Remote Adviser For Hardship Helpline (Homeworking)

Location: Hammersmith & Fulham-remote

Job title: Adviser – Help through Hardship Helpline

Location: Remote

Salary: £26,500- £28,500 pro rata according to experience

Salary pro rata: Yes

London allowance: No

Hours per week: Part-time 18.75 – 30 hours per week

Type of contract: Fixed term

End date of contract: 31st October 2023

Interview date: 6th February 2023

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Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham is recruiting experienced advisers to deliver a free helpline service for people struggling to afford the basics. The service is a collaboration between Citizens Advice and Trussell Trust.

As a telephone adviser, you will help address the underlying causes of the hardship, maximise people’s income, as well as make a quick and seamless referral to a food bank if required.

We are looking for someone confident in income maximisation, good knowledge of the wider advice landscape.

Experience of advising on Debt, Welfare Rights and Housing issues.

You will be provided with close support from our Supervisor and have access to our wealth of reference resources.

We have several part-time roles working between 2.5-4 days (fixed) starting as soon as possible with contracts running initially until October 2023 (with the possibility of extension).

This role is predominantly remote working but advisers will be expected to visit our Hammersmith office for an initial training day and occasional team meetings for which travel will be reimbursed. We will provide a suitable laptop, telephony and headset.

The role

Help through Hardship advisers support clients with income maximisation advice and support. This includes:

• An offer of a comprehensive benefits check, exploring the range of available state entitlements
• Identification of emergency issues and advice on how to move forward with those emergency issues
• Identification and assessment of eligibility for grants and other one-off support, signposting to local Citizens Advice or other agencies for more localised grants that may be available
• Determination of whether a food bank referral is needed by establishing that the client is unable to afford food as part of the advice interview, if required, an e-referral will be made to the local food bank
• An initial assessment of wider advice needs, client offered information and, where required, advice. If further advice, follow up or casework is required, the adviser would identify an appropriate agency and signpost for onward support (this may be a local office or another specialist advice provider).

 

Activities and tasks 

(Please note below is listed activities and tasks of the role not the full role job description)

• Deliver advice, information through telephone and other appropriate digital channels to clients calling from throughout England and Wales.
• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to address their problems
• Research local solutions and Issue food bank voucher using Trussell Trust’s systems (training provided)
• Use Language Line interpreting services when required
• Use the Citizens Advice Information System to find, interpret and communicate the relevant information
• Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions
• Refer internally or to other specialist agencies as appropriate
• Ensure that all work conforms to Quality Standards
• Accurately input case records in the Case Management system for the purpose of continuity of case work, information retrieval, and monthly reporting of statistical data
• Participate in team meetings and team chat with other remote workers

Campaigning 

• Identify campaigning issues of direct relevance to the client group, using evidence to plan and coordinate campaigns for presentation at local level
• Liaise with Citizens Advice and/or other agencies to take concerted action on issues and attend when required relevant meetings.
• Liaise with key stakeholders to develop and highlight work of the project

Partnership

• To work in partnership with key internal and external stakeholders  (National Citizens Advice, Trussell Trust and local food banks nationwide)
• To cultivate good working relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Provide feedback and updates on client casework and action plans as required.

Performance Management and Monitoring

• Understand relevant performance standards for this role
• Deliver on agreed objectives and targets
• Report on the project activities to show outcomes and the impact of the project delivery, including case studies as required.

Planning and Organising 

• The post holder will be required to manage their own workload and time effectively and efficiently to ensure the objectives of the role and services to clients are delivered efficiently and on time to agreed targets and deadlines.

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IT 

• Strong computer literacy. We use Google Suite. Training will be provided but post holder will be expected to embrace new technologies as required
• Experience of customer database management systems. (e.g: Casebook)
• Ability to fully utilise IT systems to prepare and collate statistical or performance information to demonstrate outputs attained.
• Ability to analyse data produced to report against the project targets.

Staff group / Teamwork 

• Remain engaged with the wider services provided by CAHF and understand the strategic relevance of the project within the overall context of CAHF service delivery
• Build rapport with colleagues and ensure the work of the project is communicated at all levels.
• Attend and participate in CAHF activities including weekly briefing,  CAHF meetings, Staff Away Days, Annual General meeting and other staff activities.  (travel expenses paid for up to 4 office visits per year)

Training and Professional development 

• Identify and implements plans for own training and development needs
• Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedure and undertaken appropriate training as agreed with the line manager
• Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
• Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/staff meeting as appropriate

Keeping in touch with local issues, developments, and changes in procedure of other agencies.
All shortlisted candidates will be asked to take a test (a mock client call and write-up) on Wednesday 1st Feb and Thursday 2nd Feb, with all candidates achieving a satisfactory
score invited to interview

We reserve the right to close the applications earlier if suitable candidates are found.

Every local Citizens Advice is a registered charity. Different application procedures are adopted by individual local Citizens Advice. Contact the relevant one as outlined in the information about this role. You should not send an application form to national Citizens Advice.

All local Citizens Advice produce their own annual report, but you can find out more about the Citizens Advice network.

Closing Date: 31st January 2023

HOW TO APPLY

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