What will you do?
- Complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and extensive training for your role
- Talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they have come for help with
- Find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
- Support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation
- Write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
Some examples of what you could do:
- Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions.
- Explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
- Advise on employment issues including redundancy and discrimination.
- Help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.
What is in it for you?
- Make a real difference to people’s lives
- Learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment, and housing.
- Build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability
- Work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
- Have a positive impact in your community.
And we will reimburse expenses too.
If you are training to be a solicitor and you train and volunteer as a local Citizens Advice adviser, you may be able to get up to six months off your solicitor training contract. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.
How much time do you need to give?
Ideally, we ask for a minimum of 8 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 12 months.
We can be flexible so come and talk to us.
We are currently recruiting for Volunteer Advisers. Develop in depth knowledge of a wide range of issue areas, including benefits, housing, employment and more.
Training requirements for this role are very high and it can take 12 months or more to become a fully qualified Adviser. In this time, you will still be able to undertake hands on volunteering in key areas, alongside your training though.
We recruit Volunteer Advisers in batches, the current closing date for applications is Friday 19th November. Applications will then be shortlisted and if successful, will be invited in for interview during week commencing 29th November.
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