Kodie is Emmanuel House’s very first apprentice, who will be training to be our new Benefits and Support Worker.

In a few weeks’ time, she will be starting training for the Level 4 Benefits and Welfare Practitioner Apprenticeship, which will be approximately 18 months long. She will be training for 20% of the time and for the remaining 80%, she will be working alongside support staff at the centre to learn about our service and support beneficiaries.

Kodie’s training will focus on the following support areas:

• Housing benefits
• Council tax support and reduction
• Business rates – billing, policy and procedures
• Welfare benefits such as Universal Credit
• Legislation and government laws

She’ll be working on benefits claims such as Personal Independent Payments, for people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, as well as Universal Credit for people on a low income or who need help with living costs. She’ll be making applications, reporting changes in people’s circumstances, dealing with over payments and appealing if a claim gets declined.

Before coming to Emmanuel House, Kodie worked at Opportunity Nottingham, where she worked with beneficiaries facing Severe and Multiple Disadvantages (SMD) through System Change. SMD can be experience of three out of the four following issues; Homelessness, Substance Misuse, Mental Ill Health, Offending.

“Working for Opportunity Nottingham’s admin team was really rewarding and interesting and I want to continue developing my one-to-one relationships with beneficiaries and supporting them as much as possible.

“I really enjoyed working with people facing SMD and was able to communicate really well with them over the phone. I’m looking forward to having my own case load and being able to book face-to-face appointments. Emmanuel House seems like an amazing, independent organisation and I can’t wait to get started.”