Key Work Areas and Tasks:
Advice Giving & Casework:
Interview clients using sensitive, empowering questions to allow them to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities.
Deliver deep, high-quality advice on complex welfare benefits, housing, and income maximisation.
Help clients explore options so they can make informed financial decisions.
Act on behalf of clients via phone, email, letters, and third-party negotiations.
Ensure that all work conforms to the organisation’s Office Manual and the Advice Quality standard and other funding requirements, as appropriate.
Maintain accurate case records that meet strict quality and funding standards.
Training & Professional Growth :
Complete mandatory generalist and benefits advice
Keep up to date with changing laws, policies and advice procedures
Actively manage your own professional development and learning, including maintaining a high IT proficiency to manage digital workloads efficiently.
Team Collaboration:
Contribute to the efficient working of the CRF team in delivering against the project delivery requirements
Share knowledge and problem-solve alongside specialist Debt Advisers.
Actively participate in team meetings, regional projects, and national conferences.
Research and Campaigns :
Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information as appropriate.
Alert clients to research and campaigns options, as directed.
Quality Assurance
Consistently meet all project Quality Framework standards.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) :
Ensure that work undertaken reflects and supports the service’s EDI strategy
Person Specification:
Essential
Client Experience: Proven experience in customer services or similar face-to-face role
Resilience & Empathy: A genuine passion for helping people in hardship with the emotional boundaries to support clients in high-stress situations
Inclusive approach: Ability to work in a sensitive, non-judgemental way with people from a wide range of backgrounds
Information gathering: Ability to sift through large amounts of information and extract key facts during client interviews and follow up work
Organisation: The ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines using own initiative
Communication & Negotiation: Strong written and verbal skills to negotiate effectively with third parties and official organisations
Practical Numeracy: Comfortable using numbers to complete accurate benefits checks and financial calculations
IT Literacy: Proven IT skills including competency with databases, cloud systems and basic IT to maintain effective and compliant case records
Autonomy & Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively within a team while managing your own workload without close supervision
Compliance & Process: Willingness to strictly follow agreed procedural, confidentiality, and data protection guidelines, and to maintain professional boundaries
Growth Mindset: High level of commitment to your own professional development and completing mandatory training.
Values: Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service.
Travel: Ability to meet the travel requirements to various locations as required
Desirable
Accreditation: Trained in giving accredited advice
Subject knowledge: Up to date knowledge of welfare benefits, debt resolution or housing law
Casework experience & client support: Background in providing ongoing casework or support to vulnerable clients or people in crisis.
Advice sector knowledge: Prior experience working or volunteering within the Citizens Advice network or a directly comparable charitable advice sector
Local knowledge: Understanding the specific social and economic challenges faced by communities in Devon.
We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled candidates, and particularly from disabled people, people from Black, Asian and other racially minoritised backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ candidates.
A job description does not constitute a ‘term and condition of employment’. It is provided only as a guide to assist an individual in the performance of the job and is not included to be an inflexible list of tasks.
