Job Description
General Information
Title: Welfare Assessment Advisor
Salary
Job Base: RBHT
Responsible to:
Accountable to:
CRB checks: CRB – Enhanced
Purpose of Job
The post-holder will work as a member of the Hospital to Home Service. Their role is to work as a
Welfare Assessment Adviser to all patients that have been referred to the Service.
The post-holder will undertake an assessment at point of referral to establish what problems might
be affecting the patient’s discharge from hospital. On the basis of information gathered at the
assessment the post-holder will establish next steps to help with the transition from hospital to
home and pre-empt problems that might affect the patient once the patient has returned home.
The post-holder will then determine the most appropriate next step for the patient and their family.
-They will also - provide information on welfare issues over the phone and in writing to clinical staff.
Duties and Responsibilities
Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)
 To conduct a face-to-face welfare and housing assessment to all patients -Identify key
information about patients and their family’s welfare problems including key dates, time limits
and any requirement for urgent advice.
 Occasionally provide in-depth welfare and housing advice for individual -patients and their
families including, on occasions, some casework.
 Establish what problems might be affecting/blocking the patient’s discharge from hospital
and anticipate issues that might affect the patient when they have returned home.
 Assess and agree the appropriate level of service, taking into consideration the patient and
their families ability to take the next steps themselves, the complexity of the problem and
resources available.
 To refer and/or signpost patients and their families appropriately to suit their needs,
including making arrangements and advising of what to expect.

Help develop and sustain a link between signposting and referring organisations.

To provide information on welfare issues over the phone and in writing to clinical staff.

To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
 Provide regular updates to the team and positively contribute to the development of advice
provision within the service.

Contribute to the training of clinical staff on welfare and housing issues and solutions.
Communication
 To work collaboratively with all members of the Hospital to Home service attending team
meetings as appropriate and have regular meetings to discuss the service and pathway.
 To form effective working relationships with individuals, external agencies, community
resources, volunteers and other relevant professionals within the NHS.
 To communicate effectively with all members’ of the Hospital to Home service, attend team
meetings and provide information on patients and legislative updates to the team.
 To ensure that details of the service are available on the internet and intranet so that all
those wishing to access the service are aware of the operational procedures.
 To ensure onward referrals are made to other members of the multi-disciplinary team or
other disciplines when appropriate both internally and externally.
 To assist patients and their families with complex needs and enable their understanding of
information; this includes issues of language and learning disabilities to ensure all patients have
access to a fair service using services such as Language Line.
 Ensure written material is available for patients to enable them to have access to
appropriate information and contribute to the development and production of patient
information literature.
People Management
 To receive regular appraisals and have an individual development plan to help achieve
personal and team objectives.

No line management responsibilities
Service Development

To ensure that the welfare advice service responds to the changing needs of the service.
 To maintain up to date knowledge of legislative changes and provide this information to
patients and their carers.
Resource Management

Ensure that the demands on the service are prioritised enabling the service to best meet the
needs of the patients, carers and the service.
Information Management
 To provide information to other multi-disciplinary colleagues about welfare issues and
advise colleagues attending case conferences when the patient’s socio-economic situation is a
factor in their treatment / discharge.