Citizens Advice Liverpool

About the Role Key duties and responsibilities Provide court representation for clients, including emergency actions, by attending hearings at Liverpool Civil and Family Court. Prepare and present cases ready for court hearings by checking time limits, adherence to pre action protocols by creditors, completing relevant court forms and checking fees/remissions. Negotiate with and signpost/refer to third parties as appropriate. Assist client with alternative dispute resolution cases e.g. Financial Ombudsman Service. Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate. Provide advice and assistance to other staff across a range of debt issues. Ensure that all work meets the quality standards of the AQS Debt Advice Services, the Citizens Advice quality assurance scheme and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) quality framework. Meet the individual performance targets and engage positively in discussions with the Line Manager to maintain required levels. Provide regular reports and feedback to the Line Manager as required. Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients' circumstances through the appropriate channel. Work collaboratively with partner agencies, Liverpool Civil and Family Court user groups, local authority and other local statutory and voluntary organisations to increase access to the service and to the range of support and advice needed according to individual circumstances. Work as part of the CAL Money Advice Team and contribute to effective service provision. Work independently in the Liverpool Civil and Family Court with clients as well as working from home and at different sites within Liverpool according to client appointment need. General Ensure achievement of MaPS accreditation to Court Representation level within 3 months of starting the role, if not already achieved. Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the Line Manager. Maintain an up to date working knowledge of all new relevant legislation through reading monthly subscriptions including relevant case law. Keep up to date with Citizens Advice aims, policies and procedures and ensure these are followed. Ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice service's equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy. Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own health and safety and that of colleagues. Identify own learning and development needs and take steps to address these with your Line Manager, including engaging in team meetings and supervision sessions. Carry out any other tasks within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service. Requirements Knowledge and experience of court representation, complex debt casework, covering priority and non-priority debt advice, options and insolvency solutions. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs. Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with MaPS Caseworker accreditation to court representation level, and Citizens Advice quality standards. Effective oral and written communication skills. Numerate to the level required by the tasks. Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines, manage workload and targets in a pressured environment. Ordered approach to casework and an ability and willingness to follow and develop agreed procedures. IT literate 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 Desirable Citizens Advice Generalist Advice learning/certificate. Institute of Money Advisers Certificate in Money Advice Practice or MaPS accreditation to court representation equivalent. How to Apply For more information and to apply, please click on the Apply button. About us The Court Specialist (Housing) Debt Adviser is responsible for providing a quality court representation service for clients facing court proceedings for housing and personal debt, including mortgages, secured and unsecured loans, who are not eligible for housing legal aid. The project joins a programme funded by the Access to Justice Foundation that aims to sustain and improve access to early social welfare and family legal support and advice, to enable people to resolve these problems as early as possible and avoid the need for court or tribunal proceedings where possible. Where court or tribunal proceedings are needed, the project will provide the support needed to help people navigate the process effectively, including where support to prepare for court and at court is required. The focus of this project will be to provide housing debt court/tribunal support and representation to increase homelessness prevention. To be successful in this role, you will need to be confident, motivated and willing to try new things, have excellent communication skills with an ability to work under pressure to achieve targets and outcomes with minimum supervision. You will need to have knowledge and experience of complex debt casework, and (county) court money claim, and possession proceedings as well as priority and non-priority debt advice, options and insolvency solutions.

About us This role is part of a brand-new service which is being delivered across Liverpool and will provide dedicated energy and welfare support to individuals who are vulnerable and in or at risk of fuel poverty. As Energy Adviser, you will provide a multi-channel advice service, including home visits, to fuel poor and vulnerable consumers who are struggling to pay their bills or require better deals on energy. That advice will include: guidance on the most appropriate payment methods. information on how to access help from energy suppliers. energy efficiency measures and ways to save on bills. information about Smart Meters. maximising benefit and other income. About the Role Advice Giving Deliver a multi-channel advice service, including home visits, to clients regarding their energy needs and income maximisation support, ensuring advice provided meets the requirements of Citizens Advice quality standards. Ensure all case recording and other record keeping is completed within agreed timescales and conforms to the Office Manual and the Advice Quality Standards Use sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and to identify the next course of action. Use a range of information sources to find relevant information, then interpret and communicate this to clients, enabling them to tackle fuel poverty and financial hardship for the long-term. Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer internally or to other specialist agencies as appropriate. Meet the individual performance targets set as part of this project. Research & Campaigning Take an active role in the research and campaigns process by identifying trends and social policy issues and communicating these to the Project Supervisor and Research & Campaigns Co-ordinator. Keep up to date with current research and campaigns priorities, initiatives and plans. Administration Collect and record all relevant information given during interviews on to Casebook to meet the monitoring and evaluation requirements of the project. Be self-administering and undertake general administration tasks e.g. taking messages; photocopying, collating, filing; processing post etc. Professional development Pass the City and Guilds NEA Level Energy Awareness exam within 2 months of starting the role. Keep up to date with relevant energy advice issues and maintain an up to date working knowledge of all new relevant legislation through: Attending training opportunities. Reading monthly subscriptions, relevant publications and Citizens Advice Updates. Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/staff meetings/forums, as appropriate. Identify and implement your own learning and development needs. Other duties and responsibilities If required, work from a variety of Citizens Advice Liverpool outlets across the city as required over the course of the week. Promote the aims, policies, and membership requirements of the Citizens Advice service. Ensure all processes and procedures that relate to the responsibilities of the role are delivered with a high level of awareness of the organisation s equality and diversity ethos and policies. Be a positive ambassador for Citizens Advice Liverpool. Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues. You will also need to have passed the City and Guilds NEA Level Energy Awareness exam within 2 months of starting the role. You will have excellent communication skills, be confident, motivated and willing to try new things. We re not looking for the finished article, if you have the right attitude then we can help to develop your skills. Essential Experience of using interpersonal skills, including sensitive listening and questioning skills to understand the needs of others, especially in the context of telephony. Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively. Effective oral and written communication skills, with good IT knowledge to support delivery of service Ability and willingness to work both on own initiative and as part of a team. Willingness to learn and develop skills and be flexible with service delivery. A good understanding of fuel poverty issues and the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision. Ability to assist with research and campaigns works by providing information about clients circumstances Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equal opportunities policies. Ability to pass City and Guilds NEA Level 3 Energy Awareness exam within the first 2 months of starting the role. Desirable One year s experience of delivering generalist advice within Citizens Advice or another quality assured environment such as AQS.