Money & Housing Adviser
- Full time
- £24,396 – £26,654
- Office Based: Union Street, Inverness - Some flexibility may be possible
- Closing 13th January 2022
- Advertised from 22nd December 2021
- IBS Point 6. 35 hours per week (Some flexibility in working hours may be required / possible)
Role
Reporting to: Deputy Manager
Purpose of Role
To work with the existing team to enhance the services ability to provide level III (National Standards) in money advice and housing. To provide senior level housing and debt advice to other teams via second tier support and to carry a caseload that reflects this ability in both money and housing advice.
Key Duties
- Work with the team to undertake detailed casework on multiple and complex debt problems, including the preparation of financial statements, negotiation with creditors and maintenance of detailed case notes. Work with other staff to enhance the standard in housing advice and be able to represent at court and tribunal for housing matters and, where appropriate, debt cases also.
- In co-operation with Advice and Services Coordinators ensure a systematic approach to cases and that a full advice service is given to clients.
- Ensure that research work, telephone calls and/or correspondence relating to casework is undertaken timeously and casework is followed up and to
- Support the Senior Leadership Team with production of reports and information for funders.
- Be pro-active in reviewing processes and consult with and work alongside the team and staff / volunteers.
- To train and support Advisers (voluntary and paid) in money advice and housing issues.
- To assist with case checking, feedback and peer review within money advice and housing to meet standards of Money Advice Scotland, AIB, MAS, CAS, Bureau and Scottish National Standards for advice providers quality standards.
- Have a thorough knowledge of and be able to identify the appropriate option for money advice clients and support the client in that option. Including sequestration, protected Trust Deeds and a payment plan under the Debt Arrangement Scheme.
- Meet the competencies as required by the Money Advice Quality Framework for case workers.
- Meet the competencies required to become an authorised person for the purposes of issuing certificates of sequestration (Home Owner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Act 2010). Meet the competencies required to become an authorised person for the purposes of registering clients for a payment plan under the Debt Arrangement Scheme.
- Keep accurate and up to date case records on CASTLE (Case recording System) and ensure the maintenance of an effective case management system.
- Ensure the maintenance of detailed statistics in relation to individual debt and housing clients. Including recording of all client financial gain.
- Attend team/staff meetings and training as required.
- Produce reports as requested by the Bureau Management and Board of Directors
- Work co-operatively with Bureau staff to publicise the work of the Bureau, raise awareness of money management and undertake preventative work by supporting or undertaking relevant community initiatives.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Essential criteria:
Qualification:
- Qualified to degree level or equivalent is desirable or ability to clearly evidence being able to carry out the tasks required.
Technical skill:
- Experience of money advice and housing case work, up to and including representation.
- Ability to coach and develop others in providing advice.
- An evidenced commitment to continuous professional development.
- Proficient in use of IT systems
- Ability to work under pressure, facing competing demands and finding appropriate solutions.
- Experience of contributing to organisational change and development.
Values and Behaviours:
- Strong communication and team working skills.
- Strong organisational skills particularly for case management.
- An understanding of and respect for the volunteer led ethos of CAB and an ability to reflect this in their day to day work.
- Approachable and friendly; able to build strong working relationships, based on trust and respect.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
- A positive can-do and proven effective approach to problem solving and challenging situations.
- Demonstrable commitment to the aims and principles of Citizens Advice.
Application notes
Application deadline: January 13th 2022 at 12 noon.
Interview date: TBC
Completed applications or requests for further information should be sent to by the deadline date to: admin@invernesscab.casonline.org.uk
Completed applications may also be posted to: Recruitment, Inverness Badenoch & Strathspey CAB, 29-31 Union Street, Inverness, IV1 1QA
Downloads
Investing in Communities is a Scottish Government funded joint initiative of Midlothian Voluntary Action, Volunteer Midlothian and Dalkeith Citizens Advice Bureau that aims to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of people in the Central Dalkeith and Woodburn areas through information, advice, learning and practical action.
The postholder is responsible for collaborating with partner organisations to develop, deliver and evaluate actions to achieve project aims. In particular, this includes advice and information provision for those in or at risk of financial hardship and building skills and knowledge of local people so they can make informed life and financial decisions.
Up to date understanding of Scottish and UK benefits system and experience of providing advice and information (paid or unpaid) to people experiencing disadvantage are essential. Postholder must hold City and Guilds Level 3 Energy Awareness Award, or be willing to work towards this as part of the role.
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The Cost of Living crisis is unprecedented in social history and continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of many Stirling citizens. The need for advice, information and crisis intervention support around money, debt, shortages of fuel and food is huge and continues to grow.
The Cost of Living Support Worker is responsible for supporting volunteer advisers deal with the increase in casework / demand due to Cost of Living drivers.
The post holder will increase volunteer advisors capacity to deal with cost of living driven enquiries & support the main Bureau volunteer led generalist service to deal with the increased volume of enquiries.
The post holder will act as support and mentor to both office-based and remotely enabled advice volunteers ensuring they have the necessary support to deal with enquires effectively and efficiently.
General Responsibilities
- To act as the main point of contact and mentor for all advice volunteers seeking casework/advice support on Cost of Living driven enquiries
- To support bureau based & remotely enabled volunteers to assist in the delivery of the core advice service.
- To provide advice support for remote & bureau based volunteer workers particularly in relation to complex/crisis Cost of Living crises driven client enquiries.
- Provide advice for maximising income & support volunteer advisers in the provision of advice & assist people maximise their income by accessing such support as is available to them (e.g. benefits and grants).
- Provide advice & support volunteer advisers in the provision of advice for managing debt. Helping people identify their options and strategies, enabling them to get control of their borrowings or removing the burden of debt entirely.
- To undertake supervisory roles within the office – e.g. 2nd tier technical support on complex Cost of Living driven enquiries
- To communicate frequently with volunteer advisers to ensure they are satisfied, well-placed and any concerns are addressed.
- To help ensure the purpose of the Stirling CAB, its actions, policies, procedures and the role of the volunteer is clearly communicated, understood and implemented.
- To help represent and present the views of volunteers and volunteering related matters to senior management.
- Help ensure that the required monthly CAB statistics are provided to the Deputy Manager
- To carry out any other reasonable task requested by CAB management or required by the Board of trustees.
Accountability
- Provide written reports to monthly supervision sessions with Deputy Manager
- Attend annual appraisal
- Attend Annual General Meeting and quarterly reviews of role with CEO
Main Purpose:
Stirling CAB seeks to develop a Veterans Housing Advice Service (VHAS) to respond to the COVD19 / cost of living crisis legal impact area of housing to prevent homelessness by the provision of advice, advocacy, casework support and heritable representation, across all of Stirling District working closely with ( & adding value to) the Stirling CAB Armed Service Advice Project.
The impartial and independent advice, information, casework support and representation offered for Veterans will focus on access to legal housing /homelessness advice to overcome the practical barriers caused by the COVD19 pandemic/cost of living crisis and giving holistic and sustained support to overcome these. VHAS will be available at a range of easy access locations for the target group throughout Stirling Local Authority area. Training on legal housing/homelessness prevention issues & 2nd tier legal consultancy support will also be provided to Stirling CAB staff & volunteers and Veteran stakeholders.
VHAS will be accessible across the total architecture & outreach footprint of Stirling CAB advice services, to build its capacity & increase seamless access to heritable social justice for local Veterans.
Our plans are mature with 26 established trusted local CAB access points – recovery cafes, libraries, food banks and strong established Armed Services Advice Project (ASAP now in year 15), trusted links with local Veteran stakeholders. ASAP will be the main referral point to VHAS & these projects will work closely together.
Specific duties:
- Immediate on the spot legal advice and casework support (up to and including type 3), to local Veterans, to empower, enable and inform decision making to those seeking to overcome COVD19 driven legal housing/homelessness difficulties. The particular focus will be to overcome the practical barriers – separation and financial issues, housing & heritable, mental & physical vulnerabilities, and legal issues that often inhibit security of tenure.
- Support to local Veterans experiencing COVD19 legal impact in heritable legal contexts – small claims, summary cause, heritable and the Debtors (Scotland) act 1987 and any other suitable areas as required, in relation to housing related matters
- Diagnostic legal advice and refer unrepresented local Veterans to an appropriate agency to take on their cases as required.
- In Court Heritable representation to local Veterans in court when deemed necessary
- Representation for local Veterans interests at housing/homelessness case conferences and hearings.
- Liaison for local Veterans with the Sheriff Clerks Department of Stirling Sheriff Court and the Tribunal Service and to maintain and develop effective working relationships with other relevant stakeholders
- The provision of proactive and preventative impartial Legal advice awareness sessions to the wider Veteran Community to raise the profile of the legal issues and remedies surrounding the impact of the COVD19 pandemic /Cost of Living crisis in relation to housing /homelessness and raise awareness of the legal processes to overcome the practical barriers that often impair forward transition
- Liaison with other agencies such as local authority departments, social work, homelessness teams other RSL’s, DWP and to work with these agencies to inform and develop a seamless service for local Veterans via VHAS
- Work with the aforementioned agencies in the pursuit of an upstream preventative approach for local Veterans to mitigate the problems that lead to legislative action
- To develop the front-line capacity of Stirling CAB to facilitate informed, enabled and empowered decision making in relation to the process of sustained transition from the negative impact of the COVD19 pandemic/cost of living crisis in relation to security of tenure for local Veterans
- The provision of a second-tier legal consultancy service to Stirling CAB employees/volunteers engaged in the process of supporting local Veterans with improved seamless access to heritable social justice
- The provision of legal training to Stirling CAB employees/volunteers engaged in the process of supporting local Veterans with legal security of tenure enquiries driven by the impact of the COVD19 pandemic/cost of living crisis.
- To develop and maintain referral procedures with the Sheriff Court, Veteran stakeholders & other agencies
- To fully participate in the monitoring of the service and to keep adequate records of advice or representation offered as well as all referrals made to and from VHAS
- To routinely use the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Impact Hub to record the demography & impact on beneficiaries using ONS4 Well being survey.
- To routinely gather quantative (CASTLE) & qualitative statistics on the local Veteran community, case studies, client & stakeholder testimony to evidence the impact of VHAS
Organisational Responsibility:Directly line managed by the Stirling District Citizens Advice Bureau CEO
Project Delivery
The Veterans Housing Advice Service worker covers Stirling District, working closely with the Stirling CAB Armed Services Advice Project and access to advice on the frontline is essential and the worker would construct their availability and geographic location to maximise opportunity for the Veteran community engage with the minimum of obstacles.
Appointment to this post is conditional on two satisfactory references and a current PVG certificate.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated person to join our team. The Session Supervisor has day to day operational responsibility for the delivery of a high-quality generalist advice service within Airdrie Citizens Advice Bureau. The Session Supervisor is responsible that the quality of advice delivered is in line with the Scottish National Standards and Citizens Advice Scotland’s Membership standards.
This post also supports the learning and development of a high-quality service by providing formal training to volunteers and staff as and when required.
The successful applicant will be encouraged and supported in their personal development by the Bureau Manager.
Employee benefits
Airdrie Citizens Advice Bureau offers excellent terms and conditions and is an inclusive employer considering flexible working arrangements where appropriate. For more details of some of the other benefits on offer to our employees, please contact us for more information.
Core Duties
- Provide supervision and support for advice workers, particularly in relation to advice enquiries, CASTLE data entry and enquiry entry.
- Support advisers to produce accurate, legible and complete client records.
- Contribute to building and supervising an effective team, understanding the importance of continual improvement of the service.
- Undertake advice work as and when required.
- Implement effective Triage Service
- Support and maintain uniform advice standards and contribute to their development. Ensure that advice work undertaken complies with CAS Quality Audit standards, Scottish National Standards.
- Actively implement the Aims and Principles of the CAB service, together with its other policies.
Essential Criteria
- Delivery of advice and information services to clients.
- Ability to work without supervision
- Basic training skills
- Ability to deal with staff, volunteers and the public in a calm, caring and competent manner
- Ability to analyse and interpret complex information
- Ability to prioritise own work and that of others, meet deadlines and manage workload in a pressured environment
- Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively
Desirable Criteria
- At least 2 years’ experience of supporting others in advice provision
- A working knowledge of CASTLE for the purpose of recording client cases
- Commitment to ongoing training
- Working within the voluntary sector
- Experience of supporting vulnerable clients
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