case worker

supervisor

energy advisor

claims advisor

benefits advisor

Citizens Advice

Typical day at work
A typical day involved supporting people facing some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives, including homelessness, eviction, rent arrears, possession proceedings, housing disrepair, and welfare benefit issues. The role required interviewing clients, assessing legal options, negotiating with landlords and housing providers, preparing court paperwork, making homelessness referrals, and advocating on behalf of vulnerable individuals and families. No two days were ever the same, which made the role both challenging and rewarding.

What I learned
The role provided me with a wealth of knowledge in housing law, homelessness legislation, welfare benefits, court procedures, and advocacy. It also strengthened my communication, negotiation, and problem solving skills. Most importantly, it taught me how to work effectively with people in crisis and how to remain calm and professional when dealing with complex and often emotionally charged situations.

Management
Management were extremely supportive and approachable throughout my time in the role. They encouraged professional development and genuinely invested in staff progression. Citizens Advice offers excellent opportunities for learning and development, including apprenticeships and qualifications in areas such as housing and law. I always felt supported when dealing with difficult cases and knew there was guidance available when needed.

Workplace culture
The wider workplace culture was welcoming, collaborative, and driven by a genuine desire to help people. Colleagues were knowledgeable, supportive, and always willing to share their experience. There was a strong team ethos, with everyone working towards achieving the best possible outcomes for clients.

The hardest part of the job
The hardest part of the job was seeing the impact that homelessness, poverty, and housing insecurity can have on individuals and families. It can be emotionally demanding at times, and the role is certainly not for the faint hearted. You regularly work with people who are in crisis and facing life changing situations. However, with the right support from colleagues and management, these challenges become opportunities to make a real difference.

The most enjoyable part of the job
The most enjoyable part of the job was helping people achieve positive outcomes during some of the most difficult periods of their lives. Whether preventing homelessness, securing accommodation, resolving housing issues, or helping someone navigate the court process, it was incredibly rewarding to know that your work had a genuine and lasting impact. The variety of the role and the opportunity to continually learn and develop also made the job highly satisfying.

Please, please read this before contemplating working at Kirklees Citizens Advice & Law Centre!  Do not be fooled by the reputation of Citizens Advice, otherwise working here will be a massive shock.

The management is utterly corrupt and one manager's nickname is the 'Smiling Assassin', I kid you not.  This manager knows just enough employment law to take staff right to the edge of appalling employment practice and they ensure that nothing they do will be evidenced.  

The training, considering the advice you're meant to give clients, is wholly shambolic.  You're given about two weeks to sit alone at a computer and read lots of information and take several multiple-choice tests. That's it, seriously.  After this, you are expected to advise the general public.  

Your write-ups of client contact will be scored 1 (bad) to 3 (good) and you will be expected to re-contact clients if you have not provided all the correct information.  This scoring system is also used to demoralise staff, especially if they want to get rid of you (see below).

You are treated like a skivvy and with utter contempt, especially those who work on the telephones (staff can't even have their bags/phones at their desks in this department).  You have no employment rights whatsoever and if you raise an issue you will be managed out of the place, pronto!

I worked here for almost three years and watched as over 25 people left, all disgruntled, angry and disappointed.  That was over half of the entire paid staff.  The entire Debt Team, even the manager, walked out one week, a coordinated affair.  How they get away with their extremely high staff turnover only highlights that the Trustees are not doing their jobs properly!

Working here you will be overworked, underappreciated and monitored to the very extreme.  You are literally watched every minute of the day by a manager or supervisor.  When daring to have a chat with a colleague in a rare quiet moment you will be glared at or asked to do some menial tasks. During a 7.5 hour shift, you will get 30 minutes of unpaid lunch and strictly no breaks.  

The work is absolutely exhausting and incessant.  One colleague experienced migraines for the first time in their life due to having to look at a PC screen for literally 7.5 hours per day with only the 30 minute lunch.

Please don't put yourself through this miserable excuse for a job.

To be fair, some departments may be very different. I worked in debt advice.  I have never come across a "training" method like this. You will sit and do nothing except read from a computer screen for 2-3 weeks - really.  Needless to say, this is not a way many people learn complex rules.  You are then just thrown in. Your work is checked and you get written feedback. Experienced staff do warn you not to take it to heart as the let you know  *all* you will receive is negative  comments. Usually, everyone's feedback is about a side of A4 of negative remarks per call - and I saw several other peoples so I know its normal. Often, depending on who does it, it is actually wrong (for example they will say you did not say or do something which the record *clearly* shows you did - an error is understandable, but with some supervisors this is every time - to be fair, some are very good too, as far as a completely negative-based system allows them to be). You will never be told you did something good or right. The staff turnover is terrible (2 years is a long service for first line advisors) and it soon became obvious why.  Such a "management" method means the atmosphere was flat and grim, despite peoples best efforts to brighten it up. I've never known such a miserable work environment.  Basically, you could succeed here as long as you don't think.  This meant customers don't always get the best advice they could, but you must stick to really what amounts to a script.  Pretty much everyone is eyeing up other jobs.  I left before it made me ill. All that kept me really was some nice colleagues and you spoke to some lovely people and could help them.

I would encourage anyone considering a role here to do thorough research before applying across all of the internet. 

In my experience, there have been significant changes in leadership over the past year, and these have had a noticeable impact on staff morale and the overall working environment. A number of experienced employees have left during this time, which has been challenging for teams and has seen a massive drop in quality, performance and working environment. 

There can be a feeling that open feedback is not always encouraged, especially from the CEO, which may make some staff hesitant to share concerns. This has contributed to very low morale with some employees exploring opportunities elsewhere.

The previous management team also had its challenges, but there was a stronger sense of engagement and responsiveness to staff feedback. Over the last 12 months, that dynamic appears to have shifted for the worse. 

Operational decisions, such as the move to a new building, have created lots of disruption and negativity from the general public and staff alike as its space is worse than what we had before. It’s has been a colossal waste of money and time and nobody likes it. 

There have also been structural changes within the support team as its space continues to grow more than any department in the organisation. For a lot of staff, this shows that there are some deficiencies at the top…

Overall, this may be a workplace that suits some individuals, but others may find the current environment more challenging. It is worth reviewing everything you can see online as I’d be pushed to disagree with it. 

A typical day:
I log in about thirty minutes early, read the emails and log in to Casebook, Connect, make sure the laptop doesnt need any updates. You then take calls, some are emotionally charged, others will be frustrating as it is often the Client causing their own problems (eg. overcrowded, has multiple kids.). Some will be very simple. You need to be a quick typist. 45wpm is not enough for speed, and that was my average. Granted, my processing time was a little slow and I am chronically ill so there is that.

What I believe I learned: 
I learned a lot about UK law and what help is available for those who are struggling.

Management: 
This is a bit of a hit or miss. If you're neurotypical, white, cis and hetrosexual - you'll probably be fine on a larger scale. They're nice enough, and try their best, but the burden of education will often be on you.
For Trans People: Be aware that the current boss of all the supervisors is 'Gender Critical'.

Workplace Culture: 
I worked remotely and didn't really bother with this. It's a lot of "keep it light, don't get too deep" otherwise they lose their mask of "impartiality". You won't ever know the true beliefs and thoughts of the people you work with, which maybe true for any workplace dominated by neurotypicals, but it's especially hard here, and that may be stressful for some.

The hardest part of the job:
Accepting that sometimes there is nothing you can do for a Client

The most enjoyable part of the job:
Knowing that you are making a difference in people's lives.


I started out as a volunteer and was initially really excited when I was offered a Trainee Advisor position. I’ve always been strong with face-to-face interactions and genuinely enjoy helping people, but because English isn’t my first language, I was very clear from the start that I wasn't comfortable with phone calls or being recorded. Despite being open about this, I was forced into those tasks anyway. To make matters worse, I constantly received conflicting information from different supervisors. As a Mensan, I naturally ask a lot of questions and value clarity, but in this environment, simply seeking a straightforward answer was treated as "double-questioning" or a problem.
​The atmosphere among senior staff was often unprofessional. Bullying and talking behind people's backs seemed to be the norm, and communication was consistently confusing. The most disappointing part, however, happened after I left. I had stayed in the role partly to secure references for my future, but the organization suddenly stopped providing them. When a prospective employer finally reached out, they were told the contact I’d listed no longer worked there. It took me a full year in a truly supportive volunteer role elsewhere to rebuild the confidence this experience took away. Looking back, I realize the problem was never my performance. It was a deeply unhealthy workplace that didn't value transparency or professional integrity.

The organisation primarily consists of volunteers. Very few paid positions available, and when they do come up, they are hugely competitive, and existing volunteers are not given any priority or advantage over external applicants. 
Also due to the nature of the work, the organisation puts a lot of pressure on volunteers to see clients, complete case write ups, and management can become very stroppy with volunteers, which at times can make it a depressing environment to be in. 
The amount of pressure and work expected from volunteers gives a feeling that the organisation exploits its volunteers by expecting them to do a lot of challenging tasks, which would be expected from people in paid positions. Shifts can also be much longer than expected, and volunteers are not allowed to leave until they have completed all their case work. This just feels like an unnecessary stress when you think about the fact that you are slaving away for this organisation, and not being paid for it!
The work itself can be very rewarding and allows you to gain a variety of skills. 
Overall I am grateful for all the skills I gained in this voluntary role, but not impressed with the management and the expectations that they place on volunteers. I stayed here for 3 years just for the experience, and but then got frustrated with it and left.

Working as a generalist adviser for  Citizens Advice has been an enriching experience that has allowed me to make a tangible difference in people's lives. 

The role encompasses a diverse range of responsibilities, from providing crucial advice on issues such as debt, housing, employment, and benefits, to offering emotional support and guidance during challenging times.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is the opportunity to directly impact individuals and communities by empowering them with the knowledge and resources they need to navigate complex systems and overcome obstacles. Whether it's assisting someone in resolving a housing dispute, helping them access financial support, or simply lending a compassionate ear, every interaction feels meaningful and worthwhile.

Moreover, working with Citizens Advice provides a platform for personal and professional growth. The organization offers comprehensive training and support, ensuring that advisers are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively support clients. Additionally, the collaborative environment fosters a sense of camaraderie among colleagues, creating a supportive network to rely on.

Overall, working as a generalist adviser for Citizens Advice is both challenging and fulfilling. It's a role that allows me to contribute positively to society while continuously learning and developing as an individual.

I volunteered for approx. 16 hours a week. A typical day would be to  get all the paperwork needed for the day prepared and available before the doors opened. There would be a rush of people, so keeping an eye on where people are in the queue was essential. Talking to the potential clients & explaining the system would come next. If they wanted help, I would give them the Gateway form to complete & confidentially offer help if they were unable to complete them for various reasons. I would take the completed form to the next available Advisor so they could be prepared & give the client a time to see the Advisor on that day or the following day. Once everyone was set up for an appointment, I would enter information onto the Petra system, until the end of the day. I learned to be discrete with help and developed more skills with people. 
The culture was to be of service and I loved it. Although some of my colleagues were a lot more political than I, I enjoyed their enthusiasm to fight for what they believed. The hardest part of the job was dealing with the occasional abusive or drunken client but I loved to rise to the challenge and not take anything personally.

The training was not 4 weeks, it was cut short to have you on the phones like any other call centre. The trainer didn't have many nice things to say about other staff members. There were no background checks or reference checks which surprised me, you only had to show your passport.

The team leaders isn't supportive, this us why many have moved onto another team within the organisation. The team has a high turnover rate and many have left the organisation. The current team have only joined throughout covid as everyone else has left.

It is unclear who your contract is with in regards to targets and stats. Constant pressure to get vulnerable customers off the phone. The software crashes all the time, it is a very archaic system.

The recording of absences is odd and it is difficult obtaining medical appointments. The working practices are that of any other call centre in Sheffield. They will ask you to add toilet breaks onto breaks and lunches. Even in the most ruthless call centres, there has been an option for personal time. Everything is about how times are monitored and there is no compassion.

In the first few weeks you will be encouraged to join the union. You will begin to understand why.



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Case worker 112 salaries reported	£27,434 per year
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