Vacancy at Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton

Social Welfare Advisor (Trainee considered)

Salary £ 23482 - 26000

Hybrid (following completion of training)

Details

Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton (CABB) is a leading provider of legal advice and information, supporting thousands of clients every year. We are a busy, client focused and dynamic service with a track record of delivering high quality advice face to face, over the phone and digitally. 

Our communities are facing unprecedented challenges with rising costs. The rising cost-of-living continues to directly impact individuals and families, with more people than ever in negative budgets and energy debt. Our teams provide support and empower vulnerable clients to manage their income, maximise income and assess their best strategies and options. 

We have vacancies in the following teams; 

·       Welfare Benefits (1 part time 21hrs per week)

·       Consumer Energy Debt Advice (3 full time)

Our advisers in these teams provide advice to a high volume of clients on the telephone (with scope for webchat).  There’s no ‘average’ call – advice is tailored, and each client is treated equally. It can sometimes be a challenging role, but you will be fully trained and supported, working as a key part of an approachable and supportive team in a rewarding environment – and working alongside an established team of social welfare law advisers.  

This is a fantastic opportunity for personal and professional development, where you will be fully trained and supported in this role, through national ‘classroom’ based training, on the job shadowing and internal training, and other development opportunities. While some knowledge and experience in advice is desirable, it is not essential due to the training provided.  

About you:

• Excellent interpersonal skills to engage with a diverse range of clients,
• Organisational skills with the ability to adapt, prioritise deadlines and competing tasks in a fast-paced environment,
• A genuine passion for continual professional development,
• Be empathetic and compassionate,
• Be resilient and adaptable.
• An understanding or prior knowledge of debt or welfare benefits is advantageous but not essential

Summary of duties:

• Provide high quality advice to clients (specific KPIs to be established), advising clients on sustainable budgeting, income maximisation and money management, in line with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance.
• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s), guide and empower them to set their own priorities and help them make informed decisions about their next steps
• Identification of emergency advice issues, and advice on how to move forward with those issues
• Identification and assessment of eligibility for grants and other one-off support, signposting/ referring as appropriate
• Act for the client where necessary using appropriate communication skills and channels
• Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions
• Ensure that all work meets quality standards and the requirements of the funder.
• Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation (using national case management system, Casebook).

If you would like an informal conversation about this role or the application process, you can book a meeting with our HR Team (link available within the job pack).

Benefits

We value the people who work here. The following are included within the employee remuneration packages as standard;

A flexible 35 hour working week (for full time employees)
Generous holiday entitlement – starting at 25 days per year, increasing to 30 (in addition to bank holidays), pro-rata for part time
5% employer contribution pension scheme
Access to 24/7 confidential telephone counselling and structured counselling support
Access to online GP and telephone counselling services
Enhanced family friendly leave and occupational sick leave
Access to ‘Blue Light Card’ and other charity discount schemes