Job title: Welfare Rights Specialist

Central London

Hours: 35 hours per week (we would consider part-time applications, minimum requirement would be to work Wednesdays for team meetings. Minimum three days, hours can be worked over more days e.g. 21 hours over four or five days)

Salary: £39,706.50 pa (pro-rated for part-time) plus benefits

At the Cardinal Hume Centre, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to live a full life, but we know that homelessness and poverty can wreck that potential. Too often homelessness at a young age is repeated and compounded in later years. Our renewed vision is to increase our focus on young people, children and their families. To value every individual, nurture their potential and help people thrive.

The Housing and Welfare Rights team is looking to expand its work to better support clients to manage their own benefits claims where possible, and to reduce the length of time that cases are kept open.

The overall purpose of this role is to provide a structured information, advice and casework service (including representation at tribunal where appropriate) to clients of the centre with complex welfare rights issues. The role will also provide second tier advice and training in welfare rights for generalist advisors and non-welfare rights specialists in the centre, and assist with upskilling clients to manage their own claims, where possible.

This role will help our ability to build client confidence and independence through developing group sessions to help clients manage their own benefit claim. This is a new role to help grow the capacity of the team and strengthen our ability to deliver outcomes based on our new theory of change.

Please refer to the job description for further information. If you have any questions or would like to have a confidential discussion regarding the role please contact our HR Advisor (Lisa Karlsson) at recruitment@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk.

In your cv and cover letter please outline how you meet the requirements of the role and, giving examples, tell us how you meet the essential criteria. We would also like to hear why you would like to work for us. You must account for any gaps in your employment history.

The Centre is an equal opportunities employer. We are always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us and help improve the lives of homeless young people, insecurely housed families and their children. We particularly want to encourage people from under-represented groups in the not-for-profit sector to step forward and apply to work with us. We require our staff to recognise the valuable role that volunteers play in the work of the Centre and to welcome and support volunteers with whom they work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We require job applicants, staff and volunteers to complete a criminal records self-declaration and undertake a basic DBS check.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are unable to sponsor visas.

Benefits

· 26 days’ leave, rising to 28 days’ leave after two years’ service (pro rata for part time staff)

· Discretionary wellbeing and celebratory days

· Workplace pension scheme and we’ll match employee contributions up to a maximum of 6%

· Life assurance cover (after probation passed)

· Employee assistance programme

· Season ticket loan

· Training and development opportunities

· Access to Blue Light Card discounts

How to apply

Send your cv and cover letter to recruitment@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk To ensure fairness at all stages, please don’t send your application to any other email address at the Centre

Closing date for applications: 9am on 9 November 2023

Interview date (likely): w/c 23 November 2026

If you’ve not heard from us three weeks after the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job title: Trainee Welfare Rights Advisor

Central London

Hours: 35 hours per week (we would consider part-time applications, minimum requirement would be to work Wednesdays for team meetings. Minimum three days, hours can be worked over more days e.g. 21 hours over four or five days)

Salary: £34,910 pa plus benefits (pro-rated for part-time)

At the Cardinal Hume Centre, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to live a full life, but we know that homelessness and poverty can wreck that potential. Too often homelessness at a young age is repeated and compounded in later years. Our renewed vision is to increase our focus on young people, children and their families. To value every individual, nurture their potential and help people thrive.

The Housing and Welfare Rights team is looking to expand its work to better support clients to manage their own benefits claims where possible, and to reduce the length of time that cases are kept open.

The overall purpose of the welfare rights team is to provide a structured information, advice and casework service (including representation at tribunal where appropriate) to clients of the centre with complex welfare rights issues. The Welfare Rights Trainee would be expected to provide basic welfare rights advice and support whilst working with the Advice Supervisor and Welfare Rights Specialists to expand their knowledge and expertise via a programme of training and shadowing.

This role will help our ability to build client confidence and independence through developing group sessions to help clients manage their own benefit claim. This is a new role to help grow the capacity of the team and strengthen our ability to deliver outcomes based on our new theory of change.

Please refer to the job description for further information. If you have any questions or would like to have a confidential discussion regarding the role please contact our HR Advisor (Lisa Karlsson) at recruitment@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk.

In your cv and cover letter please outline how you meet the requirements of the role and, giving examples, tell us how you meet the essential criteria. We would also like to hear why you would like to work for us. You must account for any gaps in your employment history.

The Centre is an equal opportunities employer. We are always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us and help improve the lives of homeless young people, insecurely housed families and their children. We particularly want to encourage people from under-represented groups in the not-for-profit sector to step forward and apply to work with us. We require our staff to recognise the valuable role that volunteers play in the work of the Centre and to welcome and support volunteers with whom they work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We require job applicants, staff and volunteers to complete a criminal records self-declaration and undertake a basic DBS check.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are unable to sponsor visas.

Benefits

· 26 days’ leave, rising to 28 days’ leave after two years’ service (pro rata for part time staff)

· Discretionary wellbeing and celebratory days

· Workplace pension scheme and we’ll match employee contributions up to a maximum of 6%

· Life assurance cover (after probation passed)

· Employee assistance programme

· Season ticket loan

· Training and development opportunities

· Access to Blue Light Card discounts

How to apply

Send your cv and cover letter to recruitment@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk. To ensure fairness at all stages, please don’t send your application to any other email address at the Centre

Closing date for applications: 9am on 9 November 2026
Interview (likely): w/c 23 November 2026

If you’ve not heard from us three weeks after the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.