Advice Session Team Leader/Trainee Team Leader in Exeter

Do you care passionately about making sure people get the advice they need to find a way forward? Are you motivated by tackling injustice and influencing social policy change? Whether you’re looking to take the next step in your advice giving career, or you’re already an experienced Citizens Advice supervisor seeking a fresh challenge in a new part of the country, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

At Citizens Advice Exeter, you’ll join a supportive, forward thinking team who are committed to empowering local people, driving positive change, and working together to create a fairer society. If you’re someone who thrives on helping others, enjoys problem solving and wants to make a genuine impact every day, we’d love to hear from you.

What we’re looking for

Ideally, you will already have experience as an Advice Session Supervisor within a local Citizens Advice. If not, you may be an experienced adviser who is ready to take that exciting next step in your advice career – and we’d be delighted to support you on that journey. You will thrive on working with a diverse range of people and bring an openminded, approachable and nonjudgmental approach to your work. You will take an empathetic and compassionate stance with colleagues and with any clients you come into contact with. Strong critical thinking skills, the ability to problems solve, and the confidence to support others will be key to your success in this role.

As a valued member of our Advice Services Team, you will:

• provide supervision and support to our team of volunteer and paid advisers and caseworkers
• play an active role in shaping, monitoring and delivering our Business Plan
• help us maintain and develop high quality services, including supporting the growth of new volunteer roles
• take on people management responsibilities, following our agreed policies and approaches around recruitment, equal opportunities, performance, wellbeing, discipline, grievance, training and health and safety
• contribute to our budgeting and financial monitoring
• support the continuing evolution of our services so they remain responsive to national guidance and local needs
• help promote our aims, principles and achievements across the organisation and within the wider community
• ensure we continue to meet the requirements of the Citizens Advice Membership Scheme
• participate fully in Advice Services Team meetings and shared learning

Key Work Areas and Tasks

• Supervise advisers and caseworkers – both paid and volunteers.
• Attend project meetings with partners, if required.
• Set up new projects by liaising with partners and funders and supporting with the recruitment process.

We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are disabled, or from Black, Asian and other racially minoritised backgrounds, as these groups are currently underrepresented at Citizens Advice Exeter. We also actively welcome applications from LGBTQ+ candidates.

Person Specification

• Two years’ recent and ongoing experience of advice work.
• Experience of managing volunteers and caseworkers.
• Ability to demonstrate how s/he keeps knowledge up to date.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information.
• Understanding of the importance of support, development and motivation.
• Understanding of the issues involved in interviewing clients.
• Numerate to the level required by the tasks.
• Ability to prioritise own work and the work of others, meet deadlines and manage workload in a pressured environment.
• Ability to use IT in the provision of advice and the preparation of reports and submissions.
• Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team.
• Ability to monitor and maintain recording systems and procedures.
• Understanding of the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision.
• Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the CA service and its equal opportunities policies.
• Experience working as an Advice Supervisor for Citizens Advice.
• Experience of supervising/giving debt advice.
• Experience of working within a Citizens Advice charity.
• Experience of working with the public in an advisory capacity.