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

The Citizens Advice network in Scotland is the largest independent advice service in the country. Citizens Advice Scotland is a charity within this network – we act as a national organisation supporting and representing the service as a whole and the interests of citizens. At the heart of the network there are 59 individual citizens advice bureau across Scotland, all operating as independent charities in their own right, which focus on providing support and advice directly to clients. Each of these organisations is a member of Citizens Advice Scotland. We believe that every citizen should have access to free, impartial and confidential advice that helps them make informed decisions, whenever they need it and however, they choose to access it.

The Digital Advice Content Team’s primary role is to provide digital advice content for Scotland. The successful candidate for this role will be:

• Comfortable using evidence, data and research to make the right content decisions
• Able to contribute to and use style guides and design patterns to produce consistent content
• Someone who puts user needs at the heart of their work, to make people's interactions with online content as simple and speedy as possible
• Experienced in evaluating current content strategies based on the results of user research and data for constant improvement of existing content
• Able to build relationships and work closely with policy, legal and other expert colleagues to make sure content is accurate and consistent
• Capable of promoting user-centred content design within the department and beyond
• Experienced in communicating in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact
• Encouraging the use of different communication methods, including digital resources, and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost-effectiveness
• Ensuring communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs
• Able to share information as appropriate and check understanding
• Someone who shows positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same
• Confident in ensuring that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests
• Alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area and new opportunities

This role offers you the opportunity to work at the heart of supporting Scotland's largest independent advice network and to make an invaluable contribution to the lives of people moving to or living in Scotland.

Occasional travel to the Edinburgh and Glasgow offices will be required.

Employee benefits

Citizens Advice Scotland offers excellent terms and conditions. We want our people to have a great work life balance and we have designed our working practices and benefits to support this. Here are some of things our employees benefit from: a 35-hour full time working week, 40 days annual leave, genuine flexibility in working hours with a flexi-time system, and blended/hybrid working opportunities for every role.

Citizens Advice Scotland is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies and flexible working arrangements to support all our staff. We are also committed to equality of opportunity for all and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

CAS provides options for blended working to allow employees to balance their time attending the office with time working from home. The number of days you will be able to work from home each week will be dependent on your job role and can be discussed as part of the recruitment process.

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.

About Us

Cumbernauld and District Women’s Aid (CADWA) SCIO is a voluntary organisation based in Cumbernauld providing a confidential service offering valuable information, support and temporary accommodation to women and their children who have experienced domestic abuse in the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Stepps, Moodiesburn, Chryston, Mount Ellen and Gartcosh areas. CADWA also campaigns to raise awareness of domestic abuse and supports other domestic and sexual violence services throughout the area. Referrals mainly come from Social Work, educational professionals and Housing in addition to self referrals.

As a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) Cumbernauld and District Women’s Aid is controlled by an independent, voluntary Board of Directors drawn from the local community and is also accountable to funders including Scottish Government.

Cumbernauld and District Women’s Aid is a member of Scottish Women’s Aid and works in partnership with other Women’s Aid organisations throughout Great Britain to maintain an “open door” policy which allows women to access Refuges in any part of the country if they feel the need to move out of their local area.

We believe in equality of all people regardless of race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation or ability. We BELIEVE all women and children who come to us for support. We believe women and children have a right to live free from all forms of violence and abuse and that society has a duty to recognise and defend this right. Domestic violence is a violation of human rights.

Board currently has 6 members but can have a maximum of 9.

About the Role

CADWA is looking for up to 4 committed women with a strong background in one or more of the following areas to join the Board as Trustees guiding the strategic direction of the organisation.

• Finance, Fundraising,
• Lived experience of domestic abuse or service user experience with Women’s Aid or similar organisations
• Being a charity trustee
• Local knowledge and connections as a resident in the area CADWA serves.

We would also welcome applications from young women and from women who may not have Board experience but who are passionate about creating a better future for those who have been affected by domestic abuse.

You do not need to be an expert on domestic abuse or other forms of violence against women, but you will need to prove that you are interested in our work, be reliable, action focussed and committed to our principles and values.

Board meetings currently take place 6 weekly during the day at our office in Cumbernauld. Where this is not possible Board members can attend by video link. The positions are voluntary but we will provide you with training and support and pay your expenses.

Cumbernauld and District Women’s Aid is committed to promoting equality and diversity and positively welcomes applications from women from all sections of the community. Under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010 only women need apply