You can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘ Application ’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process .

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact [email hidden] if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.