In this edition of “Meet the team”, Sue More, Money Support Team Leader, explains how the team works with residents facing financial pressure — offering practical advice, benefit support and referrals to specialist services.  

Can you briefly describe what your team does?  

The Money Support Team’s aim is to support residents with financial concerns that may place them at risk of losing their home. ​​​​​​​Our Money Support Officers support residents by providing detailed welfare benefits and budgeting advice, helping them to maximise their income.  

Where there are complex financial issues, we can refer to a range of specialist agencies, for example, to help apply for debt relief orders (this can be a solution for personal debts that can’t be paid) or for Bankruptcy. 

How many people work in your team, and what are their roles? 

There are six members of the Money Support Team: The Money Support Team Leader and five Money Support Officers. Three are based in Kent, and two are in Epsom.  

How do you work with other departments to support residents? 

Our support complements the service provided by other teams such as Neighbourhoods, Community Safety, Income Management and Community Investment, and all these teams work very collaboratively.  

An example of this is when visiting a resident who had rent arrears, we learnt that while they had money for their rent, they couldn’t get to their local shop to make a payment. I was able to call the Income Manager while with the resident and arrange payment over the phone.   

What does a typical day look like for your team? 

There is no such thing as a typical day in Money Support; no two days are the same. My day today started with a team catch-up during which we discussed a complex case and an application to our Discretionary Support Fund, which can help residents in exceptional need with one-off financial support.  

Following this, I completed a benefit application, two external funding applications and a safeguarding referral. I also liaised with Social Care and the father of a vulnerable resident to provide support which best meets her needs. 

How do you measure success – what tells you that you’re doing a good job? 

We measure success in several ways, including how many families have achieved an increased income, and feedback from families following the support they received. We also look at wider organisational targets such as our rent arrear rates.  

What challenges do you face in your daily work? 

We want people to stay in their homes and want to make every effort to support residents with that, but the biggest challenge is getting engagement from residents.  

We truly understand how difficult it can be for residents to discuss their financial position with us, but we can make a real difference to peoples’ lives.  

We try a varied and persistent approach to contact residents, and where no contact can be made, we can refer people to other support outside of TCH.  

What skills or qualities are essential for someone in your team? 

As a Money Support Officer, an understanding of the benefits system and good numeracy skills are essential. But it’s vital that everyone in the team is compassionate, empathetic and non-judgemental. These are all qualities I look for in a Money Support Officer. 

Is there anything you wish more people understood about your team or your work? 

I would say that we are a small team with high caseloads. We triage our referrals to make sure that residents get the support they need, when they need it. While we aim to meet all Service Commitments, there are times when this is not possible. We’re always sorry when this is the case, and we would ask residents for a little patience – we will get to you as soon as we can!