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Generalist & Outreach Adviser

Generalist and Outreach Adviser

Salary starting at NJC Scale 18: £27,344 (Pro rata for part time hours) 

FT (37 hrs per week, part time hours also considered)

We provide free, confidential, and independent advice to help people overcome their problems. We are a voice for our clients and consumers on the issues that matter to them.

We are seeking a special candidate to join our advice team in a role where you will make a real difference.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced adviser to:

  • Provide help and advice, focusing on Benefits, Debt & Housing
  • Conduct benefit checks
  • Assisting clients applying for benefits
  • Support clients with debt solutions
  • Create income & expenditure sheets
  • Help with homelessness applications
  • Research and apply for Grants and applications
  • Travel to different locations across Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire to help some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

The successful applicant will have at least 1-year experience of providing debt, housing & benefit advice.

You must have an understanding of, and a commitment to, Citizens Advice aims, principles and equal opportunities.

Benefits

  • 7% pension contribution
  • Holiday: 24 days pa plus Bank Holidays. 1 additional day each 12 months. Up to 4 days Christmas closure
  • Death in Service insurance/EAP schemes
  • Variety of learning and development options

Closing date: 9am Wednesday 17th February 2023

Interviews: w/c 27th February 2023

Charity: 1056102   Company: 3191085

Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 617537

 

Job Description 

Job Title:                 Generalist and Outreach Adviser

Employer:               Cambridge & District Citizens Advice

Responsible to:       Specialist Projects and Outreach Manager

Based at:                66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge. CB1 2BL and Outreach Locations across Cambridgeshire

 

Main responsibilities

  • General Advice
  • Planning and Development
  • Service Delivery
  • Administration
  • Training, Development and Recruitment
  • Research and Campaigns
  • Other duties and responsibilities

 

General Advice and Casework

  • Advising clients with general advice including debt, benefits and housing problems
  • Negotiate with creditors as appropriate
  • Apply income maximisation (Benefit Checks) to money advice, debt and benefit work
  • Assist clients with Debt assessment tool and budgeting
  • Assist clients with financial capability issues such as reducing expenditure, helping them getting the best energy deals, helping to apply for energy and water social tariffs etc.
  • Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate welfare benefits and assisting with benefit applications
  • Look to empower our client’s where appropriate
  • Assist specialist staff by preparing client cases for DRO
  • Ensure casework conforms to Citizens Advice Quality Standards

Planning and Development

  • Assisting with the development of suitable outreach locations
  • Advise the management team on service delivery issues and problems
  • Contribute to activities, procedures and systems so as to promote common practices within the advice team
  • Utilise IT systems and other resources
  • Participate in organisational initiatives as appropriate and contribute to the work of associated committees, working parties and projects

Service delivery

  • Provide Advice and Information over the web, email, face to face and telephone
  • To deliver advice over video calls when required
  • Respond to money advice needs, in particular the needs of identified disadvantaged groups
  • Ensure that systems are developed and maintained for case recording, statistics, follow up work and quality control
  • To be a team player and attend meetings as necessary

Administration

  • To ensure effective and efficient administrative systems are maintained
  • Abide by the health and safety policy with regard to staff, equipment and premises with statutory requirements
  • Proper case recording and recording of statistical information with regard to advice given to clients and workload

Training and Development

  • Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to all subject areas and undertake appropriate training
  • Read relevant publications provided by Citizens Advice
  • Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager
  • Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings as appropriate internally and externally
  • Assist with service initiatives for the improvement of services and make recommendations where improvements can be made
  • Give external talks/training to partner organisations as agreed by Line Manager
  • To ensure that you make time in your own calendar, for your own development (each month)
  • During a 12-month period, you achieve the equivalent of 16 CPD points and record these within your own Skillbook learning account.

Research and Campaigns (Social Policy)

  • Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients’ circumstances, either anonymously or with the client’s consent
  • Provide statistical information on the number of clients and nature of cases and provide regular reports to the management team
  • Monitor service provision to ensure that it reaches the widest possible client group
  • Alert other staff to local and national issues
  • Liaise with statutory and non-statutory organisations and represent the Service on outside bodies as appropriate

All staff at CCAB are required to:

  • Have a full commitment to the aims and vision for the organisation as laid out in the business plan and take part in annual processes such as business plan reviews, production of annual and other reports, etc
  • Have a commitment to on-going change management in order to achieve those aims and objectives
  • Have an understanding of and commitment to, the aims and principles of the service and its equal opportunities/diversity policies
  • Have an active commitment to promoting Social Policy/Research and Campaigning as a key driver for effecting a positive change for our clients
  • Have a commitment to working as a team player – supporting and respecting each other in a time of limited staff resource – having a flexible approach to covering functions that may be outside a specific job
  • Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own safety and that of colleagues
  • Undertake duties in a resource efficient way, minimising impacts to the environment wherever possible
  • Attend meetings, conferences and events that may entail staying away overnight; to undertake outreach work when required; .and to be able to occasionally work unsociable hours as required
  • To undertake locking up responsibility when on rota or as required
  • Undertake any other duties connected with the operation of the Bureau as may be required from time to time

Person Specification

 

Essential

1) Ability to demonstrate knowledge of strategies and methods employed to deal with debt

2) Ability to implement and promote equal opportunities policies and relate to clients in a non-judgemental way

3) Numeracy skills for monitoring and analysis of statistical information for project funders and management

4) Ability to prioritise and manage own workload and appointments

5) Ability to work closely with and support training of volunteers

6) Effective oral and written communication skills with particular emphasis on ability to work with a wide cross-section of clients, reports and correspondence.

7) Competent at using computers and other IT equipment and resources

8) Ordered approach to the prioritisation and management of work and an ability and willingness to follow and develop procedures.

9) Ability to receive feedback from colleagues objectively.

10) Ability and willingness to work as part of a team and to maintain a positive attitude whilst under pressure.

11) Ability to travel within Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire DC

 

Desirable

12) Two years’ experience delivering debt and benefit advice at general adviser level

13) Experience of providing generalist advice in other subject areas.

14) Experience assisting clients working towards Debt Relief Order applications

 

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