Debt Advice Caseworker (Trainee)

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

• 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.
• Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs.
• Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with Money and Pensions Service and Citizens Advice quality standards.
• Effective oral/written communication skills and be numerate to the level required by the tasks.
• Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines, manage workload and targets in a pressured environment.
• An ordered approach to casework and an ability and willingness to follow and develop agreed procedures.
• IT literacy with an ability to use software packages including Microsoft Office products in the provision of advice and preparation of formal written materials.
• 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.
• Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equalities and diversity policy.
• Ability to work across different sites within Liverpool.
• 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:

• Provide a casework service covering the full range of debt and money management advice, including debt relief orders, bankruptcy, and debt management plans.
• Deliver our service by a range of methods required, including telephone/digital channels, drop-in sessions, appointments, outreach work, and home visits.
• Act for clients where necessary; this includes drafting letters, budgets, financial statements, and negotiating with third parties.
• Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate welfare benefits.
• Prepare and present cases to statutory bodies, tribunals, and courts when required.
• Assist clients with issues, where they may be an integral part of a case, and refer them to the appropriate agencies and advisers.
• 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.
• Comply with systems for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that the service area meets key performance indicators and targets.
• Assist in the smooth running of the organisation and provide emergency cover for other parts of the service when necessary.
• Analyse and interpret complex information, communicating this effectively in writing with particular emphasis on negotiation and representation.

Research and Campaigns

• Keep up to date with current research trends and campaign issues.
• Participate in research and campaigns activity by providing information on client’s circumstances and acting on behalf of the client.

Essential Criteria

• 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 and their implications for clients and advice service provision.
• 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 clients through a range of channels including telephone, digital and face-to-face.
• 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.

How to Apply

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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 Marginalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year.