Volunteer Initial Adviser - Telephone

Volunteer with Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent

What will you do?

• complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role.
• talk to clients over the phone to explore what problems they’ve come for help with. If you are able to speak or hear over the phone you can train to give advice by email or webchat.
• find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options.
• support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation.
• write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken.
• look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do: 

• explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
• help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.

What’s in it for you?

• make a real difference to people’s lives.
• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment, and housing.
• build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability.
• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
• have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

No prior experience is necessary in these areas as you’ll receive full training.

For individuals who are doing advice giving roles, and who are also training to be a solicitor, if you started training to be a solicitor before 1st September 2021, you may be able to get up to six months reduction in your training contract. 

If you started training to be a solicitor after 1st September 2021, you may be able to include time spent volunteering (or working) in advice giving roles as part of (or all of) your qualifying work experience. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but you’ll need to:

• be friendly and approachable.
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own.
• have good listening skills.
• have good verbal and written communication skills.
• have good maths and IT skills.
• be able to understand information and explain it to others.
• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.
• be willing to undertake training in your role.

How much time do you need to give?

We ask for a minimum of 3 hours per week, for at least 12 months.

Many of our volunteers give one full day or two half days per week.

Valuing inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from racially minoritised people/people of colour, disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people.

If you are interested in becoming an adviser and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

Contact details

Contact Margaret Collin for more information or to request an application pack.

Call: 01782 408 638

Email: margaret.collin@casns.org.uk

Our website: https://www.snscab.org.uk/how-you-can-help-us/volunteer-with-us/ 

Location

You can volunteer at any of our offices in North Staffordshire: Hanley, Newcastle under Lyme, Biddulph, or Leek.

You can complete e-learning at the office of your choice, but you will need to be available to attend two training days at the Hanley office.

Head Office
Advice House
13-15 Cheapside
Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1HL

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.