The Client Financial Affairs – Income Team is responsible for the administration of the Council’s statutory duties for the provision of The Protection of Property and Funeral Services. The Client Financial Affairs Team also provides extensive services for the management and administration of individual client financial affairs under its corporate Deputyship and Appointeeship services. The Deputyship and Appointeeship services are provided for adults at risk who lack mental capacity to manage their own financial affairs under powers granted by the Court of Protection and the Department for Work and Pensions
As a Finance Officer within the Client Financial Affairs Team, you will be responsible for:
- Conducting property searches and visits
- Securing homes, and property including items of value.
- Arranging the boarding of pets
- The registration of deaths
- Arranging funerals for deceased persons where there is no one else to carry out this role
- Investigating estates and potential beneficiaries of estates
The role will also involve the day-to-day administration of the property and affairs of clients subject to Deputyship Court orders and Department for Work and Pensions Corporate Appointeeship. As such in this role you will be responsible for:
- Monitoring and reconciliation client’s income and maintaining their expenditure needs.
- Management of client’s savings, investments, and property
- Maximising clients’ income by making claims to state benefits.
- Visiting and engaging with clients, their family, and representatives to ensure that client’s needs are being met and facilitating their funds to meet their needs.
- Providing high level advice and support to a wide range of individuals and organisations for the provision of these services.
- Ensuring that our responsibilities as Deputy and Appointee are met in line with Office of the Public Guardian standards and the requirements of the DWP for Corporate Appointees.
As a successful candidate you will need:
- Excellent customer engagement and negotiation skills
- Excellent IT skills
- The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with bereaved persons and people with enduring mental health illnesses.
- The ability to manage self to manage a varied and demanding workload to meet targets.
- Good knowledge, understanding and experience of financial administration including budgeting, income and expenditure accounting and reconciliation.
- Good knowledge and understanding of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act, welfare benefits and entitlement rules, probate rules, statutory legislation in relation to Protection of Property and Public Health
- The ability to drive and to hold a clean driving licence would be desirable.
Ealing Council is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk and expects all staff to share this commitment. Ealing follows safer recruitment practices to children and adults at risk. The post holder will be subject to an enhanced criminal records bureau check.
This role is subject to Ealing’s enhanced vetting process.
