Being a Functional Assessor: FAQs
Looking for a new challenge with a dynamic approach and improved work-life balance? We’re on the lookout for Nurses, Paramedics, Physiotherapists or Occupational Therapists to join our team.
What does being a Functional Assessor involve?
Working as an Advo Assessor is a challenging and rewarding profession. Our team is proud of what they do.
You will use your skills as a healthcare professional to play a crucial role in the functional and disability assessment process – a service that touches the lives of millions of people in the UK.
You will meet people making a claim for the Personal Independent Payment (PIP) benefit or being referred for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) through the Government’s Health Advisory Assessment Services (HAAS).
Bringing your clinical knowledge and experience, you will review information provided by the client alongside medical evidence available in advance of the appointment. You will gather further information by asking tailored questions about their medical conditions and function in order to make an assessment which you then use to provide a personalised report.
Your report will help the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to make decisions. This ensures that the system is fair and that those who are most in need of help and support receive it.
The conditions and impairments of those making a claim are often complex, so you will broaden your clinical experience and knowledge.
Who can become a Functional Assessor?
We can only accept applications from Nurses, Paramedics, Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists who are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
You must also have 12 months of experience working within your related field.
All of the healthcare professionals that work for us are Paramedics, Nurses, Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists who made the move to improve their work life balance or to diversify their career.
Day to day you will hold consultations with people living with conditions and disabilities who are applying for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or being referred for a Work Capability Assessment through the Government’s Health Advisory Assessment Services (HAAS).
You will then need to write fair, accurate reports that are high quality and enable the Department of Work and Pensions to make informed decisions.
What training and support would I be given?
You do not need to worry about preparing for the job.
We will give you all the training, skills and support that you need to thrive in your role as a Functional Assessor.
The first step is completing your initial training as part of your induction period. There will be a combination of training in-person at our Bristol head office and virtual training that you will complete remotely.
The training that we provide here at Advo is highly rated, and we are proud of the investment that we make in developing and supporting our people.
Beyond your initial training, your manager will support you with advancing your longer-term professional development goals, including any requirements for you to maintain your professional registration and evidence CPD.
Who will be in my team?
You will be part of our larger community of around 200 like-minded healthcare professionals, all working as Assessors from home or at an assessment centre.
You will work independently but will have regular contact with your line manager and colleagues, with support on hand whenever you need it.
Where has this new profession come from?
Functional and disability assessments are not new. They have existed in one form or another since our benefits system was first introduced.
In 2012 the Government introduced the Welfare Reform Act. This move was about making benefits fairer for everyone and improving the whole system in the UK, including childcare, housing, and employment benefits.
Since then, anyone making a claim for certain benefits and support has had to have an independent assessment of their condition.
These consultations must be carried out by a certified professional with the right clinical background and training.
More recently, the Government (through the Department of Work and Pensions or DWP) has introduced the Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS).
This service replaces the old multi-provider setup with a single health and disability assessment provider in each area of the country, bringing together Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessment (WCA) services into one comprehensive service.
Are clients happy with the service Advo provides?
More than 96% of the people who have had a consultation with Advo said that they had a positive experience with us.
Many of these people have benefited from an assessment with a caring and understanding professional who has supported them through what may have been a difficult process for them personally.