Trainee welfare benefits caseworker jobs
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Various locations across the Liverpool area.
Some flexible hybrid working - 4 days office based, 1 day work from home.
1 Permanent and 1 Fixed term until 30th June 2027
Hours: 35 Hours per week
About the Role
Role Purpose:
Do you enjoy helping people? Are you a compassionate and people focused person?
Do you want to make a real difference to the lives of people who are in problem debt and help them find a way forward?
The Debt Advice Caseworker will provide an in-person high-quality debt advice and casework service to the organisation’s clients.
The Debt Advice Caseworker will provide mentoring and support to their co-workers, which will help develop their skills and expertise in debt and money management service, ensuring they deliver our clients with the best possible service.
A demanding role, whereby the Debt Advice Caseworker will have the ability to understand and deal with complex information.
They will work collaboratively with their team, management and external organisations.
Flexibility is a key characteristic of all our posts, and the post-holder may be asked to carry out other tasks consistent with the grade from time to time.
Requirements
To be appointed as a Debt Advice Caseworker, you will need to have:
1. Knowledge and experience of complex debt casework, covering priority and non-priority debt advice, options and insolvency solutions.
OR
To be appointed as a Trainee Money Advice Caseworker, you will need to have knowledge of advice areas and money advice issues and have experience of giving advice. We’re not looking for the finished article, if you have the right attitude then we can help to develop your skills.
2. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs.
3. Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with Money and Pensions Service and Citizens Advice quality standards.
4. Effective oral/written communication skills and be numerate to the level required by the tasks.
5. Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines, manage workload and targets in a pressured environment.
6. An ordered approach to casework and an ability and willingness to follow and develop agreed procedures.
7. IT literacy with an ability to use software packages including Microsoft Office products in the provision of advice and preparation of formal written materials.
8. Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively.
9. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team.
10. Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equalities and diversity policy
11. Ability to work across different sites within Liverpool.
12. Institute of Money Advisers Certificate in Money Advice Practice or MaPS Caseworker accreditation equivalent.
Equality and Diversity:
All staff members are expected to demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity. We recognise and celebrate the positive value of diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.
Responsibilities:
1. Provide a casework service covering the full range of debt and money management advice, including debt relief orders, bankruptcy, and debt management plans.
2. Deliver our service by a range of methods required, including telephone/digital channels, drop-in sessions, appointments, outreach work, and home visits.
3. Act for clients where necessary; this includes drafting letters, budgets, financial statements, and negotiating with third parties.
4. Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate welfare benefits.
5. Prepare and present cases to statutory bodies, tribunals, and courts when required.
6. Assist clients with issues, where they may be an integral part of a case, and refer them to the appropriate agencies and advisers.
7. Maintain standards of service delivery and ensure that casework conforms to the Citizens Advice membership requirements, the Advice Quality Standard, and the Money and Pensions Service Advice Quality Framework.
8. Comply with systems for monitoring and reporting purposes.
9. Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that the service area meets key performance indicators and targets.
10. Assist in the smooth running of the organisation and provide emergency cover for other parts of the service when necessary.
11. Analyse and interpret complex information, communicating this effectively in writing with particular emphasis on negotiation and representation.
Research and Campaigns
1. Keep up to date with current research trends and campaign issues.
2. Participate in research and campaigns activity by providing information on client’s circumstances and acting on behalf of the client.
Essential Criteria
1. An understanding of and commitment to the aims, principles and policies of the Citizens Advice service including a strong commitment to equality and diversity.
2. An understanding of the problems and issues associated with unmanageable debt and their implications for clients and advice service provision.
3. Recent experience of providing advice to the Advice Quality Standard and/or the willingness and ability to complete full debt advice training.
4. A good understanding of the skills and techniques used in interviewing clients through a range of channels including telephone, digital and face-to-face.
5. The ability to understand the needs of others and to empower clients to take action for themselves.
6. The ability to monitor and maintain own standards, prioritise work and meet deadlines and targets.
7. The ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively.
8. The ability to work as part of a team and to respond positively to change.
How to Apply
For more information and to apply, please click on the Redirect button.
About us
Citizens Advice Liverpool is a charity that provides free, confidential and impartial advice to people who live and work in the city. We depend on a workforce of paid staff and over 120 trained volunteers. We give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem. We are the leading provider of advice and advocacy services in Liverpool and have helped clients with over 106,000 issues in 2022/2023.
CAL have achieved accreditation with the Workplace Wellbeing Charter, showing we are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our workforce. We've also gained an award for outstanding contribution by an employer to workplace health and wellbeing 2022 by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust.
We've gained awards from Citizens Advice National recognising our Advising Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.
Registered Charity 
51 - 100
Thank you!
Liverpool Innovation Park- Flexible hybrid working minimum 3 days office based
(Available for experienced Energy Debt Specialists only after training on the telephone platform is completed.)
Term: Fixed Term until 31st March 2028
Hours: 35 hours per week
About the Role
Responsibilities:
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Provide advice and a limited casework service covering the full range of debt and money management advice, including breathing space, debt relief orders, bankruptcy, and debt management plans.
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Maintaining standards of service delivery and ensuring that advice and casework conforms to the Citizens Advice membership requirements, the Advice Quality Standard, and the minimum individual file review score of the Money and Pensions Service Advice Quality Framework.
-
Complying with systems for monitoring and reporting purposes.
-
Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that the service area meets key performance indicators and targets.
-
Analyse and interpret complex information, communicating this effectively in writing with particular emphasis on negotiation and representation.
Research and Campaigns
-
Keeping up to date and participating in current research trends and campaign issues by providing information on a client’s circumstances,
Essential Criteria
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An understanding of and commitment to the aims, principles and policies of the Citizens Advice service including a strong commitment to equality and diversity.
-
An understanding of the problems and issues associated with unmanageable debt, particularly energy debt, and their implications for clients and advice service provision.
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Recent experience of providing advice to the Advice Quality Standard and/or the willingness and ability to complete full debt advice training.
-
A good understanding of the skills and techniques used in interviewing through telephone and digital advice channels.
-
The ability to understand the needs of others and to empower clients to take action for themselves.
-
The ability to monitor and maintain own standards, prioritise work and meet deadlines and targets.
-
The ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively.
-
The ability to work as part of a team and to respond positively to change.
Here are some examples of how we help our clients:
In Person Enquiry.
Mr Jones attended our drop-in service regarding multiple debts which had accumulated when, due to severe and sudden illness, he was forced to finish work. Mr Jones was unable to communicate by telephone due to his illness so needed in person support. He was anxious as his creditors had been contacting him asking him for payments and some were threatening court action.
The Caseworker helped Mr Jones obtain details of all his debts. They arranged a formal Breathing Space to stop further action from his creditors for 60 days. The Caseworker helped Mr Jones complete a budget, checked his benefit income was correct, and helped him claim charitable support to maximise his income. They also looked at practical ways of helping him reduce his bills and expenditure. Unfortunately, Mr Jones still had very limited income to make affordable payment arrangements to his creditors.
The Caseworker then advised him of all the options and solutions available. Mr Jones chose a Debt Relief Order insolvency solution, which the Caseworker completed, to give him a fresh start by effectively clearing his debts.
Telephone Enquiry.
Miss Smith contacted our advice line for help with her energy arrears. She struggled with a language barrier due to a limited level of English and was vulnerable due to a mental health condition. With a combination of several telephone calls, together with interpreting services, the Caseworker was able to successfully help her.
The Caseworker contacted the fuel provider concerned and advised of her vulnerabilities. They requested that Miss Smith’s details were placed on the Priority Services Register. Even though it was Wintertime, Miss Smith had not been topping up her prepayment meter as she could not afford to do so, so arrears via unpaid standing charges, were also accruing. The meter was also in an awkward position, so she found it difficult to access to top up. The Caseworker assisted her in contacting the fuel provider to install a new smart meter which she could access easier. Miss Smith was then able to use an app to top up her meter which she found more convenient.
The Caseworker assisted Miss Smith in completing a budget, benefit claims, charitable support and fuel vouchers. The Caseworker looked at ways of reducing her expenditure and easy energy efficiency measures Miss Smith could undertake herself in her home.
As a result of these actions, Miss Smith then had some disposable income and was able to start to top up her prepayment meter regularly and keep warm. The Caseworker also assisted her with the completion of a successful trust fund application to her fuel provider, to repay the arrears in full.
Requirements
Person Specification:
-
To be appointed as an Energy Debt Specialist, you will need to have knowledge and experience of complex debt casework, covering priority and non-priority debt advice, options, and insolvency solutions.
You will also need to have the Institute of Money Advisers Certificate in Money Advice Practice or MaPS Caseworker accreditation equivalent. NEA Level 3 City and Guilds Level Energy Awareness would be desirable too.
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OR for a trainee - at least 6 months’ experience of delivering excellent customer service in a regulated environment such as banking, insurance, or a contact centre.
2. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs.
3. Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with Money and Pensions Service and Citizens Advice quality standards.
4. Effective oral and written communication skills.
5. Numerate to the level required by the tasks.
6. IT literate with the ability to use software packages including Microsoft Office products in the provision of advice and preparation of formal written materials.
7. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team.
How to Apply
For more information and to apply, please click on the redirect button.
About us
Citizens Advice Liverpool is a charity that provides free, confidential and impartial advice to people who live and work in the city. We depend on a workforce of paid staff and over 120 trained volunteers. We give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem. We are the leading provider of advice and advocacy services in Liverpool and have helped clients with over 106,000 issues in 2022/2023.
CAL have achieved accreditation with the Workplace Wellbeing Charter, showing we are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our workforce. We've also gained an award for outstanding contribution by an employer to workplace health and wellbeing 2022 by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust.
We've gained awards from Citizens Advice National recognising our Advising Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.
Thank you!
Citizens Advice Waltham Forest is part of the London-wide Debt Free Advice (DFA) project, funded by the Money and Pensions Service. We are looking for an experienced Debt Advice Caseworker to join our team.
As a long-standing partner in the DFA programme, we have over a decade of experience delivering high-quality debt advice to local residents facing financial hardship.
We are seeking a skilled and compassionate adviser with a proven track record of supporting clients with debt and financial difficulties. You will be confident in delivering tailored, practical solutions and working with clients in a sensitive, non-judgemental way. Experience of providing debt advice in a regulated environment and working to quality standards is essential.
This is a hybrid role, combining face to face work at outreach locations and home working. You will deliver advice across multiple channels, including face-to-face, telephone, video and email.
If we are unable to appoint a fully qualified candidate, we will consider applications for a trainee position. Please refer to the Trainee Debt Adviser job description for further details. We anticipate the trainee programme will take approximately 6 months to complete, depending on prior experience. Training, mentoring and supervision will be provided. If you would like to be considered for the trainee role, please indicate this in your application.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.