Application Guide

How to Apply for Regional Casework Coordinator – East Midlands (Up to 12 months Maternity cover)

at Ssafa

🏢 About Ssafa

SSAFA is the UK's oldest national tri-service military charity, providing lifelong support to serving personnel, veterans, and their families. What makes SSAFA unique is its network of trained volunteers who deliver personalized, face-to-face support across the UK, ensuring no one in the armed forces community is left behind. Working here means directly contributing to a 140-year legacy of supporting those who have served their country.

About This Role

As Regional Casework Coordinator for the East Midlands, you'll be the first point of contact for vulnerable members of the armed forces community, assessing complex welfare needs and coordinating volunteer caseworkers. This role is impactful because you'll directly manage cases from start to finish, ensuring timely support for individuals facing housing, debt, disability, or immigration challenges while shaping regional processes to improve client service.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day typically starts by reviewing new referrals from the East Midlands armed forces community, conducting initial needs assessments by phone, and allocating appropriate cases to volunteer caseworkers. You'll spend significant time coordinating between multiple stakeholders - beneficiaries, volunteers, and external agencies - while updating case files in Office 365 and ensuring GDPR compliance. The role involves balancing urgent crisis interventions with longer-term case planning, all while remotely supporting volunteers across the region.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Ssafa Is Looking For

  • Has 2+ years of hands-on welfare advice experience specifically with housing benefits, debt, disability, or immigration issues (not just general social work)
  • Demonstrates practical knowledge of safeguarding protocols and GDPR compliance through examples of handling sensitive information for vulnerable clients
  • Can provide specific examples of managing complex cases via telephone, email, and face-to-face while maintaining excellent customer service standards
  • Is proficient with Microsoft Office 365 for case management and can show evidence of self-directed workload planning in a remote setting

📝 Tips for Applying to Ssafa

1

Quantify your welfare advice experience - instead of 'worked with veterans,' specify 'managed 15+ cases involving housing benefits for military families'

2

Highlight any familiarity with military culture or terminology - SSAFA serves a specific community that values understanding their unique context

3

Mention experience coordinating volunteers or managing case allocation systems, as this role involves directing volunteer caseworkers

4

Address the 12-month maternity cover directly - explain why temporary work suits your current situation and how you'll ensure continuity

5

Include keywords from the job description like 'beneficiary journey,' 'complex problems,' and 'sensitive information' in your application materials

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience with the exact welfare areas mentioned (housing benefits, debt, disability, mobility, or immigration) with concrete examples', "How you've handled sensitive information and vulnerable clients while maintaining GDPR compliance and safeguarding standards", 'Your ability to work remotely while coordinating cases and volunteers across the East Midlands region', 'Why supporting the armed forces community specifically motivates you, not just general social work']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → SSAFA's specific services beyond casework (e.g., Forcesline, mentoring, mobility services) to understand the full support ecosystem
  • → The demographics and specific challenges of the armed forces community in the East Midlands region
  • → SSAFA's volunteer model - how many volunteers they have, how they're trained, and how caseworkers coordinate with them
  • → Recent SSAFA campaigns or reports about military welfare issues to understand current priorities

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a complex welfare case you managed involving multiple issues (e.g., housing AND debt) and how you coordinated support
2 How would you allocate a sensitive case involving a distressed veteran to a volunteer caseworker while ensuring safeguarding?
3 What process improvements have you implemented in previous roles to enhance client service delivery?
4 How do you maintain boundaries and self-care when dealing with emotionally challenging cases on a daily basis?
5 How would you ensure continuity of service for beneficiaries during this 12-month maternity cover period?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with generic social work experience without specifically addressing military/veteran populations or the exact welfare areas mentioned
  • Failing to acknowledge this is a temporary position (12-month maternity cover) in your application or interview
  • Focusing only on face-to-face work when the role requires strong telephone and email case management skills for remote coordination

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Ssafa!

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