Contract Type: Fixed term
Role Type: Employment
Hours: Full time
Application deadline: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - 11:59
Based: Sunderland
Salary: £28,000 to 30,000 Per Annum
Salary Type: Fixed Salary
Location: Tyne and Wear
Role description: Officer
Financial Inclusion Worker x 2 (Sunderland & County Durham)
FISCUS is a registered charity that delivers welfare benefits advice, debt advice, crisis support and energy saving advice, across Sunderland and Newcastle. We are now seeking 2 new Financial Inclusion Workers to join our team. One post is based in Sunderland and the second post will be based in County Durham. Funded by DCP the Financial inclusion services supports vulnerable individuals and families, particularly those experiencing food poverty, hardship and crisis. Based in Sunderland for the past 20 years, FISCUS is an independent charity (registration no. 1151656) established in 2005 and provides advice, crisis support and wider community activities.
We are seeking two enthusiastic and motivated indiviudals to join our FISCUS team as Financial Inclusion Workers.
Role Purpose
Financial inclusion support can make a huge difference to people’s lives, enabling them to maximise their income and ensure finances and any debts are under control. The Financial Inclusion Advisor will provide face to face support at Community Foodbanks and community venues in either Sunderland (1 vacancy) or County Durham (1 vacancy). The successful candidates will actively listen to service users and obtain the necessary details of the issues they are facing, their financial situation including income and expenditure, details of any debts, and find out information that has led the individual or family into financial difficulties or crisis. Support will then be given starting with a benefit entitlement check and appropriate emergency and crisis support ranging from food parcels, fuel vouchers, clothing, hygiene items and essentials for babies and children.
Key Tasks
- Ensure high-quality support to vulnerable individuals and communities from the target groups
- Provision of welfare benefits advice & entitlement support to individuals & families accessing foodbanks in Sunderland and County Durham
- Raise foodbank vouchers as required and work with foodbank staff and volunteers to support the service user
- Refer people and families into FISCUS Baby Bank & Clothes Bank to provide ‘More than Food’ support - hygiene packs, emergency clothing, baby and children’s essentials
- Support people who are homeless by signposting to the local authority housing and homelessness teams, and working alongside and /or signposting to specialist housing and homelessness provider
- Apply for crisis grant funding on behalf of service users which can be supported by other team member
- Make appropriate referrals to specialist organisations for additional help with related specialist issues, e.g. employment, family, housing issues, drugs and alcohol
- Meet project targets and maintaining a high-quality service
- Keep accurate case records on Advice Pro (training will be given) CMS, being able to provide data and case studies for reporting purposes
- Ensure all work conforms to correct procedures and maintaining confidentiality at all times; keeping up to date with and complying with GDPR
- Support FISCUS and foodbank staff and volunteer team members
- Liaising with local voluntary and statutory organisations including BAME community partners and groups Provide Money / Debt Advice, budgeting (Sunderland post only) training will be provided
- Refer into County Durham Money Advice Centre (County Durham Post only) where debt advice, budgeting or money management support is appropriate
Money Advice (Sunderland Position Only)
- Help with budgeting and fuel poverty advice
- Identify debt reduction options including insolvency options and explaining implications, enabling clients to make informed decisions
- Signpost to other free advice providers, or in some cases, acting for client and negotiating with creditors and debt enforcement agencies
- Prepare a Standard Financial Statement (SFS), holding action, making offers of payments (pro rata, token, and lump sum offers, deductions from benefits), debt write-offs, payment moratorium, etc
- Refer to Specialist agencies for insolvency options including: Debt Relief Orders, IVA’s, Bankruptcy
Role Details
Locations:
SUNDERLAND POST - Coop Centre, Hendon, Sunderland and wider Sunderland
Co. DURHAM POST - venue to be agreed in County Durham
Hours: 35 hours per week (Days/hours negotiable, occasional evenings/weekends)
Salary: £28,000 - £30,000 per annum FTE depending upon experience
6% Employers Contributory Pension
Reporting to: Advice Services Manager
How To Apply
Download the Job Description & Person Specification and the EDI Form
To apply for this post, please email your CV and a covering letter or statement outlining your experience and suitability for the role by 11.59pm Wednesday 22nd July 2026 to: courtneyknowles@fiscus.org
Informal Discussion
For An Informal Discussion About The Role, Please Contact
Courtney Knowles
Telephone: 0191 5111391
Email: courtneyknowles@fiscus.org
Postal Address: FISCUS, Coop Centre, Whitehouse Road, Sunderland, SR2 8AH
Job document 1Job document 2
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