Job Details

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Trainee Housing Caseworker

Gloucester

North & West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our advice team and make a real difference to their community.

This is an opportunity for you to join an established charity that has an excellent reputation for the provision of high-quality advice and is a great place to work. You’ll be part of a team committed to working together and with partner agencies to achieve the best outcomes we can for our clients.

If you do not have the experience for this role, we are considering trainees. We have a training programme which will provide you with the skills, knowledge, and experience to do the role as well as a career opportunity which could lead to professional progression within the service.

Please note, this job specification applies to fully trained caseworker. Trainee will be working towards gaining those qualification.

The role

FTE Salary: £24,200pa - £28,200pa (dependent on experience)
Hours: 37 (job share considered)
Pension: Contribution of 7% based on 4% employee contribution
Location: Gloucester and Cheltenham
Employee Assistance Scheme: Health Assured
Application deadline: When suitable candidate(s) found

Role purpose

As a Housing Specialist you will support clients who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness.

This role is offered on a trainee and a qualified basis. So, if you are an experienced housing
caseworker or someone with relevant generalist advice experience but with a passion for
housing, this could be the opportunity for you.

The post holder will deliver multi channelled advice across the full range of the housing
problems experienced by our clients. You will be supervised and, if new to housing, fully
supported to achieve competence.

Role profile

Casework

• Interviewing clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow
clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities and
make informed decisions;
• Identify key information about the problem presented including time limits, key
dates and requirements for urgent advice or action;
• Provide casework covering the full range of housing advice including homelessness,
allocations, anti-social behaviour and landlord issues;
• Work with colleagues to ensure clients are assisted with other related problems such
as benefits, debt and energy where they are an integral part of their case and refer
to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate;
• Access grants and charitable support for clients as required;
• Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts
as appropriate and negotiate with third parties as appropriate;
• Assist clients where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters
and telephoning;
• Act as a housing specialist for the volunteers and paid staff providing additional
advice and support with complex cases;
• Maintain case records using the organisation’s CRM (Casebook) for the purposes of
continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report
preparation;
• Ensure that all casework conforms to the organisation’s Office Manual and the
Advice Quality Standard and the specialist Quality Mark as appropriate.

Research & Campaign

• Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information about clients’
circumstances;
• Provide statistical information on the number of clients and nature of cases and
provide regular reports to the organisation’s management.

Professional Development and Training

• Maintain an up to date working knowledge of all new relevant legislation through
reading relevant case law, policies and procedures relating to specified area and
undertaking appropriate training;
• Self-identify own development needs undertake appropriate training as necessary to
maintain and develop competence across advice areas;
• Attend training courses.
• Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.

Administration

• Be self-administering (client letters, documents, reports) complying with current
practices, policies and procedures;
• Liaise with statutory and non-statutory agencies to help set up referral processes for
clients.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Promote the aims, policies, and membership requirements of the Citizens Advice
service;
• Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the
effective delivery and development of the service;
• Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and
that of colleagues;
• Maintain complaints procedures in accordance with Citizens Advice guidelines;
• Comply with data protection regulations and report any issues to the Health
Projects Manager;
• Work cooperatively with colleagues and encourage good teamwork, clear lines of
communication and common practices within the LCA team;
• Use skills and competencies to promote the organisation and foster good
relationships with external organisations.

Person specification

Essential

1. Awareness of, and ability to, understand and empathise with clients from a diverse
range of backgrounds and disadvantaged groups living in the community.
2. A good up to date understanding of equality and diversity and its application to the
provision of advice.
3. Ability to remain non-judgemental.
4. Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently, and to be open to
receiving feedback and learning for others.
5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to
communicate effectively with clients, third parties and colleagues at all levels.
6. Ability to priorities, manage own time and meet deadlines.
7. Excellent ICT skills and the ability to use multiple ICT platforms and packages.
8. A flexible approach to service delivery and the ability to adapt to changing client
needs, and funder demands.
9. An understanding of and commitment to the Aims, Principles, and equality policies
of the Citizens Advice Service.
10. A commitment to continuous professional development, including a willingness to
maintain standards, develop and maintain knowledge across advice topics.
11. Demonstrate an understanding of research and campaigns issues, social trends and
their implications for clients and service provision.

Want to chat about this role?

If you want to chat about the role further, you can contact Ania Swoboda via the details to the right of this advert.

Applying for this post

To apply for this post, please complete our application form, which can be found on our
website, by clicking on Apply Now.. Completed application forms should then be emailed via
the email address to the right of this advert.

In accordance with Citizens Advice national policy, we may require the successful candidate
to be screened by the DBS. However, a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to your
being able to take up the job.

Salary: £24,200pa - £28,200pa (dependent on experience)

Hours Per Week: 37

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