Functional Specialist - Clinic Based - Birmingham

Company Description

Discover a new kind of career in healthcare as a Functional Specialist. 

We have opportunities based at our Birmingham Clinic - 50 Summer Hill Road, Birmingham B1 3RB 

Working in healthcare, and looking for a change? If you’re a nurse (RMN, RNLD, RGN), occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paramedic, you could use your skills in a different way as a functional specialist.  

At Capita Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) we provide unbiased, comprehensive assessments for claimants of Government benefits.

This role, based from our assessment centre full time will appeal to those who enjoy working in a team environment and working with people face to face. 

Job Description

Our functional specialists write reports which help the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) make important decisions about a person’s health and care.

Maybe you’re a nurse right now and you’d like to move away from direct care - this role offers you the chance to not only improve your assessment skills, but also to use your knowledge and experience to make important clinical recommendations. Or you might be an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paramedic wanting to learn how to evaluate situations in a different way in a different setting. We’re looking for people with the compassion and experience to understand our claimants’ health conditions/disabilities and how they impact their lives.

This role is different from other healthcare professions, and that’s why we take your training and development seriously. You’ll receive comprehensive training with time set aside for self-development learning.

If you’re looking for a change, including more regular working hours, a competitive salary and are ready to expand your skills and experience, this could be the role for you.

What you’ll do in this role:

• Conduct functional assessments which include initial reviews, face-to-face, video or telephone assessments to evaluate how a claimant’s health condition or disability affects them for various types of benefit.  
• Analyse and interpret clinical information and supporting evidence.  
• Write detailed evidence-based reports to support the DWP/DfC in making informed and objective decisions - no treatment or diagnosis required.  
• Use IT systems to support clinical decision-making and report writing.  
• Develop your clinical knowledge and constantly learn about health conditions which are less familiar to you.  
• This role will deliver mainly face-to-face assessments.

What are PIP and WCA?

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people with a long-term health condition or impairment. It is paid to make a contribution to the extra costs that disabled people may face, to help them lead full, active and independent lives.
• Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is a functional assessment that looks at a range of different activities relating to physical, mental, intellectual and cognitive functions, to help DWP determine a customer's capability for work or work-related activity.

Qualifications

What we’re looking for:

• one year's post-registration experience as a nurse (RMN, RNLD, RGN), occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paramedic
• fully registered with a relevant UK regulatory body (NMC, HCPC or other), without restriction or conditions and with a valid PIN
• excellent observational and communication skills, giving you the ability to listen, empathise and dig deeper
• the ability to work quickly, producing reports in a timely manner and hitting targets
• solid experience with using IT and Microsoft Office, as well as remotely accessing systems
• a current valid driving licence or access to a form of transport to attend your nearest assessment centre

Please note: all candidates must hold the right to work in the UK as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Successful candidates will be required to successfully complete government baseline personnel security standard vetting. This is the recognised standard for the pre-employment screening of individuals with access to government asset.

This role is defined as regulated activity relating to children or vulnerable adults within the meaning of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 it is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. At vetting, you will undergo an enhanced criminality check which will show both spent and unspent convictions.

Additional Information

Your working hours:

You’ll be contracted to work 7.5 hours per day, 37.5 hours per week (full time).  Part time options are also available - 3 days (22.5 hours) or 4 days (30 hours) per week. 

Please note, due to business needs, part-time staff will be required to work on a Friday each week as part of their usual pattern. Also there will be an initial full time (paid) training period of 8 weeks so candidates must be able to commit to that.  

Please note for part-time roles the initial training period of 8 weeks (paid) is full time so candidate must be able to commit to that.  

Monday to Friday between 8am to 5pm with no weekend or night shifts (occasional 8pm finishes may be required).

About Capita HAAS

We were awarded two contracts to deliver the Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) assessments in the Midlands and Wales for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and in Northern Ireland for the Department for Communities (DfC).

We deliver assessments for a variety of different benefits, including delivering PIP, WCA and Specialist benefit assessments across the Midlands and Wales, and in Northern Ireland.

What’s in it for you?

• Once approved you will be eligible for our bonus scheme subject to quality and performance

• 25 days’ holiday (rising to 27 after 5 years) with the opportunity to buy extra leave
• Annual professional registration fee reimbursed and supported revalidation
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks… and plenty more
• Opportunity to purchase discounted benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Refer a friend reward scheme
• Access to the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends
• Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform.

You’ll get the chance to follow your chosen career path anywhere in Capita. You’ll be joining a network of experienced, innovative and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do just that. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘I'm Interested’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees

As a Disability Confident Leader, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview.

If you have queries, or want to discuss any reasonable adjustments, please contact our friendly recruitment team:  

Phone - 02035 970410 

Email - haasrecruitment@capita.com