Client Advisor - Glasgow - Fixed Term Appointment - Social Security Scotland

As a Client Advisor for Social Security Scotland, you will make a real difference to people across Scotland by supporting them to apply for our benefits. Client Advisors need to have excellent communication skills to engage with people, primarily through telephone calls, but also through web chat, letter and e‑mail, providing a friendly and high standard of service. Client Advisors play a crucial role directly interacting with clients, ensuring they have the support to access the benefits they are entitled to and are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

Client Services Delivery is the operational business area within Social Security Scotland that ensures clients receive the financial support they need via devolved grants and benefits. Working in Client Services Delivery requires flexibility and is demand driven, therefore may involve working in different benefit areas at different times. Most of your time will be spent providing direct support to clients through full days of answering telephone queries or responding on webchat. The remaining time you will be processing applications. It is a performance‑driven environment where we all work to provide the best service we can to our clients.

In this role you will be joining the Operational Delivery Profession which is a recognised Civil Service profession and the largest profession within Social Security Scotland. As a client‑facing organisation, delivering benefits to the people of Scotland, being part of the profession recognises the important role you will undertake. If you are someone who enjoys helping others, communicates clearly and compassionately, and thrives in a client‑facing, phone‑focused environment, we would love to hear from you. This is a Fixed Term Appointment opportunity for approx. 6 months with the possibility of extension or permanency depending on business requirements.

Responsibilities

Are you someone who takes pride in helping others, communicates with confidence, and enjoys a role where no two days are the same? As a Client Advisor you will spend much of your time handling incoming and outgoing calls, supported by online channels such as webchat and e‑mail. You’ll balance this with focused time processing applications and managing important client information.

• You will provide professional, accurate support to clients through inbound and outbound calls, ensuring every interaction is friendly, clear and helpful.
• You will communicate confidently across multiple channels, including webchat and e‑mail while offering a consistent high‑quality service.
• You will process client applications efficiently, checking details carefully, ensuring all necessary information is provided and keeping cases moving smoothly.
• You will manage key client actions, including processing payments, updating case notes, responding to requests and coordinating appointment bookings.
• You will maintain accurate, up‑to‑date records and support the creation of client letters and documentation.
• You will handle sensitive and personal information with complete confidentiality, safeguarding client and colleague data at all times.
• You will contribute to service improvement by recording client feedback and helping to resolve or elevate queries and complaints appropriately.
• You will work collaboratively within a wider team, supporting colleagues and Team Managers to deliver an effective, high‑quality service for every client.

You can read more about the Client Advisor role and can read three Q&A transcripts from existing and previous Client Advisors speaking about their experiences here.

Success Profiles

We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

• Behaviours
• Managing a Quality Service (Level 1)
• Working Together (Level 1)
• Communicating and Influencing (Level 1)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

How To Apply

Apply online, you must provide a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Success Profiles above. Your CV should consist of your career history including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be used to provide further context on your Supporting Statement and scored against the success profile elements listed. The Supporting Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the behaviours, detailed in the job description.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Step 1: Complete online application
Step 2: Online test
Step 3: Sift of application
Step 4: Online recorded interview

Once the advert closes you will be sent a link by e‑mail to the Online Test, this will be sent within 7 days of the advert closing and will have instructions on accessing the test system along with a deadline for completing the test. Only if you pass the Online Test will your application (CV & Supporting Statement) then be sifted. If you pass the application sift you will then be invited to complete a recorded interview. You will be emailed instructions at each part of the recruitment journey. Please keep an eye on your e‑mails, making sure to check any spam and junk folders in case the e‑mails end up there.

Due to an expected high volume of candidates, only general feedback will be given on request and not specific to each candidate’s application.

Online Assessment

As part of the selection process for this role, you will be asked to complete an online assessment provided by Sova Assessment Limited (Sova). This will involve a questionnaire to check that you have suitable computer literacy skills for this role, a Situational Judgement Test, and a Personality Questionnaire. This online assessment will use hypothetical situations to evaluate your behaviours, values, judgement and overall suitability for this role and for working at Social Security Scotland.

Sova acts as data processor in relation to the online assessment process. More information about Sova, its data processing practices and its privacy policy can be accessed here.

Information Session

We are holding candidate application workshops for this role to provide you with information about the application and interview process as well as further information on the role and team. Please note each workshop will last approximately 1 hour.

• Join the workshop on Friday 27th March at 12pm
• Join the workshop on Monday 30th March at 5pm
• Join the workshop on Wednesday 1st April at 11am
• Join the workshop on Tuesday 7th April at 2pm
• Join the workshop on Thursday 9th April at 11am

If you are unable to make one of the live information sessions then please feel free to access a recorded version of the session here.

Please click here to view our Frequently Asked Questions.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

• Closing Date – 13th April 2026 at 23:55
• Online Test – from 15th April 2026
• Sift – from 29th April 2026
• Interviews – from 25th May 2026
• Expected Start Date – September 2026

We aim to issue final results within 3 weeks of the final interview taking place.

Training Requirements

You will receive full and comprehensive training which will be up to 6 weeks and will be a mixture of at‑home and in‑office learning. The mandatory training period is full time (Monday to Friday) and therefore successful candidates would be required to make themselves available for this period, prior to commencing agreed alternative working patterns for consolidation after training.

Reserve List

In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

About Us

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits.

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. You may be required to work set start and finish times between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to ensure we have the right levels of resource in place to meet client demand. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in our Glasgow office. You are required to work a minimum of 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be Glasgow. These days may be set by a rota to enable teams to benefit from working together on office days.

Security Checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre‑employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality Statement

Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post.

If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer support and recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Right to Work in the UK

Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship, you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying.

You can find further advice on Gov.UK – Skilled Worker visa: Overview – GOV.UK.

Further Information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

These posts are for temporary Fixed Term Appointment contracts for approx. 6 months with the possibility, but no guarantee, of extension or permanency. Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non‑departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to Social Security Scotland on a loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the loan prior to applying for this vacancy.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.

Apply before Monday 13th April at 23:55.

Contact

Contact Name: Resourcing Team
Contact E‑Mail: recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.