Job file

Who’s doing it? Jane Morel.

Where? Terrence Higgins Trust,
Wolverhampton.

Job description: Managing services in
Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell. Providing money advice to
local people with HIV.

Skills/qualifications needed: I have a degree in
social welfare law and a background in advice and support work and
care management.

What’s good about the job? The variety. One day I
can be at the drag Miss Wolverhampton competition. Next I might be
working with a woman who was diagnosed HIV positive during
pregnancy and has financial problems. I work with a great, although
slightly eccentric, team.

What’s bad about the job? Dealing with ignorance
and prejudice and the stigma that surrounds HIV, especially among
social care professionals who should know better. Struggling to
deliver under-resourced services.

Pay: £24,845- £28,812.

What’s the job like? Anti-poverty work is a
crucial part of supporting people with HIV, as marginalised and
poor communities are often disproportionately affected by the
condition. The benefits system is bad at helping people with
long-term chronic health problems, whose support needs may
fluctuate. We support people with benefits applications and
appeals, hardship grant applications and debt-related county court
cases. New funding allows us to develop training for agencies that
give financial advice and create new information resources –
including a website – to disseminate our work. Like many gay people
I have always felt a personal connection with the HIV sector
because of the way HIV was used to stigmatise our community when I
was growing up in the 1980s. Sometimes the work is stressful and I
never finish on a Friday feeling like I’ve done everything that
needs to be done, but it’s a great job.