Citizens Advice Liverpool

About the Role The Energy Debt Specialist will provide a high-quality inbound telephone debt advice service to clients as part of our brand new Consumer Energy Debt Advice project. This project is for clients who have energy debt (amongst others) and is intended to reduce the impact of personal debt by providing them with debt solutions. For a trainee post, this role would suit applicants with: At least 6 months' experience of delivering excellent customer service in a regulated environment such as banking, insurance, or a contact centre. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs. An ability to work independently without close supervision and collaboratively as part of a team. Experience of listening and questioning with an ability to manage challenging situations. Commitment to training and achieving full targets and quality requirements within a 3-month period. Requirements Person Specification: To be appointed as an Energy Debt Specialist, you will need to have knowledge and experience of complex debt casework, covering priority and non-priority debt advice, options, and insolvency solutions. You will also need to have the Institute of Money Advisers Certificate in Money Advice Practice or MaPS Caseworker accreditation equivalent. NEA Level 3 City and Guilds Level Energy Awareness would be desirable too. OR for a trainee - at least 6 months experience of delivering excellent customer service in a regulated environment such as banking, insurance, or a contact centre. 2. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs. 3. Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with Money and Pensions Service and Citizens Advice quality standards. 4.Effective oral and written communication skills. 5.Numerate to the level required by the tasks. 6.IT literate with the ability to use software packages including Microsoft Office products in the provision of advice and preparation of formal written materials. 7. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team. 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 Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.

About the Role 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 To be appointed as a Debt Advice Caseworker, you will need to have: 1. 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. 2. Experience of achieving performance and quality targets/KPIs. 3. Ability and willingness to undertake training and development to comply with Money and Pensions Service and Citizens Advice quality standards. 4. Effective oral/written communication skills and be numerate to the level required by the tasks. 5. Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines, manage workload and targets in a pressured environment. 6. An ordered approach to casework and an ability and willingness to follow and develop agreed procedures. 7. IT literacy with an ability to use software packages including Microsoft Office products in the provision of advice and preparation of formal written materials. 8. Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively. 9. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team. 10. Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equalities and diversity policy 11. Ability to work across different sites within Liverpool. 12. 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 recognize 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. 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 Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.

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: o Attending training opportunities. o 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. Requirements Desirable 1. One year s experience of delivering generalist advice within Citizens Advice or another quality assured environment such as AQS. Essential 2. Experience of using interpersonal skills, including sensitive listening and questioning skills to understand the needs of others, especially in the context of telephony. 3. Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively. 4. Effective oral and written communication skills, with good IT knowledge to support delivery of service 5. Ability and willingness to work both on own initiative and as part of a team. 6. Willingness to learn and develop skills and be flexible with service delivery. 7. A good understanding of fuel poverty issues and the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision. 8. Ability to assist with research and campaigns works by providing information about clients circumstances 9. Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equal opportunities policies. 10. Ability to pass City and Guilds NEA Level 3 Energy Awareness exam within the first 2 months of starting the role. 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 Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.