Debt Adviser

We are seeking a Debt Adviser to join Release’s multidisciplinary legal services team. The postholder will receive debt referrals from the legal services team and provide high-quality, non-judgmental debt advice to people experiencing financial hardship alongside issues such as substance use, homelessness, poor mental health, benefit problems and social exclusion. Ideally, you’ll be qualified to Level 3 Certificate in Money and Debt Advice, the Certificate in Money Advice Practice (CertMAP), or the CMA Award in Generalist Debt Advice. Should you not have these or equivalent certifications, the appointee would be required and supported to achieve a certification within an agreed timeframe.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver specialist debt advice through direct referrals for our legal team who support clients in trusted community and treatment settings.

• Complete financial assessments, income and expenditure work, debt screening, priority-debt triage and casework using clear, accessible and trauma-informed approaches.

• Advise on appropriate debt options, including Breathing Space, Debt Relief Orders, negotiated write-offs, informal and formal repayment arrangements, and referrals where another provider is better placed to help.

• Work closely with legal advisers, drug and alcohol services, keyworkers, peer advocates, volunteers and partner organisations to support warm referrals and coordinated care.

• Record casework accurately on AdvicePro and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance, client feedback and learning from the debt advice project.

Essential Requirements:

• At least 12 months’ experience delivering debt advice in a community, advice, legal or outreach setting.

• Strong understanding of UK debt solutions, priority debts, social security, housing-related debt and the impact of financial hardship on people in vulnerable circumstances.

• Ability to provide clear, fair and not misleading advice, based on a full assessment of the client’s financial and personal circumstances.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate case notes, letters and reports in plain English.

Overview    
This is a full-time position, 35 hours per week. The postholder can work through a mixed model of home working and office-based work, with a minimum of three days per week in the office. Working hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday, with a one-hour lunch break.
The successful candidate will join Release’s specialist debt unit provision, working alongside legal advisers and community partners to reach people who may be excluded from mainstream advice. The role will focus on debt advice, financial assessment, income maximisation, creditor negotiation, debt options, priority-debt action and practical support that helps clients understand their rights and next steps.
The postholder will support Release’s by helping to embed standard debt screening, clear referral routes, accessible client tools, AdvicePro reporting, client feedback and quality assurance processes across our outreach network.
This is an opportunity to help strengthen a growing specialist debt team within a rights-based charity working with people affected by drug use, poverty, homelessness, criminal justice contact, benefit problems and other forms of exclusion.

Main Objectives

• Provide high-quality, free-to-client debt advice and casework to people experiencing financial hardship and multiple disadvantage.

• Support clients to understand their options, risks, responsibilities and likely outcomes, using clear language and a trauma-informed approach.

• Help embed consistent debt screening, referral, case recording, quality assurance and outcome measurement across Release’s outreach services.

Training Programme Summary
The Debt Adviser will help develop and deliver a practical training programme for Release colleagues, volunteers and host-service staff. The programme will build confidence in identifying debt issues early, recognising priority debts, gathering key information, using referral routes and supporting clients to engage with specialist debt advice.
Training will include short briefings, practical workshops, referral guidance, debt screening tools, income and expenditure resources, document checklists and accessible client materials. It will also support host services to understand when urgent referral is needed, how to prepare clients for appointments and how to work with Release advisers, with client consent, to improve engagement and outcomes.
The aim is to make debt advice easier to access, improve the quality of referrals, reduce delays caused by missing information and strengthen the wider network of support around clients experiencing financial hardship and multiple disadvantage.

Delivery of Debt Advice Services

1. Provide debt advice, casework and practical support on priority and non-priority debts, including rent arrears, council tax, utilities, court fines, benefit overpayments, consumer credit debts and enforcement action.

2. Carry out full, realistic and reliable assessments of clients’ income, expenditure, debts, assets, circumstances and support needs.

3. Advise clients on suitable options, including income maximisation, budgeting, Breathing Space, Debt Relief Orders, negotiated write-offs, repayment arrangements and referrals to other specialist providers where appropriate.

4. Ensure advice is clear, fair, not misleading and tailored to the client’s individual circumstances, including any vulnerability, communication needs or accessibility requirements.

5. Explain the advantages, disadvantages, risks and consequences of each relevant option, including the effect on priority debts, essential services, housing, enforcement action and credit files.

6. Communicate transparently with creditors and third parties, with client consent, and ensure financial statements and repayment proposals are accurate, realistic and sustainable.

7. Maintain accurate, timely and compliant case records on AdvicePro, including debt type, intervention, outcome, resolution time, accessibility needs and client feedback.

8. Contribute to file reviews, supervision, quality assurance, MaPS Standards implementation, data-quality checks, complaints learning and project evaluation.

Details

• Closing time & date: Rolling recruitment 

• Interviews to be held: As applications arrive 

• Start date: ASAP

• Salary: £29,120 – £ 34,320 p.a. plus 5% pension contribution

• Contract Type: Permanent (after 06 months' probation)

• Holidays: 29 days plus public holidays

• Location: Hybrid -  3 days Office (Spitalfields, London)/2 days Working from home

Outreach, Volunteers and Partner Support

9. Support volunteers, legal advisers and host-service staff to identify debt issues early, gather key information and make better-prepared referrals.

10. Develop and deliver practical training, briefings, checklists, referral tools, income and expenditure resources and client-facing materials for Release colleagues and host services.

Learning, Impact and Service Development

11. Contribute to the development of Release’s specialist debt advice model, including standard screening, referral pathways, client resources and AdvicePro reporting.

12. Record learning from clients, staff and host services to improve accessibility, referral quality, engagement and outcomes.

13. Identify wider trends, structural barriers and recurring issues arising from debt casework, and share learning internally to support service improvement and rights-based advocacy.

General Responsibilities

14. Work collaboratively and supportively with colleagues at Release and partner organisations.

15. Maintain professional standards in all communications and ensure accurate, up-to-date record keeping.

16. Keep knowledge of debt advice, social security, housing-related debt and relevant FCA requirements up to date through training, supervision and self-directed learning.

17. Undertake any additional duties reasonably requested by senior management and compatible with the role.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Black and racialised communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people from working-class backgrounds, and people with lived experience of the issues we work on. We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve, and we know that lived experience and diverse perspectives strengthen our legal practice and our work for systemic change.

Applicants are advised to use their supporting statement as the opportunity to relate their skills to the job description (above) and the person specification containd in the job pack. 

Applications should be sent quoting reference DA0826 to recruitment@release.org.uk (attachments should be clearly denoted with the applicant’s name and should not collectively exceed 5MB).

Applicants will receive auto-confirmation email of receipt delivery.

Application Check List

*Please Note: Total documents NOT to exceed four A4 sides

1. Current Curriculum Vitae

2. Covering Letter (Supporting Statement). 

Good luck!

*For this job, Release will only consider applications from those who already have the right to live and work in the UK. See the Home Office Immigration & Nationality Directorate (www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk) for information on the UK Government's immigration policy.

For an informal discussion, contact:

Tamara Smillie (Legal Director) on 020 324 2990 or email: tamara@release.org.uk