Money and Debt Advisor

at  Citizens Advice

ABOUT THE ROLE

Role: Money & Debt Adviser
Reports to: Head of Service
Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £32,000 - £34,000 per annum basic salary depending on experience.

THE ROLE

To support residents and their families with debt-related issues to become more resilient and independent, as part of the broader Community Wellbeing Programme.

This includes:

• Providing general debt-related advice
• Conducting income maximisation reviews
• Making applications for Household Support Fund and other grants or hardship schemes
• Establishing liability and disputing inaccurate bills
• Producing affordable repayment plans
• Providing on-going casework
• Issuing debt relief orders
• Entering residents into appropriate Debt Respite Schemes
• Referring residents to other financial and non-financial support schemes and organisations based on individual needs.

ROLE PROFILE

Advice giving

• Conducting advice Interviews using sensitive listening and questioning techniques
• Ensuring residents can explain their problem-debt/s and empower them to their own priorities.
• Researching, interpreting and communicating relevant information to enable residents to make informed decisions on their option/s.
• Providing advice on all available and suitable debt solutions, including the advantages, disadvantages, implications and consequences of non-payments, enabling residents to make informed decisions.
• Supporting residents with income maximisation, including better-off calculations and welfare benefit claims.
• Making representation to or negotiating with third parties, such as statutory and non-statutory bodies, in appropriate cases
• Ensuring all work conforms to the organisation’s processes and procedures
• Ensuring all work reflects and supports the organisation’s services and policies, including the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
• Maintaining detailed case records, ensuring all work meets all appropriate quality standards and funders’ requirements.
• Complying with data collection requirements to enable information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.

Research and Campaigns

• Assisting with research and campaign work by providing information and appropriate case studies and participating in Citizens Advice and approved funders’ research and campaign initiatives.
• Alerting clients to research and campaign options.
• Responding to Citizens Advice Network Panel or funders surveys and submit evidence forms as appropriate.

Professional Development

• Keeping up to date with relevant legislation, case law, code of practice, policies and procedures, and debt advice publications and resources.
• Undertaking appropriate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training to comply with quality assurance and funders’ requirements, including achieving required CPD points to maintain relevant professional body membership.
• Maintaining an up-to-date record of all training sessions

Administration

• Attending relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
• Attending support and supervision and team/staff meetings
• Using IT software for statistical recording of information relating to research and
• campaigns and funding requirements, record keeping and document production.
• Ensuring all work conforms to the organisation’s systems and procedures.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Carrying out any task that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
• Demonstrating commitment to the aims and policies of Citizens Advice
• Abiding by health and safety guidelines and sharing responsibility for your safety and that of colleagues.