Citizens Advice in East Dorset and Purbeck Ltd

Trainee Energy Adviser/Energy Adviser

Job Description and Personal Specification

Location: Based across Dorset and BCP.

Key work areas and tasks:

1. Provide tailored energy advice and casework covering a range of energy related issues
and act for the client where necessary.

2. Negotiate with third parties as appropriate e.g. energy companies and assist clients with
Income maximisation advice.

3. Assist clients with other related problems and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies
as appropriate.

4. Maintain accurate case records and ensure that all casework conforms to the bureau's
Office Manual and the Advice Quality Standard and/or the Specialist Quality Mark as
appropriate. All training will be provided.

5. Attend energy advice sessions on the Dorset Energy Bus as and when required.

Professional development

5. Willingness to Undertake the necessary training up to NVQ Level 3 Energy Awareness.

6. Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to energy
efficient advice measures and undertake appropriate training.

7. Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/management team meetings
as appropriate.

8. Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.

Other duties and responsibilities

9. Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective
delivery and development of the service.

10. Engage with the Energy Unit Project Coordinator as required to discuss and provide
updates on the project

11. Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the Citizens Advice service.

12. Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of
colleagues.

Energy Affordability Adviser: Person Specification

Essential Criteria

1. Effective written and oral communication

2. Ability to assist/advise clients with energy issues.

3. Ability to use IT in the provision of advice and willingness to learn to use our case
recording system.

4. Willingness to work as part of a team and develop skills in advice topics.

5. Numeracy skills required to understand energy bills and check calculations.

6. Explain what you know about Citizens Advice.

The role may require you to train up to NVQ Level 3 Energy Awareness, you will be
supported in the role to achieve this.

Job Description – Office and HR Administrator

Overview

Citizens Advice East Dorset & Purbeck is an innovative and successful advice
service which offers confidential advice online, over the phone and in person,
for  free.  We  put  clients  first  and focus on delivering high quality information,
advice and casework by telephone, face to face and digitally.

We have a vacancy for an Office/HR Administrator and are looking to appoint
a  candidate  with  excellent  communication  skills  and  the  ability  to  deal
confidently  and  sensitively  with  a  wide  range  of people including colleagues
and third parties.

If  you  are  digitally  engaged  with  a  great  eye  for  detail  this  is  an  excellent
opportunity
join  our  service  and  provide  comprehensive
administrative support.

for  you

to

1

Job Description

Role

Salary

Location

Hours

Office and HR Administrator

£14.36 - £14.60ph

Wimborne Office - Hanham Road Wimborne.

15 hours per week

Contract Type

Permanent

Role Context:

General Administration

●  Letters, documents and spreadsheets as required
●  Create and maintain systems in accordance with East Dorset and Purbeck Citizens

Advice systems and procedures.

●  Maintain stocks of leaflets and posters, and order from suppliers.
●  Display leaflets and posters in the general office, waiting room and interview rooms.
●  Maintain and order stationery supplies.
●  Maintain statistics and collate and produce to a prescribed format.
●  Produce information from spreadsheets and databases.
●  Send and respond to emails as required.
●  Use of photocopier/scanner and other office machines as appropriate.

HR

●  Assist with maintaining accurate and up-to-date employee information using HR database

and other systems, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.

●  Assist with employee onboarding and offboarding activities and updating employee

records.

Meetings

●  Assist with the circulation of papers, agendas, minutes.
●  Attend appropriate internal meetings as required.

Other duties and responsibilities

2

●  Assist with petty cash requests in the Wimborne office, liaising with the Office Manager as

required.

●  Providing  financial  information  to  the  Finance  Officer  in  relation  to  incoming  Invoices  in

the Wimborne office

●  Help to arrange events as necessary.
●  Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own safety and

that of colleagues.

●  Any other relevant administrative and support duties required to ensure the smooth

running of the office.

●  Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the Citizens Advice service.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

1.  Previous Admin experience
2.  Good  computer  skills  and  an  in-depth  knowledge  of  relevant  software  such  as  Google

and MS Office.

3.  Adaptable with good organisational and planning skills and a great attention to detail and

accuracy

4.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills
5.  The ability to work flexibly using own initiative
6.  Work well as part of a team and ability to maintain confidentiality

This role will be based in our office at Wimborne.

What we give our staff
We  value  all  our  people  and  can  offer  a  supportive  culture  within  a  charity  setting  that  is
committed  to  social  justice.  The  role  attracts  an  attractive  remuneration  package  with
excellent terms including:

●  A 37 hour working week (if working full time)
●  Pension scheme
●  Contractual sick pay
●  Generous holiday entitlement starting at 29 days per year (or pro rata) (in addition to bank

holidays) and rising with long service awards).

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (DBS)

Some  Citizens  Advice  East  Dorset  &  Purbeck  positions  may  require  the  successful
candidate to undergo a DBS check.

Equality & Diversity

Citizens  Advice East Dorset & Purbeck recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes
equality  and  challenges  unfair  discrimination.  We  recognise  people  with  different

3

backgrounds,  skills,  attitudes  and  experiences  bring  fresh  ideas  and  perceptions,  and  we
wish  to  encourage  and  harness  these  differences  to  make  our services more relevant and
approachable.  Citizens  Advice  East  Dorset  &  Purbeck  will  not  discriminate  or  tolerate
discriminatory  behaviour  on  the  grounds  of  race,  colour,  sex,  transgender,  disability,
nationality,  national  or  ethnic  origin,  religion  or  belief,  marital/partnership  or  family  status,
sexual  orientation,  age,  social  class, educational background, employment status, working
pattern, trade union membership or any other irrelevant factor in any aspect of employment.

Our values include a commitment to equality and fairness, and to valuing each other.
All  our  employees  are  expected  to  have  read  and  understood  our  Equality  and  Diversity
Policy  and  to  ensure  they  behave in accordance with its principles. Breaches of the policy
may lead to disciplinary action.

Dignity at Work

Citizens Advice East Dorset & Purbeck is committed to providing a culture in which all staff
value  each  other  and  are  able  to  work  together  to  their  full  potential  in  an  inclusive
environment  free  from  harassment,  bullying  and  other  unacceptable  forms  of  behaviour.
Unacceptable  behaviour  in  the  workplace  will  be  actively  dealt  with, all complaints will be
taken  seriously,  confidentiality  will  be  respected  and  victimisation  of  those  that  raise
complaints will not be tolerated.

Our values include commitments to work together and value each other - all our employees
are  expected  to  have  read  and  understood  our  Dignity  at  Work  Policy  and to ensure they
behave  in  accordance  with  its principles. All staff are responsible for helping to create and
maintain a positive and inclusive working environment free from bullying and harassment. All
managers  have  a  particular  responsibility  for  ensuring  a  supportive  and  inclusive  working
environment in which dignity at work is actively promoted.

Probationary Policy

New appointments are subject to a three month probationary period.  At the end of the
probationary period the outcome of the assessment may be confirmation of post; notice of
dismissal; or at Citizens Advice’s discretion, an extension of the probationary period by a
further three months.

Flexibility

Our  roles  are  open  to  discussion  about  flexible  working,  which may include arrangements
such as part-time working, formalised flexitime, fixed (non-standard) working hours, working
from home and job-sharing.

Our People

We value the people who work here - and we show that in what we offer. As well as things
like annual leave and our workplace pension, working at Citizens Advice means getting
access to many benefits.

4

●  A commitment to your development. We have a coordinated staff training and

development strategy. This means that training will be provided both for your current job
and for your development.

●  Employee assistance programme. Everyone working at Citizens Advice East Dorset &
Purbeck has immediate access to professional and completely confidential counselling
and advisory services.

●  Support when things in your life change. We’ll be there for you with options for flexible

working, career breaks, and support for parents and carers.

Equality and fairness within recruitment

Citizens  Advice  East  Dorset  &  Purbeck  is  fully  committed  to  stand  up  and  speak  up  for
those who face inequality and disadvantage. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of
the people who work for us.

To help us achieve this, we aim to make our recruitment process as fair as it can be. We also
offer  support  to  disabled  candidates  to  make  sure  no  one  loses  out  on a role because of
their condition.

●  We  judge  the  application,  not  the  person.  The  select  panel  won’t  see  your  personal
details. This makes sure each person’s response is judged on its merits and not on their
background.

●  We offer a guaranteed interview scheme. If you have a disability and your application

meets the minimum criteria for the post, we’ll interview you for it.

●  We’re a Disability Confident employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards
disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

5

CONFIDENTIAL APPLICATION FORM

Section 1

Please refer to the Guidance Notes for Applicants before completing this
application form.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. We encourage
and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds.

Please let us know if there are any adjustments we can make to assist you in

your application and / or interview? (larger font, greater colour contrast, hearing

loop, wheelchair access, an afternoon interview, etc)

This information will be treated as confidential:

Members of the recruitment panel will consider the information you provide
against the person specification for the role to decide whether you will be
shortlisted for an interview. It is therefore essential that you complete the form
fully so that you clearly demonstrate how you meet each point on the person
specification.

Please note that CVs are not accepted.

Position applied for

Job title

Trainee/Experience Energy Adviser - Energy Unit P/T 22.5hrs

Location

Office Based Wareham and Wimborne

Entitlement to work in the UK

To take up this post you must have the right to work in the UK.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

1

Please note that East Dorset and Purbeck Citizens Advice does not hold a sponsor
licence and, therefore, cannot issue certificates of sponsorship under the
points-based system.

Personal information and address for correspondence

First name(s)

Last name

Address

Postcode

Telephone
home/work

Mobile

Email

We will normally contact you by email, however, if you would prefer to be
contacted using another method please let us know here:

Criminal convictions

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working for East Dorset
and Purbeck Citizens Advice – much will depend on the type of job you have
applied for and the background and circumstances of your offence.

For some posts, an offer of employment will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring
Service (DBS) check. If this applies to the post for which you are applying, this will
be noted in the application pack.

Please see Guidance Notes and Application Pack for further details.

Have you had any previous convictions not regarded as
spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974?

Yes / No

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

2

If YES please provide details of the offence and the date of conviction.

References

Please provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses
of two people who may be approached for references. One of these should be
your present or most recent employer, the other could be someone who knows
you in a work related, voluntary or academic capacity. Both referees should be
able to comment on your suitability for the post applied for. References will only
be taken up for successful candidates following interview.

Referee 1

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone

Email

In which context does this
referee know you?

Referee 2

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone

Email

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

3

In which context does this
referee know you?

Section 2

Information, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

It is essential that you complete this section in full. Please refer to the
Guidance Notes for Applicants for further details.
● Please explain and demonstrate how your experience, skills and knowledge
meet the selection criteria in the Person Specification (found in the Job
Pack).

● Please ensure that you address ALL the criteria on the person specification

using the SAME ORDER AND NUMBER below.

1. Effective written and oral communication

2. Ability to assist/advise clients with energy issues.

3. Ability to use IT in the provision of advice and willingness to learn to use our
case recording system.

4. Willingness to work as part of a team and develop skills in advice topics.

5. Numeracy skills required to understand energy bills and check calculations.

6. Explain what you know about Citizens Advice.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

4

Educational history

Please give details of educational qualifications you have obtained from
school, college, university etc.

Subject

Level

Grade

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

5

Career history

Please include your current / previous employment (including job training
schemes), voluntary work, community activities, school placements, time caring for
dependants etc. Please put in date order, starting with the most recent. (Continue
on a separate sheet if necessary.)

State position held and outline briefly the nature of the
work and your responsibilities.

Employer’s
name and
address and
type of
business.

Dates: From

To

Reasons for leaving:

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

6

Dates: From

To

Reasons for leaving:

Dates: From

To

Reasons for leaving:

Professional development

Please give details of any professional qualifications, including membership of any

professional bodies and any job-related training that you have undertaken.

Declaration

Data Protection Statement: I consent to this information being processed and stored
for the purpose of recruitment and selection at East Dorset and Purbeck Citizens
Advice, and if appointed, for the purposes of employment at East Dorset and
Purbeck Citizens Advice.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

7

I confirm that to the best of my knowledge, the information I have provided on this
application form is true and correct. I understand that if appointed on the basis of
false information contained in this form, I may be summarily dismissed.

If you are sending your application form by email, please mark this box ☐
(as a substitute for your signature) to confirm that you agree to the above
declaration.

Signed:

Dated:

Please return this form to:

Email address: office.hr@edpcitizensadvice.org.uk
Postal address: Mill Lane, Wareham, BH20 4RA

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made in the recruitment process or
at work subsequently if appointed, please make sure you tell us separately from this
form. We follow the social model of disability which believes that it is the barriers
created by society which disable people. We will use reasonable adjustments
wherever possible to remove those barriers.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

8

CONFIDENTIAL APPLICATION FORM
SECTION 3
Diversity monitoring

Please note this section will be detached before sending your application to the
recruitment panel for shortlisting.

Job title:

The Citizens Advice service is committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality.
We encourage and welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all
backgrounds regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil
partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual
orientation.

In order to achieve these aims we need to know about the diversity of people who
apply to work in the service. Please help us by providing the information requested
in the form below

Data protection overview

If you are happy to provide it, we will use this information for the sole purpose
of allowing us to monitor equality of opportunity and treatment as necessary
to maintain or promote equality within Citizens Advice in East Dorset &
Purbeck.

The information you give us will be kept securely, won't be shared outside the
service and is confidential.

It will not be seen by anyone responsible for making recruitment decisions or
have any impact on you directly.

If you are successful in your application and we require this information for
other purposes, you will be asked to provide it separately - i.e. this form will
not be used for other purposes.

If you would prefer not to answer any of the questions we ask, please leave
them blank. If you would like us to stop using the information you provide,
please contact us.

Thank you for your co-operation.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

9

The following information will not be seen by the recruitment panel and will
not affect your application.

Age
Which age bracket do you fit into? Put a cross in the relevant box.

Under 25

25 - 34

35 - 44

45 - 54

55 - 64

65 and over

Gender
What best describes your gender? Put a cross in the relevant box or write in a
preferred term.

Female

Male

I prefer to use another term

Please write in……………………………………...

Sexual orientation
What is your sexual orientation? Put a cross in the relevant box or write in a
preferred term.

Heterosexual/Straight

Gay Man

Gay Woman/Lesbian

Bisexual

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

10

I prefer to use another term

Please write in……………………………………….

Ethnic origin

How would you describe yourself? Choose one section (A to E) and put a cross in the
relevant box within it.

A. White

English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern
Irish/British

Irish

Gypsy or Traveller

Any other White background
Please write in……………………………………….

B. Mixed/multiple
ethnic groups

White & Black Caribbean

White & Black African

White & Asian

Any other Mixed/multiple ethnic
background
Please write in……………………………………….

C. Asian/Asian British

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Chinese

Any other Asian Background
Please write in……………………………………….

D. Black/African/
Caribbean/Black British

African

Caribbean

Other Black/African/Caribbean
background
Please write in……………………………………….

E. Other ethnic group

Arab

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

11

Any other ethnic group
Please write in……………………………………….

Disability

A disabled person is defined under the Equality Act 2010 as someone with a
‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term
adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day
activities.’

Do you consider yourself to be disabled under the Equality Act 2010?

Yes

No

The information on this form is for monitoring purposes only. If you require any
reasonable adjustments to be made in the recruitment process or at work
subsequently if appointed, please make sure you tell us separately from this form. We
follow the social model of disability which believes that it is the barriers created by
society which disable people. We will use reasonable adjustments wherever possible
to remove those barriers.

Gender Identity
Is your gender identity the same as the gender you were assigned at birth? Put a
cross in the relevant box.

Yes

No

Religion or belief

Which group below do you most identify with? Put a cross in the relevant box.

No religion

Christian (including all denominations)

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

12

Buddhist

Hindu

Jewish

Muslim

Sikh

Any other religion or belief

Please write in……………………………………….

How did you hear about this opportunity?

Please include details below:

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination

13