Service officer jobs

Help us create a safe, positive and empowering experience for every Girlguiding volunteer and member. Are you a confident communicator with a passion for fairness and supporting volunteers? Do you thrive on resolving complex issues, building positive relationships, and ensuring high standards are maintained? If so, we'd love to hear from you. 

We're looking for a Complaints and compliance officer to join our team. In this rewarding role, you'll play a vital part in supporting volunteers across the organisation, managing complaints and compliance concerns, championing inclusion and helping to maintain the safe, welcoming environment that Girlguiding is known for. 

As Complaints and compliance officer, you'll manage a varied caseload of complaints and compliance concerns, providing expert advice and guidance in line with Girlguiding's policies, procedures and Code of Conduct. 

You'll work closely with volunteers, commissioners, regional and country teams, offering practical support and helping them navigate sometimes sensitive and challenging situations. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with natural curiosity, who enjoys understanding the full context of issues, working collaboratively, and making a meaningful difference to the experience of volunteers and members across the UK. 

Main Purpose of the Role

The Duty Officer plays a key operational role in ensuring the smooth running of the Friendly Trust’s office duty function. The postholder will be the designated lead for Office Duty sessions, acting as the first point of contact for calls, visitors, and day-to-day operational queries.

The role also provides structured support to a Trust Officer managing a caseload of Service Users requiring lower levels of support, assisting with administrative casework, financial monitoring tasks, and maintaining accurate records.

This post bridges administrative and frontline service delivery functions, enabling Trust Officers to focus on complex casework while maintaining high standards of responsiveness and record keeping.

Key Responsibilities

1. Office Duty (Primary Function)

• Take responsibility for the delivery of Office Duty sessions in line with the Office Duty Procedure.
• Manage incoming telephone calls, enquiries, and visitors, ensuring all interactions are recorded accurately.
• Maintain and update the Office Duty diary, including:
  • Recording calls, visitors, and actions taken
  • Logging outstanding actions for follow-up
  • Ensuring continuity between sessions
• Use CasparGov to record duty activity promptly and accurately.

· Monitor planned and ad hoc cash collections, ensuring compliance with The Friendly Trust's policies and procedures, checking requirements, and promptly identifying and escalating any issues or discrepancies.

• Carry out cash tin checks and ensure appropriate balances for ongoing sessions.
• Liaise with the Duty Team Manager where queries require escalation.

2. Service User Support

· Support a designated Trust Officer in managing a caseload of Service Users requiring lower levels of support

• Assist with routine financial administration tasks such as:
  • Monitoring transactions and basic budgeting support
  • Preparing information for review by the Trust Officer
• Maintain accurate records of activity in line with organisational and legal requirements.
• Draft basic correspondence and follow up routine requests.

3. Administrative and Operational Support

• Provide administrative support aligned with organisational systems and processes.
• Assist with:
  • Data entry and maintaining records
  • Processing documentation and correspondence
  • Supporting internal reporting and statistics
• Contribute to efficient office systems and processes.
• Support meeting preparation or coordination where required.

4. Communication and Team Working

• Act as a professional first point of contact for Service Users, families, and external professionals.
• Work collaboratively with Trust Officers, Admin, and managers to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Escalate queries appropriately while maintaining ownership of routine enquiries.

5. Organisational Contribution

• Work in line with the Friendly Trust’s values, policies, and procedures.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR and safeguarding requirements.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the role.

Person Specification

Essential Skills and Experience

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, professionally and sensitively with Service Users, family members, colleagues and external agencies.
• Strong interpersonal, telephone and customer service skills, with a friendly, approachable and professional manner.
• Proven administrative experience, with strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload effectively.
• Ability to prioritise tasks, work to deadlines, manage competing demands and respond positively to changing priorities.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate records and manage information confidentially.
• Experience of data entry, maintaining electronic databases and record management systems.
• Competent user of Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, and confident using databases and other IT systems.
• Ability to work independently using initiative, as well as collaboratively within a team.
• Positive, flexible and proactive approach to work.
• Empathy, patience and the ability to work sensitively and respectfully with vulnerable people and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, professional standards, confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience working within the charity, voluntary, health or social care sectors.
• Experience of handling calls, front-line enquiries, reception duties or customer-facing services.
• Knowledge of issues affecting people with learning disabilities and their families.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, financial administration or related support services.
• Experience of using case management, CRM or client record systems.
• Knowledge of CASPAR Gov or similar case management software.
• Experience of supporting the production of reports, statistics, monitoring information or management data.
• Experience of coordinating office systems, facilities or administrative processes.
• Basic financial administration experience, including invoice processing, cash handling and record keeping.
• Knowledge of information governance and records management practices.
• Good record of punctuality, reliability and attendance.

Personal Attributes

• Professional, trustworthy and dependable.
• Solution-focused, with a willingness to learn, develop and adapt.
• Able to maintain composure and professionalism when handling sensitive or challenging enquiries.
• Committed to supporting The Friendly Trust's mission, values and person-centred approach.
• Demonstrates sound judgement, discretion and a high level of integrity.

We're looking for people who genuinely want to make a difference. You don't need to have worked in money advice before. If you're an excellent communicator, a natural problem solver and enjoy working with people, we'll provide the training and support you need to succeed. This role is about much more than providing advice. It's about building trusted relationships with people who may be experiencing financial hardship, poor mental or physical health, trauma, disability, homelessness, digital exclusion or other barriers that make accessing traditional services difficult. If you're compassionate, resilient, organised and committed to helping people rebuild their confidence and financial stability, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Purpose:

The Client Liaison Officers are the first point of contact for individuals referred into the Crisis & Resilience Service and play a vital role in ensuring people receive timely, compassionate and person-centred support. Acting as the gateway into the service, you will build trusted relationships from the very first contact, undertaking holistic assessments to understand not only an individual's financial situation but the wider circumstances affecting their wellbeing and resilience.

You will respond quickly to people experiencing financial hardship or crisis, helping to stabilise their immediate situation through income maximisation, welfare benefits advice, crisis planning and practical support. Working closely with partner organisations, you will ensure every client is connected to the right support at the right time through a coordinated 'no wrong door' approach. You will maintain regular contact with clients throughout their journey, preventing disengagement and ensuring individuals feel supported whilst awaiting ongoing casework. Through empathy, knowledge and flexibility you will remove barriers to engagement, helping clients prepare for specialist advice and supporting them to build the confidence and skills needed for long-term financial resilience.

The role combines triage, welfare benefits advice, crisis intervention, client engagement and case coordination to provide an accessible, responsive and trauma-informed service for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Client Engagement and Triage

· Act as the first point of contact for all referrals into the Crisis & Resilience Service.

· Contact new referrals promptly, normally within one working day wherever possible.

· Build positive, trusting relationships from the first interaction.

· Complete holistic needs assessments to understand each client's circumstances, priorities and support needs.

· Identify risks relating to homelessness, utility disconnection, enforcement action, safeguarding and financial crisis.

· Assess barriers to engagement including poor mental health, disability, trauma, digital exclusion, literacy, caring responsibilities and rural isolation.

· Undertake and maintain appropriate risk assessments, including those relating to lone working, to support and safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of clients and staff.

· Agree preferred communication methods with each client and tailor support accordingly.

Crisis Intervention

Provide immediate practical support to help stabilise clients experiencing financial hardship by:

· Maximising household income through welfare benefits advice and applications.

· Supporting Crisis Fund applications where appropriate.

· Completing benefit entitlement calculations.

· Assisting clients to gather supporting evidence.

· Developing emergency budgets.

· Identifying priority debts.

· Negotiating with priority creditors where appropriate.

· Supporting Breathing Space applications.

· Protecting essential services including fuel and housing.

· Arranging emergency support including food, fuel and other crisis assistance where available.

Aim to stabilise urgent situations within three working days wherever possible.

Welfare Benefits Advice

· Provide high-quality welfare benefits information and advice.

· Complete benefit entitlement checks.

· Support new claims and changes of circumstances.

· Assist clients with mandatory reconsiderations and appeals where appropriate.

· Identify opportunities to maximise household income.

· Keep knowledge of welfare benefits legislation up to date.

Client Journey and Case Coordination

· Allocate clients to the most appropriate adviser based on complexity and need.

· Maintain oversight of client journeys.

· Ensure no client disengages or is lost within the system.

· Maintain regular contact with clients awaiting specialist advice.

· Support clients to engage with "Get Advice Ready" sessions to help clients prepare documentation and understand the advice process.

· Make warm referrals to partner organisations with client consent.

· Support seamless transitions between crisis intervention and longer-term casework.

Outreach and Accessibility

· Deliver support flexibly through telephone, video, secure digital communication, outreach venues and home visits where appropriate.

· Remove barriers preventing individuals from accessing advice.

· Adapt communication styles to meet individual needs.

· Promote financial education opportunities and encourage participation where appropriate.

Partnership Working

· Develop positive working relationships with partner organisations.

· Liaise with statutory agencies including housing, adult social care, DWP and health services.

· Attend multi-agency meetings where appropriate.

· Promote the "No Wrong Door" approach to service delivery.

Systems, Recording and Compliance

· Maintain accurate and timely case records using AdvicePro.

· Complete all monitoring requirements.

· Record outcomes, interventions and client progress.

· Maintain GDPR compliance.

· Use digital systems including client portals, Open Banking and automated workflows where appropriate.

· Ensure safeguarding concerns are recorded and escalated immediately.

Continuous Improvement

· Participate in supervision and reflective practice.

· Contribute ideas for improving systems and processes.

· Support service evaluation through client feedback and case studies.

· Keep professional knowledge up to date through continuous professional development.