A Caseworker is someone who carries out welfare work for the Royal Air Forces Association.
Welfare work is about listening to an individual and assessing their needs to find out how the Association can provide help and support to them. Support can include anything from helping put a beneficiary with a disability in touch with social services, so they can apply for funding for a wet room, to something as simple as filling in a form to get a new fridge, for a beneficiary who cannot afford to replace their broken one.
Caseworkers may also need to gather complex information on beneficiaries to help with applications for care home fees or similar and this can involve providing clear and precise information on finances and correspondences. Caseworkers work with ‘beneficiaries’, who are members of the RAF family.
This role could involve:
Undertaking research and signposting beneficiaries to sources of help
Completing a form to establish any financial support they require from the Association
Keeping the beneficiary updated by phone or in person
Working closely with the Area Welfare Officer to complete each case successfully
Caseworker volunteers will develop a wide variety of skills, including:
• Experience of welfare work
• Listening skills and asking pertinent questions
• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Report writing skills
• Building relationships with a wide variety of people
• Research skills (in terms of finding out local area information about social services, hospital services, local council information, other charity support on offer, etc.)
• Team working skills