Generalist Caseworker - Advice First Aid

Project

North & West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join the Projects Team and make a real difference in 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.

This role is offered on a trainee and a qualified basis.

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

Please note, this job specification applies to fully trained Generalist Adviser. Trainee will be working towards gaining that qualification.

Want to chat about this role?

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

The role

Application deadline:

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may be held before the closing date,
so early applications are encouraged.

Company Benefits: £25,000 - £28,783 (dependent on experience)

Pension: Contribution of 7% based on 4% employee contribution

Employee Assistance Scheme: Health Assured

Birthday Leave: Take a day to celebrate your annual personal milestone. This leave does not form part of your annual leave entitlement.

Christmas Closure: Our office will be closed between Christmas and New Year’s, and these days won’t count towards your holiday entitlement.

Flexible Working Policy: Includes compressed hours, flexitime, homeworking/hybrid

Role purpose

Your role will be key part of the new Advice First Aid Project. You will support vulnerable residents with issues such as Benefits, debts, housing and employment and take referrals from Frontline workers across the districts. You will enjoy building relationships with local frontline teams so you can work together to support people.

Working from our offices, as well as community settings such as foodbanks, libraries and hubs, you will provide holistic advice and casework support to local residents.

This role is part of an exciting pilot project, jointly delivered by Stroud and Cotswold Districts Citizens Advice so part of the role includes collecting information to report to the funder.

Role profile

Service Delivery – advice.

➢ Provide holistic advice to local residents on the telephone, by email and face to face.
➢ Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions.
➢ Issue food vouchers to clients in accordance with Trussell Trust criteria and processes and apply for appropriate grants for a client.
➢ Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning.
➢ Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non-statutory bodies as appropriate.
➢ Provide low level casework to help move clients forward with their problem and make effective referrals and sign posting.
➢ Complete benefit calculations and Debt Assessment Tools to identify options for clients to make informed choices.

➢ Complete confirmation of advice letters/emails and provide follow ups, ensuring deadlines are met and clients are aware of timelines when self-servicing.

➢ Maintain accurate case records and data recording.
➢ Where appropriate, deliver advice at outreach and pop-up locations and ensure fully resourced to deliver successfully.
➢ Use information and advice resources, including remote supervisors to ensure advice is accurate.
➢ Develop the project.
➢ Ensure all relevant policies and procedures are followed in work.
➢ Ensure continuous improvement in your own work and service development, gaining user and stakeholder feedback and meeting advice quality standards in line with Citizens Advice quality framework and Advice Quality Standard.

Research and Campaigns
➢ Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information as appropriate.
➢ Alert clients to research and campaign options.
➢ Professional Development
➢ Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.

Administration
➢ Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with Citizens Advice line
manager.
➢ Use IT for statistical recording of information relating to research and campaigns
and funding requirements, record keeping and document production.
➢ Ensure all work conforms to the organisation’s systems and procedures.

Partnership working

➢ Attend Advice First Aid Sessions to support and trainer and network with the
frontline teams
➢ Liaise with trained Advice First Aiders to receive referrals
➢ Where appropriate, represent Citizens Advice at networking meetings
➢ Liaise with partner organisations.

Other

➢ Carry out any other tasks which may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service
➢ Abide by safeguarding, health and safety policies

Person specification

1. Relevant and ongoing recent experience of initial assessment and advice work.
2. Certificate in Generalist Advice work, or equivalent qualification or equivalent level of experience and skill.
3. Sufficient knowledge of benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer and immigration advice issues, to be able to make appropriate signposting and/or referral decisions.
4. Excellent IT, numeracy, written and verbal communication skills able to undertake benefit and debt calculations and explain complex information to a range of audiences and formats.
5. Strong personal resilience, able to self-motivate and solve problems to achieve positive outcomes
6. Excellent personal organisational skills, able to work under pressure and manage competing demands whilst meeting deadlines, following processes and maintaining quality and targets.
7. Excellent attention to detail, able to follow processes.

8. Able to develop good working relationships with a variety of people, both internally and with those from external agencies.
9. An understanding of the needs facing residents and able to use different approaches to move clients forward and resolve their problems - ability to research, understand and explain complex information
10.Ability to write accurate case records and draft letters, reports, and statements
11.Demonstrable commitment and understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion.
12.Ability to establish positive working relationships with partner organisations
13.Ability to travel to centre and outreach locations across the county.

Desirable

14.Experience of delivering welfare benefits, housing, debt or generalist advice and casework.
15.Recent experience of benefits advice giving in Citizens Advice or similar advice setting.
16.Ability to advise on debt and other social welfare issues.
17.A thorough understanding of the issues involved in interviewing and working with clients, and in particular vulnerable people.
18.Proven ability to work well in a busy, pressured environment, work as part of a team but also able to work without direct support and supervision at times.
19.Experience of explaining complex information to clients and checking accuracy of calculations.
20.Able to drive and access to a car

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 to 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.