Advice, Information Jobs

Volunteers and Support Administrator
£21,000 p.a. + benefits
35 hours a week, Monday - Friday
Permanent
100 Berkshire Place, Winnersh, Wokingham RG41 5RD
Closing 6th May at midnight

About us:

Colostomy UK is a national charity that offers support and advice to people who have had stoma surgery (ostomates) and to their friends, families and carers. Our projects empower ostomates to return to sports, hobbies and other activities after their surgery and give them the confidence to take on fresh challenges. We advocate for ostomates’ rights and are their voice on the bigger issues. Our campaigns raise awareness of ‘life with a stoma’ and encourage organisations to make their facilities more inclusive.

About the role:

As the Volunteers and Support Administrator you will provide efficient administration to our support services and volunteer team. You will also undertake any admin duties involved with running the Colostomy UK office and support other members of the team. You will be answering and re-directing incoming calls on our stoma helpline. You won’t be providing support to callers; however you will need to have an empathetic approach whilst explaining that you will arrange a support call back from one of our volunteers. You will action calls that come through on our admin line and manage our central email inbox, ensuring requests are actioned promptly. You will organise volunteer rotas, help with onboarding our volunteers and organise incoming and outgoing post. The postholder will take minutes at meetings, ensure the office is kept tidy and co-ordinate stock delivery for events and exhibitions.

Our ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate for this position is organized, efficient, and reliable, capable of managing multiple tasks concurrently. They will possess excellent customer care skills, demonstrating a professional and empathetic telephone manner. Attention to detail is vital, along with strong time management abilities. The successful post holder will have effective verbal and written communication skills, coupled with proficiency in Microsoft programs and accurate data entry. While prior administration experience is preferred, it is not mandatory.

Core role responsibilities

• To provide comprehensive administration to our support services and volunteer team, including the rest of the Colostomy UK team. To ensure the smooth running of office operations.
• Answering and re-directing incoming calls on our helpline and admin line, arranging support call backs from our team of volunteers with lived experience.
• Manage the hello@ inbox, ensuring that all requests are actioned in a timely manner.
• Organise the volunteer rotas
• Support our Volunteers Manager with the administration of onboarding, supporting, and training volunteers, including conducting DBS and reference checks.
• Manage our incoming and outgoing post, inclusive of couriers and sending out literature orders.
• Co-ordinating the delivery of event stock for open days/ exhibitions.
• Take minutes at meetings.
• Represent the charity at occasional events and travel for other business purposes

The job pack includes the full job description and person specification.

We have a range of benefits that we offer our team, these include:

· Private Health Care, including an employee assistance programme, remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, medical diagnostics and treatment.

· Access to benefit platform for a wide range of discounts on everyday spends plus gym discounts.

·        Increased annual leave allowance based on length of service, up to 30 days 

· Season ticket loan

· 5% contribution to pension scheme

· An extra day holiday for your birthday and one day off a year to volunteer

· Training and development opportunities to support your learning and growth

· Fresh fruit in the office

·Free on-site parking

We have an exciting opportunity for a Programme Manager to help us deliver missional projects aligned with our Refreshed Diocesan Strategy. The strategy includes several bold outcomes such as doubling the number of young people choosing to attend worship regularly and having 3% of total population in the diocese regularly attending our churches.

Our diocesan strategy prioritises resourcing excellent youth ministry in seven ministry areas, to grow younger and more diverse. The good news is that we have just received funding for a 3-year Youth Hubs Pilot project, to define and evaluate an innovative approach to mission and evangelism with young people in a rural context, researching models for growing young disciples with the support of key research partners. Our goal is to bring about a step-change in youth ministry for the Diocese of Hereford and create a replicable model for reaching young people with the gospel in a rural context.

Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester Dioceses are working towards reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to incorporate sustainable working practices across all its operations. This includes churches, clergy housing, schools, diocesan offices, churchyards and curtilage land and investment land and housing.

A key aim will be to reduce the emissions from energy consumption year-on-year across the Dioceses, working with the national Church of England Routemap to net zero as a key guiding document.

The post holder will be leading, alongside a committed team, in the development of the Net Zero Carbon policy, strategy and an Action Plan and will be responsible for the monitoring and reporting of progress towards the implementation of the Diocesan Net Zero Carbon Action Plan.

Are you looking for a job where you will be supported to gain skills and qualifications?

Searching for a role where your qualities and expertise will make a real difference to people’s lives?

Hoping for a varied, interesting workload as part of a friendly, supportive team?

If so, then read on!

A bit about us

We are an independent, Human Rights based charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy, advocacy-related and Healthwatch services who make sure people are heard when it matters most. 

For more information about advocacy and what we do, please go to our website where you will also find information about our attractive benefits package on the Jobs Vacancies page.

We are looking to recruit a permanent multi skilled advocate to join our busy Cornwall multi- disciplinary team, working up to 37 hours (full time) per week, minimum of 22.5 hours, starting salary £23,314 per annum (pro rata).

About the role

In this exciting role you will primarily be concerned with supporting clients under the Mental Capacity Act, Care Act, NHS Health Complaints, Community and Parents with Children going through the Child Protection process in your locality.

To find out more about the role, please take a look at the Job description attached to the advert on our website.

What we need from you

We are looking for someone with the creativity and enthusiasm to support  people in difficult circumstances, ideally with experience in a health or social care. If you haven’t got advocacy qualifications it’s not a problem, we can offer training. You’ll be mainly working from home but will also need to engage with your colleagues and external people.

Please note, as this role is home based with regular travel, mainly but not exclusively in Mid/East Cornwall, you must have access to both a stable home broadband service and your own transport as well as flexibility with working hours. We also need you to live in Cornwall.

What happens next

If we sound like an organisation you would like to work for, please go to the advert on our Job Vacancies page for further details and to start your application, unless already there, in which case, apply today!

All invited applicants to interview will need to bring evidence (photographic where possible) of their right to work in the UK. New employee start dates will only be confirmed once relevant checks, including enhanced DBS clearance, and 2 satisfactory references have been received. 

Closing Date:        5pm 1st May 2024

Interview Dates:    10th & 13th May 2024

Interview venue:    To be held on Microsoft Teams

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust are advertising for a number of roles across Brent and Uxbridge.

We are looking for motivated, passionate self-starters who want to kickstart a career in the mental health sector. These position, with on-the-job training, is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference and support those with mental health needs.

As an IPS Employment Specialist you will play a vital role in helping people with mental health needs find meaningful and fulfilling employment. You’ll receive all the training and support you need to take on the role, develop your skills, and have access to a broad range of opportunities. Joining a passionate and driven team, you’ll be working towards creating a fairer and more inclusive society for people with mental health needs.

We welcome applications from all experience levels and backgrounds. What you will need is the ability to motivate and build relationships with service users, strong organisational skills, the confidence to communicate and engage with a range of employers, and a fundamental belief that anyone with a mental health condition can work.

What is an IPS Employment Specialist?

This is a rewarding and dynamic role where no day is the same and you’ll be making a genuine difference to people’s lives. Using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model you’ll be:

• Supporting and motivating individuals with mental health conditions to access and sustain paid employment.
• Regularly meeting with clients to listen, offer support and help them identify their best job match, reflecting their skills and aspirations.
• Supporting the clients through CV production, interview techniques and managing their health at work.
• Advocating for your clients by educating and engaging with employers regarding the IPS service.
• Sourcing job opportunities for your clients through regular contact with local employers within the community.
• Promoting employment and raising expectations around the ability of service users to access paid employment, breaking down the barriers for them.

Working for Central North West London NHS Trust

You will also be part of the Trustwide Employment Services Team which comprises of over 40 people.

You will receive a number of staff benefits working for CNWL, this includes an attractive pension scheme, a range of staff networks, travel discounts, employee assistance programme and discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide. 

This role is an excellent opportunity to start a long-term career within the mental health sector, develop your skills and a gateway to the vast number of opportunities within CNWL.

Apply today to become an IPS Employment Specialist and make a real difference!

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Who are we looking for?

Firstly, you will need either a degree-level education or relevant work experience, such as in the health and social care or employment sectors. Alongside having strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management and exceptional organisational skills. Also, the ability to initiate and develop relationships with a variety of individuals and be able to engage employers using a variety of methods such as via the telephone or face-to-face in the community.

It would also be helpful, but NOT essential, if you have experience of working with people with mental health support needs (or similar groups) OR have experience working in employment support services (or equivalent), this can include working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support, or engaging with a range of stakeholders. We are actively interested in individuals who have experience using a persuasive communication style or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include marketing, recruitment, or sales roles.

SMART is hiring! We are looking for a full time Employment Adviser to provide support to people who face barriers to employment due to mental ill-health. This includes people looking for work, as well as those who are employed but struggling. 
 
We offer a friendly, collaborative, hybrid and integrated work environment in partnership with CNWL’s Talking Therapies service, as well as a pension program, 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays), employee led HR processes and a competitive salary.
 
Ideally you will: have experience of working with people who have mental health needs/emotional difficulties in an employment setting; be knowledgeable about relevant laws and policies relating to employment, disabilities and equal opportunities; have experience of working within multi-disciplinary teams and; be able to liaise with other services and professionals on service users’ behalf.
 
Please send us your CV and a covering letter (no more than 2 pages of A4), covering the ‘competencies and experience’ part of the person specification.

We are working to tight recruitment deadlines, so will be interviewing suitable candidates as soon as possible. The application deadline is Sunday 5th May, 23.30pm.

Do you have good customer service skills? Come and join our Green Doctor team at Groundwork South

Want to help some of the most vulnerable people keep warm this winter and manage their energy bills? Come and join our Green Doctor team at Groundwork South.

Home Energy Advisor (Green Doctor)
Reference: GD0424
Location: Kent, Hybrid Working (On site at Gravesend Office/Remote working delivering home visits and outreach)
Contract: Fixed Term Contract – March 2025 (with possibility to extend further)
Salary:  £25,000
Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Summary of role: Our Green Doctors deliver home visits and telephone consultations across Kent & Medway.  Consultations are a mix of advice, installation of small practical energy-saving measures such as low energy light bulbs and draft proofing and referring on to other health and wellbeing services. We aim to reduce our client’s energy bills and save them money in a variety of ways including providing a bill switching service.

You will be a practical, people-person with a passion for helping vulnerable people. You must have either knowledge or experience in energy efficiency to provide tailored energy saving advice, and the ability to adapt your approach to suit our client’s varying needs.

You must be comfortable with lone working and in managing your own workload. 

A qualification as Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), NVQ Level 3 (6049-03) Provide Energy Efficiency Services, or City and Guilds Energy Awareness (6281-01) is desirable, but relevant experience within the field or a willingness to take the qualification will be considered. (20 paid study hours).

A full clean driving licence is required.

In return we offer you:

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum plus public holidays
• Health Cash Plan and 24 hour online access to a GP
• PERKS scheme – such as discounted gym membership and shopping discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme - including mental health helpline and face to face counselling
• Salary sacrifice schemes including cycle to work and pension contributions
• Family friendly policies to support work/life balance with time off in lieu for out of hours activities
• Business travel expenses

We are a creative, committed and enthusiastic organisation with a great track record of project development, fundraising and delivery, so there are always opportunities to grow and develop your role within our friendly team.

Groundwork South

Groundwork South works with communities across the south of England to transform their lives and the places where they live. We have been at the forefront of social and environmental regeneration for over 25 years, and today we have a simple mission: to create better places, improve people’s prospects, and promote greener living and working.

We are passionate about creating a future where every neighborhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny, and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances. This vision drives the work that we do. Each year we deliver over 100 innovative projects, tackling the biggest issues facing our communities and creating real and lasting, positive change.

Closing date for applications: 12th May 2024
Interview date: TBC

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Appointment to this role is subject to an enhanced records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Groundwork South is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of the community.

No agencies please.

Do you want to make a genuine difference to the lives of dogs across the country? Are you looking for a contact centre role that measures success on service rather than sales?

Customer Support Centre Advisors are the main point of contact for a wide range of queries from our supporters, members, adopters, customers and members of the public.

About this job: 

As a Customer Support Centre Advisor, you’ll: 

• Provide the best customer service with every interaction.
• Liaise regularly with colleagues in the support centre, our network of rehoming centres and our London offices.
• Respond sensitively and efficiently to all calls, following our set policies, procedures, and guidelines.

About you: 

The successful candidate will have excellent frontline enquiry and/or customer services in a high demand customer service environment as part of a team. Resilient, proactive and self-confident, you will have experience in managing sensitive situations appropriately. 

About Dogs Trust: 

We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

About the team:

The Customer Support Centre is multi-channelled, with a mixture of inbound, outbound and email traffic which receives calls and emails for our network of 21 rehoming centres in the UK. The Customer Support Centre also receives calls for several dedicated hotlines in the organisation along with making outbound post adoption support calls. The role will involve delivering exceptional customer service on every interaction for all sorts of queries coming into the organisation.

What you need to know:

Normal hours in this role are 37.5 per week, our national Customer Support Centre is open from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am-5pm on weekends and bank holidays. Due to the nature of our operation, you will be required to work every other weekend (2 weekends per month) with some bank holiday work required.

The role is based in the Manchester Rehoming Centre with hybrid working. The successful candidate will be required to work two days a week at our Manchester office (M34 3SG) and three days remotely. Some UK travel may be required as and when needed.

Our application process requires you complete an application form and a covering letter explaining your interest and suitability for the role. Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive enough suitable interest, so to avoid disappointment early application is encouraged.

Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust.  We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is a charity that represents the voice of people living with dyslexia. We aim to influence government and other institutions to promote a dyslexia friendly society that enables dyslexic people of all ages to reach their full potential.

This is an exciting new role for the BDA, which has been created with the purpose of recruiting, managing and supporting regional volunteers, leading specific outreach to groups impacted and disadvantaged by dyslexia and resulting life circumstances. This is a varied hands-on role that would suit a skilled volunteering professional, who will use their knowledge of volunteering best practice and experience to help us create the future for outreach volunteering at the BDA.

Location

Home-based (UK), with travel to the BDA office in Bracknell (Berkshire) and around the UK as and when necessary. Additionally, travel to team days approximately 1-2 times a year is required.

Duties and Responsibilities (to include, but not limited to):

 ·Recruiting, training and supporting regional volunteers and working with a national voluntary panel.

· Develop and implement volunteer recruitment strategies to attract a diverse pool of volunteers.

· Provide supervision and guidance to volunteers to ensure a positive volunteer experience.

· Coordinate volunteer training and onboarding processes.

· Maintain accurate volunteer records, including role, contract information and achievements.

· Monitor and evaluate the provision of outreach services to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

· Leading specific outreach to groups impacted and disadvantaged by dyslexia and resulting life circumstances.

· Promoting hubs, working closely with Marketing and Communications colleagues and creating referral routes to hub services.

· Coordinating with organisations and stakeholders at a national and local level, for joint working and support of the hubs.

· Creating resources and tools for hub volunteers to run services and for new hubs to establish in a consistent way.

· Evaluating services run by Local Hubs and contributing to knowledge and research on needs, provision and outcomes for people with dyslexia.

· Bringing together the network of Local Hubs, Local Dyslexia Associations and other member organisations - enabling them to share good practice, access training and peer support between volunteers. 

· Create and maintain an internal engagement plan that supports the BDA to increase impact and reach through our work with communities, including best practice guidance and tools.

Person Specification

Skills & Experience:

· Experience of engaging and including diverse groups, ‘hard to reach’ and vulnerable beneficiaries. 

· Demonstrable experience of volunteer management, including the recruiting, managing, supporting, training and retention of volunteers.

· Able to develop links and relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

· Project management skills, including development of regional services. 

· Strong relationship management skills with the ability to influence.

· Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). 

  Competencies & Personal Attributes:

· Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

· An ability to build effective networks that foster collaboration both internally and externally.

· Strong organisational and time management abilities, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously.

· Commitment to the mission and values of the BDA.

This post may be subject to a satisfactory Criminal Records Check, from either the Disclosure and Barring Service (England & Wales), Disclosure Scotland Check (Scotland) or Access NI (Northern Ireland).

Equal Opportunities

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at the BDA. We are committed to building a diverse organisation that represents the communities we serve and ensuring inclusion in everything we do.

Job purpose for the role

· To deliver a high-quality professional advice service to students at London Metropolitan University

· To provide independent, confidential and impartial advice and representation that has a positive impact on the experience of students

· To ensure the advice service operates in line with best practice and that students and elected officers are well-informed on the issues affecting students

· To support the Advice Service Manager in identifying and reporting on issues affecting the wider student body, providing evidence-based support for the Students’ Union’s representative work

Location:  Across London

Closing date: 6 May 2024

Interview dates: 21-23 May 2024

Whether your empathy towards homeless people has its roots in personal experience or your compassionate nature and determination to help, when you join Thames Reach on our 12-month Traineeship programme, you’ll be making a difference and taking the first steps towards a great career.

About us…

Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels.  We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless.  We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track and help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.

Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 10,000 people.

Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK.  There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.

About this role…

Every role at Thames Reach is about ensuring that the users of our services find and sustain a decent home, develop supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives. On our structured Traineeship scheme, you’ll gain first-hand experience and on-the-job training in what we do. You’ll be expected to work full time on a rota basis. Our placements involve a range of working patterns such as shifts, including evenings and weekends, night work in our fast-paced Rapid Response Outreach team and Monday to Friday 9-5 roles.

The key features are:

• A thorough induction, followed by two six-month placements at our projects, one of which will be hostel-based.

• With supervision and training from experienced staff to help our clients to get off and stay off the street with access to appropriate services.

• Learning about and assisting with necessary administration and record-keeping.

The kind of thing we’re looking for:

• Compassion, determination and a desire to play your part in ending street homelessness.

• Good basic admin and IT skills.

• Good team working skills

• The resilience and commitment to work in a challenging, ever-changing environment.

• An understanding of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – applicants who have experienced homelessness are particularly encouraged to apply.

What you can expect…

• A generous pension contribution - we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.

• A range of other benefits including generous holiday allowance – 24 days per year, wellbeing support, cycle to work and season ticket loans.

• High quality on-the-job training with the opportunity to develop the skills needed for a career in our front-line services.

• Potential job prospects – although this is not guaranteed, many of our trainees have gained permanent employment at Thames Reach or in related organisations following completion of the programme.

• Application Support Sessions – we encourage applicants to attend one of these before applying. 

Please note that we cannot guarantee location of placements for successful intakes.

Thames Reach welcomes applications from people with transferable skills and fresh perspectives.

We are committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

For full information and to apply visit our website via the apply button. 

Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Do you want to work with a leading advocacy charity organisation supporting those in need?  

Do you have experience of working or volunteering in welfare, support or health and social care and are looking for a new challenge? 

Are you keen to make a difference to people who want to be heard? 

Then come and join us here at VoiceAbility. 

We have an exciting opportunity for an Advocate to join our team covering Bolton.  Your role will require you to travel to locations such as hospitals and care homes across the area to meet with clients and professionals and be home based for administration; therefore, a suitable home internet connection is essential. 

About us 

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations. 

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are heard when it matters most.  For more information on what Advocacy is and the services offered then please visit our website. 

About you

Desirably you will have some experience of working as an Advocate, providing welfare, supporting, or caring for Adults or young people who have support needs, ideally for those with a variety of communication needs, mental ill health, physical health issues, or barriers to accessing education and support.

You should have worked or volunteered in health, social care, welfare, support services, education or young person’s services, or advice and guidance.

How will you make a difference?

You will be responsible for ensuring the individual’s wishes, feelings, beliefs, needs, and values are met to create positive outcomes for the people you support.

You will support people to speak up for themselves and grow in confidence, equip them to understand and exercise their rights and options, and will assist them in the decision-making process relating to their care, treatment, and support.

You will work resourcefully and collaboratively with the individuals you support.  You’ll be creative in your approach to empower our clients by ensuring you meaningfully explain people’s options and rights to them.  You’ll support individuals to fully participate in decisions affecting them and will make sure they have their voices heard. 

Professional Development?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your professional abilities and you will make a real difference every day. As this is a 6-month FTC the successful candidate, if not already an Advocate, will not be enrolled on the level 3 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification.

Benefits:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pro-rata
• 5% employer pension & 3% employee contribution
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Separate Life Assurance Cover
• Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays etc
• Discounted Gym Membership; Employee Assistance programme
• Supportive working environment fostering a good work/life balance
• Support with continuous professional development

Equality and Diversity

VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential.

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. If you need to apply in a different way, please contact HR.

How to apply

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account by clicking the apply button on this page. Follow the instructions to create your account, upload your CV, and complete our short application form. 

Important Dates:

Closing date for applications; midnight on 21 April 2024.

Don’t forget to read the person specification so you can tell us about yourself and how your skills, abilities and experiences match the criteria outlined in the person specification.

We look forward to hearing from you.

NB: 

• If you don't already hold the Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, and you are successful in your application, it is a requirement that you complete the core element within 12 months of commencing the training.  VoiceAbility will fund this training. 

Hours: 37.5 Full Time (part time may be considered)
Location: Various locations in the London Borough of Hounslow
Closing date: On an on-going basis until filled – we reserve the right to withdraw this job opportunity early if this vacancy is filled
Interview date: To be arranged directly with shortlisted candidates.

Citizens Advice Hounslow is a well-established charity operating in the London Borough of Hounslow, supporting over 10,000 clients a year. We want to expand our capacity for face to face and telephone advice; hence we are looking for an experienced generalist Adviser with the ability to provide advice in person as well as on the phone through our dedicated helplines.

In particular, the role requires you to:

• conduct a thorough holistic exploration of the problem(s) to gain an accurate picture of the client’s situation
• do a benefit calculation as standard for clients
• give full advice and support to clients to resolve their issues
• where necessary, make a referral or signpost clients
• write up case notes to Citizens Advice national standards

For more information about the role and the criteria to apply for the post, please download the Job Description and Person Specification.

We might consider strong trainee advisers who have completed the adviser training and have been exposed to sufficient practical generalist work (about to achieve the adviser certificate or an equivalent qualification).

Please note: We can only respond to successful applicants. If you do not hear from us within three weeks from receipt of your application, please assume that it has been unsuccessful.

We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, pension contribution, and training and opportunities to continue your professional development.

We consider applications from all applicants who meet the person specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As we have launched our ambitious 5-year strategic plan this post will play a key role at Greenwich Students’ Union in supporting students to stay and succeed at university.

GSU Advocacy and Policy Team is leading an award-winning outreach project that seeks to support students to stay and succeed at Greenwich. A team of part-time student staff call 1000’s of students each term, supporting them to navigate University life, services and GSU. This role will support the award-winning team to deliver proactive supportive calls to students.

In this post you will :

• To supervise the retention calling project staff
• To support with escalations for students experiencing difficulties
• To spot trends in student issues and assist with reporting

We’re looking for an enthusiastic candidate who has an interest in supporting our students to become their best.

You don’t have to come from a higher education background, but you should have an interest in supporting students to succeed.

This role sits within the Advocacy and Policy Team and focus on making 1-1 timely interventions to support students to succeed as well as identifying broader trends in student behaviour to inform our strategic approach to services and support.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

This post holder will be part of the Advocacy and Policy Team and will be expected to contribute to the department’s wider objectives and planning.

Delivery of Outreach

• Coordinate the team to deliver outbound phone calls and taking inbound calls in a call centre model, including opening and closing
• Ensure that the quality of personal outreach delivery is consistent and in line with the agreed scripts and conversation structures to support students
• Ensure the team provide excellent customer service to students, at all times seeking to support students’ needs appropriately, clarifying information and providing appropriate solutions
• Support other retention and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Supervision

• Support with training and development of student-staff team
• Support with the scheduling of shifts, monitoring of attendance and submitting of payroll
• Undertake 1-1’s with student staff, identifying additional support

Signposting & Monitoring

• Keep accurate records of all calls and student outreach in line with provided data tools
• Support callers to identify potential concerns from students and signpost students to the most relevant support pathway
• Closely monitor for any safety or safeguarding concerns from students, and support with escalations
• Support with the analysis of issues and regular reporting as directed

Personal Learning and Responsibility

• Undertake all training and development as required within the role
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development

General Responsibilities

• Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive
• information about individual organisations and/ or clients or staff and Project data.
• Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
• Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

Experience

• Relevant experience working in a customer or support service-aligned role
• Experience of time management
• Experience of working well within a team to achieve targets
• Experience drafting reports with an eye for detail.

Knowledge

• Clear communication skills, particularly over the phone and by e-mail
• Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently, and effectively.
• Sensitivity and understanding for others, utilising active listening skills
• IT skills at a level that supports logging of data, email, internet, and database.
• Time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to engage with new people and build rapport quickly.
• Self-motivated with the confidence to work alone but can also work co-operatively and flexibly as part of a team.
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face of changing priorities.

Education/Training

• No specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required

Essential Personal Attributes and other requirements

• A role model who promotes high standards of ethics, integrity and honesty.
• Able to travel between campuses on occasion. Mainly based at Avery Hill – free inter-campus bus service available.
• Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work.
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work. Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU

Visa Requirement

Please note that the successful candidate will need to have the right to work in the UK. GSU is unable to sponsor an employment visa for this role.