Job Description
Advice worker
Job description and person specification
Citizens Advice Sheffield provides a range of advice and advocacy services through digital means, by telephone and in person. We seek to empower our clients and support them to improve their confidence and capability on a wide range of issues.
We aim for excellence. Our ambition is to be among the best advice services in the country, and one of the leading voluntary and community organisations in Sheffield. We campaign for change to social policy to improve the well-being of the people and communities we support.
Purpose of job
Our advice workers, working alongside volunteer advisers, are responsible for providing generalist and specialist advice to clients, including advice about financial confidence, welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, immigration, discrimination and other areas of public and social welfare law.
Advice workers seek to support and empower clients to address their needs, and provide tailored casework when this is needed.
Advice workers provide advice that is accessible by all clients, taking full account of clients’ communication and other needs.
Advice workers are also, subject to their skills, experience and where necessary accreditation, responsible for providing specialist advice to clients.
Advice workers provide services in a wide range of settings, including our own offices and those of partner agencies. This will be done both in person and through the use of telephone and digital technologies.
Advice workers are required to undertake all their duties in accordance with Citizens
Advice Sheffield policies and procedures, utilising national and local sources of information and guidance.
Main duties and responsibilities
Advice provision
All advice workers are required to:
- Welcome clients to the service
- Enable clients to explain their needs
- Assess clients’ needs
- Research the options for meeting clients’ needs and advice on these
- Support clients to develop action plans to meet their needs
- Assist clients to implement their action plans, including liaising with relevant agencies
- Undertake casework for clients, including where appropriate court and tribunal representation
- Contribute to telephone, drop-in and pre-booked appointment services
- Contribute to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency service provision
- Create and maintain comprehensive client and service provision records, using information technology and other systems
- Provide services in accordance with all relevant quality standards
- Contribute to ensuring that service performance standards and targets are met
- Identify and report evidence to support social policy campaigns
Advice support
Advice workers may, subject to their skills and experience, and subject to the needs of the service be required to:
- Supervise other advice workers and volunteer advisers, including advice session supervision, case checking and independent file reviews
- Support and develop volunteers
- Support the design and delivery of training
Professional learning and development
Advice workers are all required to undertake learning and development including:
- Keeping up to date with legislation
- Keeping up to date with policies and procedures
- Attending internal and external training
- Obtaining and maintaining accreditation for specialist practice
Person specification
Knowledge
Comprehensive knowledge of:
- One or more of: financial confidence support and interventions, welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, immigration, discrimination and public law
- Advice giving processes and systems
- The communities supported by Citizens Advice Sheffield
Skills
High quality skills:
- listening, verbal, written and presentation communication skills
- to communicate well with clients, colleagues and other agencies
- to work in partnership in multi-professional and multi-agency settings
- to utilise case recording and other information systems that support advice provision
- to undertake analysis and research to support the formulation of action plans to meet clients' needs
- to represent clients and negotiate on their behalf
- to supervise advice sessions, and undertake case checking and independent file reviews
- to support and empower clients
Aptitude
Commitment to:
- the goals and values of Citizens Advice Sheffield
- working flexibly and to adapting to changing needs and priorities
- team working
- the delivery of service performance and quality standards
- personal learning and professional development
- equal opportunities and to valuing diversity
You must be willing and able to work at different locations around the city as required
Qualifications, training and accreditation
There are no specific qualifications required for this role however you will be required to:
- Successfully complete training
- Achieve and maintain any accreditation required for specialist areas of advice practice
Desirable
While not essential the ability to effectively communicate in another community language or BSL would be an advantage.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 35 per week
Salary: £27,023.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexitime
- Sick pay
- Wellness programme
- Work from home
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Flexitime
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- No weekends
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Sheffield, S1 4FW
Application deadline: 16/06/2023
Reference ID: AW 03-23