Join the Heart of Adult Care Be the Power Behind the Progress!

Are you ready to make a real impact behind the scenes? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, team-driven environment where every day brings something new? We're on the lookout for a motivated and forward-thinking Assessment & Benefits Officer to join our incredible team in Governance & Business Support (GBS) - the engine room of Adult Care!

Why Us?

We’ve achieved a lot already and we’re proud of that, but we’re not done yet. This is your chance to join an ambitious and passionate team that values fresh ideas, dedication, and people who genuinely want to make a difference. Your work will directly contribute to services that touch lives across our community.

What You'll Be Doing

This role is more than numbers. As a Financial Assessment & Advice Officer, you’ll calculate care charges accurately while supporting vulnerable adults or their representatives with empathy and clear communication. You’ll combine financial expertise with a social care-informed approach, ensuring assessments are fair, compliant, and delivered with dignity.

As a Financial Assessment & Advice Officer, you'll be at the heart of it all:

  • Keeping things running smoothly with your stellar multitasking and organisational skills.
  • Working closely with colleagues across departments to deliver efficient, high-quality support throughout Adult Care.
  • Communicating clearly, confidently, and kindly with everyone from service users to senior colleagues.
  • Using your digital know-how to maintain records and manage systems like a pro.
  • Bringing your eye for detail and enthusiasm for doing things right the first time.
  • Customer service support


The Benefits

  • Competitive starting salary with annual increments and clear career progression to Grade 5 (£28,598 - £31,022) as you develop the required skills.
  • Flexible hybrid working - home and office
  • Office base in Rochdale’s modern Number One Riverside, next to the vibrant retail district
  • 25 days holiday + bank holidays, rising to 30 after 5 years
  • Flexible working hours scheme, bank up to 12 extra days off a year
  • Supportive, friendly teams and cross-team development opportunities
  • Ongoing training and professional development
  • Great transport links: tram, bus, and train
  • Local Government Pension Scheme


What We're Looking For

  • A calm, can-do multitasker who can juggle tasks with a smile
  • A team player who’s also confident working independently
  • Someone with excellent ICT skills and confidence in tools like Word, Excel, and Outlook
  • Sharp attention to detail and accuracy when it counts most
  • Great communication and interpersonal skills with a drive to get things done
  • Awareness of benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
  • In accordance with Section 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 this post requires the ability to converse at ease with the members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.

If you’re ready to step into a dynamic, rewarding role and be part of something truly meaningful, we’d love to meet you. Come grow with us, support others, and help shape the future of Adult Care from the inside out.

Candidates who are not successful at Grade 4 may be considered for a Grade 3 position (£25,583£25,989). Please see the attached Grade 3 job description and person specification. Important: External candidates must be Rochdale residents living within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Rochdale (i.e., where the household pays council tax to Rochdale Borough Council) to qualify for a Grade 3 post.

For further information please contact Heather Carter at heather.carter@rochdale.gov.uk or on 01706 922945.

To apply please upload you CV together with a supporting statement that provides evidence of how you meet all the essential requirements of the person specification. We suggest that when completing your supporting statement, you use the person specification criteria as headings, giving specific examples of how you meet them. Please ensure you anonymise your CV and supporting statement.

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff to share this commitment.

Appointment to this post is subject to a Basic DBS.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Interviews to be held between Friday 16th January to Wednesday 21st January 2026

Supporting Documents

Job description and person spec Grade 4 job ref 002001
Person specification Assessment & Benefits Officer Grade 3 to 5 job ref 002001
Job description and person specification for Grade 3 job ref 002001

Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year.

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Location

Smith Street, , Rochdale, OL16 1XU, United Kingdom

Job ID

2096

Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey

We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.

This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.

You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.

Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester

Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.

Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.

  1. Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay

    Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

    Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)

  2. Check Your Benefits Entitlement

    See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.

    Turn2us Benefits Calculator

Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice