The White Ensign Association - Compensation and Advocacy Support Officer

Do you excel in working with small teams with a passion and empathy for our Armed Forces and a pragmatic and professional approach?

Do you have a good understanding of the Armed Forces Compensation and War Pension Schemes?

Are you at ease supporting an individual through a potentially long and complex process to achieve an equitable and fair financial outcome?

Are you passionate about working for a highly respected charity that makes a real difference to its clients?

£35,000 plus benefits
Full time
Home based with national travel required

The White Ensign Association and the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity are embarking on a two-year pilot project to provide additional support to those individuals who have been injured whilst on duty or are leaving the Royal Navy through medical discharge. The WEA is looking for a suitable candidate to take up a new position within the charity to provide personal support and advice to those members of the Royal Navy (current and past) who are pursuing appeals for personal claims made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or War Pension Scheme, as well offering broad guidance and explanation of related financial matters to those being medically discharged from the Royal Navy.

This is a tremendous opportunity for a suitably experienced and enthused individual to create an advocacy and support service for the Royal Navy community. Candidates should be natural collaborators, possess strong resilience and communication skills and have the ability to interact with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. A strong understanding of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and the wider Armed Forces environment will be essential.

The Role

It is anticipated that, following a period of induction, training and familiarisation, the Compensation and Advocacy Support Officer will be able to offer Royal Navy¹ personnel and veterans the following:

· Advice regarding entitlement on allowances, awards and pensions under the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and Invaliding Pension elements of the existing Armed Forces Pension Schemes.

· Caseload management of up to 12 cases simultaneously.

· Candid advice on assessment issues and entitlement to reviews.

· Advice on ‘right of appeal’ and ‘grounds for appeal’ in pension and compensation issues.

· Oversee and advise on communication between the beneficiaries and Veterans UK.

· Provide advocacy at tribunal when appeals are heard.

· Provide general guidance and briefings on the Armed Forces Compensation schemes and medical pension provision.

· This role may require national travel with some overnight stays away and occasional evening and weekend work. The candidate should be prepared to work outside normal hours when necessary.

· The role will be home based with associated travel recompensed at the HMRC recommended levels.

1 This service applies only to members and veterans of the Royal Navy. The Royal Marines community already have a similar service in operation.

The Candidate

Candidates who can demonstrate the following will be considered:

· Current or recent experience of the Royal Navy operational environment (D)

· An ability to assimilate complex legislation and keep up to date records. (E)

· Be a highly motivated self-starter. (E)

· The ability to work in small teams or remotely, for long periods (E)

· Highly developed organisational, administrative and communication skills – both written and verbal. (E)

· Recent knowledge of military personnel terms and conditions of service. (D)

· An understanding of, or experience in, the legal or legislative environment. (D)

· An understanding of the standards and burdens of proof. (D)

· Previous charity or not-for-profit experience. (D)

· Experience and understanding of military pension policy and delivery (D)

· The ability to listen and gain the confidence of others. (E)

· Strong mentoring skills. (E)

· Personal integrity and a natural confidence in dealing with public sector, and commercial organisations. (E)

· Experience in, or understanding of, working in the wider Armed Forces and public sector environment. (E)

· Hold a UK Driving License and be prepared to undertake significant national travel. (E)

· Be proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite. (E)

Benefits

A salary of £35K plus an 8% employer pension contribution and 28 days leave plus public holidays.

Application

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact the Chief Executive, John Lavery, on 02079408131 or 07789074914, or by email at: john.lavery@whiteensign.co.uk. Applications will close on Friday 4th February 2022.

Further Information