- Advertised from 16th June 2021
- Full time: 32 hours per week (4 day working week) or Part time: 24 hours per week (3 day working week)
- Permanent
Role
Glasgow North West Citizens Advice Bureau (GNWCAB) is an independent charity founded in 1981.
Our mission is to end poverty and inequality by ensuring that people from all backgrounds are empowered through access to advice and support that helps them affect positive change in their lives and the lives of those around them.
We specialise in providing free, impartial and confidential information and advice services on issues ranging from debt, benefits, and welfare rights to consumer rights, finances and budgeting support. The information and advice we give is compliant with standards set by the Scottish Government and our membership body, Citizens’ Advice Scotland. Our services are available to everyone in our local communities, and we aim to make them as accessible as possible by promoting equality and diversity, and challenging discrimination.
We run an advice service from our bureau premises at 1455 Maryhill Road via a multitude of channels including web chat, phone and face to face. We also operate extensive outreach services, providing advice and information in local communities across North West Glasgow.
Our Bureau is one of the most progressive and dynamic advice and information services in the country. Our Bureau is made up of around 30 dedicated volunteers and supported with 28 staff members, and an experienced board of trustees. Collectively, the team has expertise in many areas relevant to our work, including welfare rights, debt and money advice, immigration and asylum.
GNWCAB is a busy evolving bureau that requires an adaptable adviser that can work across a variety of projects as business needs arise. As an adviser you will deliver a holistic advice and support service through a variety of channels including face-to-face, telephone and web chat.
Providing advice on a variety of topics including welfare benefits, money advice, benefit checks, employment issues, consumer issues and housing issues.
Due to Covid-19 this role will require someone who is willing to work both from the GNWCAB office and at home as required and stipulated by Covid restrictions and most advice will be given via telephone and web based systems.
Job description
Key responsibilities
- To conduct face-to-face, telephone and web chat interviews, using sensitive listening and questioning skills to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities
- To explore clients’ circumstances, support needs and access channel preferences considering language barriers, accessibility needs, and issues around digital access and ability
- To provide advice on a variety of subjects including benefits, debt, employment, consumer issues and other topics.
- To carry out benefit checks to show entitlement.
- To provide support to clients completing and submitting their claim forms for a variety of benefits.
- If appropriate, to support the client with applying for any additional support such as short-term advance and/or access to the Scottish Welfare Fund.
- To liaise where appropriate with bureau staff and other relevant agencies as appropriate.
- To record, update and maintain information on a case management system for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation
- To ensure that all work meets quality standards and the requirements of the funder, membership body and adheres to Scottish National Standards of Advice.
- To keep abreast of the latest developments relating to welfare benefits and other legislation.
The above job description is not exhaustive and is clarified to include broad duties inherent in the post as reasonable requested by the bureau manager.
Person specification
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
- A sound working knowledge of social security benefits and entitlement, including Universal Credit
- Experience of working with people with multiple and complex needs
- Ability to work without supervision and prioritise workload
- Experience of using a range of IT tools to carry out your work, including case management systems, Microsoft Office applications, online applications, internet and email etc.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and accessible manner
- Excellent organisational skills
- A proven ability to work effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders
- A commitment to the aims, principles and policies of Citizens Advice Bureaux
- Ability to operate as a team player and communicate effectively with colleagues and managers
- Ability to use telephony and IT systems to deliver services across multiple channels (face-to-face, web chat and telephony)
Desirable
- Completion of Citizens Advice Bureaux Adviser Training Programme
- Basic knowledge of multiple enquiry areas to aid with identifying emergencies and making referrals where appropriate
Additional requirements
- The post is subject to the receipt of a satisfactory Basic Disclosure Certificate
- The post is subject to the disclosure of criminal history information
Responsible to: Coordinator
Application notes
Closing date: 30th June
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Workforce Wellbeing Officer
- Full time
- £32,100
- Mainly working from home, but some travel around Scotland and to our office in Glasgow will be required. (Hybrid)
- Closing 1st May 2024
Money Advice Scotland is Scotland’s money charity. Our mission is to be the driving force towards financial wellbeing for the people of Scotland.
We believe we will achieve this by supporting the money advice workforce, empowering citizens to get help and support, and advocating for fairer policy.
About the role
Over the past four years, the Workforce Wellbeing Project (formerly the Adviser Wellbeing Project) has given us the unique opportunity to document the experiences of staff within the free money advice sector and support their wellbeing through research, training, and community building.
The Workforce Wellbeing Officer (WWO) will be a creative and passionate communicator who can incite engagement and discussion on wellbeing topics in an inclusive way; acknowledging the sensitivity of wellbeing topics and the need to break down barriers – personal and organisational – which affect how wellbeing is addressed and supported in the workplace.
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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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.
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