The Trainee Caseworker will provide advice and information (money advice and benefits) service to people in East Lothian. Full training will be given.

Contractual Conditions: The post will necessitate travel throughout East Lothian. There will be a balance of home working and being office based.

This is a key role within the Bureau’s management team to enable/support smooth running of the specialist added value projects together with the development of processes to achieve effective continuous improvement in efficiencies for the benefit of clients. This post holder will work closely with the CEO and will be responsible for management of the Bureau’s representation services and related advice projects including support for legal advice and casework and representation services to unrepresented litigants attending Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The post holder will also work in association with the CEO to identify and develop funding opportunities for new projects and for the extension of existing projects.

The post will be responsible for line management of Advocacy Services Caseworker(s) and related administration staff as specified in the management structure, whilst maintaining their own caseload.

The Adviser is responsible to the Bureau Manager of Haddington Citizens Advice Bureau and ultimately to the CAB Board of Management.

Role purpose

• To support legal advice and casework, principally on housing, debt and simple procedure issues, including negotiation, assistance and representation.
• To support representation services to unrepresented litigants attending Edinburgh Sheriff Court with mortgage repossession, rent arrears, sequestration and simple procedure claims, and where required refer clients on to appropriate colleagues or agencies.
• In matters where sufficiently experienced, to act as In-Court Adviser in reaching out to and representing clients.
• To work with colleagues and external partners to deliver service objectives.

The Adviser will provide a dedicated advice and information service to people in East Lothian, for the new “Change to the Max” project.

The post will necessitate travel throughout East Lothian, a car is therefore essential to this post. There will be a balance of home working and being office based, due to Covid.

Main tasks

• To maintain and support a general advice presence across East Lothian as directed by the Bureau Manager and set out in your terms and conditions
• To provide advice and assistance to clients experiencing issues around rent arrears (potential homelessness), fuel and food poverty, difficulties budgeting and in need of money advice.
• To provide financial advice support to clients, and to educate them in financial literacy. To understand budgeting, and to support them with making informed decisions.
• To issue budgeting packs to clients and to engage and work with a variety of clients on a caseload basis.
• Assist individuals to look at banking options, and to assist them with opening new accounts should this be a suitable option.
• Assist and support individuals with digital platforms, and to ensure that they are utilising technology to gain access to a wider platform of information and to explore wider options available to them.
• To compile statistics and write case studies and reports to assist the manager with reporting to the funder.
• To provide advice by telephone, digitally or face to face.
• To provide home visits when required.
• Maintain accurate records of advice in accordance with the National Standards and Citizens Advice Scotland membership requirements
• To work closely with the CAB Money Advice and other CAB services, referring cases where appropriate to ensure people are provided with accurate and appropriate advice
• Attend relevant meetings for networking and information exchange