The postholder will be responsible for recruiting, training and supporting volunteers who provide advice services by phone, email, at the CAB and in community locations and those that carry out other tasks to support the work of the CAB

Experience of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers and of working (paid or unpaid) in an advice or information service is important, as is understanding of good practice and the legal aspects of volunteering. Effective verbal and written communication and commitment to the mission, aims and teamwork ethos of Dalkeith CAB are essential.

Who we are:

The Hearing Voices Network Dundee (HaVeN) is a registered charity which provides a HaVeN for those who hear voices, as well as those in the community who experience mental health issues. The HaVeN is a drop-in centre as well as a community café which is based in the Hilltown area of the city, offering one to one support and a variety of groups which are run and supported by volunteers.

Our Mission:

For Voice Hearers to feel valued, accepted and empowered to thrive.

What we do:

The Hearing Voices Network Dundee seeks to inspire hope and promote empowerment for Voice-Hearers, their friends, and families. We have a drop-in service which is open to all. No referral is needed to access the services and support that we provide.

We offer support, advice, volunteering opportunities, befriending, peer2peer, training and have a community café on site. We work closely with other organisations in our community to ensure that we remain up to date and are able provide creative support solutions to our service users and the community around us.

As a Trustee, we would like you to:

• Be passionate about the organisation and its mission.
• Support the strategic direction of the organisation.
• Work with other Trustee’s to ensure that Board decisions are made within governance frameworks.
• Be involved in sub-committees where possible.
• Provide assistance and support to the organisation
• Act in good faith and only in the interests of the organisation.

We welcome people from any background however are particularly interested in hearing from people who have a experience in the following areas:

• Mental health
• Finance
• Digital and social media
• Marketing
• People with lived experience
• Medicine/Nursing

More information

This is a voluntary role; however reasonable expenses will be paid.

The Board of trustees currently meet up to eight times per year. Our meetings are currently a mixture of in-person ( In Dundee) and virtual.

About Us

Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey CAB is an independent charity providing advice, information and support to people across our community. We are a friendly team of over 60 employees and volunteers working over 3 locations (Inverness, Raigmore and Aviemore) delivering a busy advice service. We strive to deliver a good quality service that meets the needs of our clients in a non-judgemental and confidential manner. We aim for individuals not to suffer through not knowing or understanding their rights and responsibilities or not being aware of the services available to them. We provide advice and options to our clients so that they can make informed decision and feel empowered to improve their personal circumstance.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Purpose of the Role

As an Advice Worker, you will have an interesting and rewarding role giving advice on a range of topics but in particular Universal Credit and benefits. You will work as part of a supportive team ensuring our clients receive a holistic service enabling them to exercise their rights and access the benefits and services they are entitled to. At IBS CAB you will have the opportunity to gain a broad knowledge in a range of topics (e.g. housing, debt, employment) as well as developing your skills and experience. You will be supported through an extensive initial training programme and encouraged to continually develop during your time with us.

Key Responsibilities

Advice Giving

• Interview clients over the phone and/or through video conference and/or face to face to gather relevant information about their circumstance and the issue(s) they seek help with.
• Research the topic to identify options and potential action for the client
• Explain simply and concisely the options available to the client so that they can make an informed decision
• Offer practical help such as calculating benefits, supporting client to claim Universal Credit and contacting other agencies on behalf of the client
• Liaise with specialist teams within the bureau on complex issues and on-going casework and ensure we are providing a holistic advice service
• Refer clients to other agencies and 3rd sector organisation for specialist support and advice
• Record each contact with the client on the CAB database
• Ensure advice given meets the standard expected and this is reflected in case records

Social Policy

• Identify issues brought to the bureau by clients which may have a wider social policy impact and needs further action at a local or national basis
• Record social policy issues on the case recording database
• Provide case studies to be used for highlighting social policy issues and for evidencing the work of the bureau

Case Management

• Manage workload by prioritising enquiries and casework and report back to manager on progress
• Use case recording database and other IT systems to ensure follow up action is taken within timescales

Data handling and Confidentiality

• Adhere to data protection regulations and ensure that special category data is handled in accordance with relevant legislation and organisational procedures  Abide by Citizens Advice confidentiality policy

Working with Others

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with the team, share knowledge and information and make a positive contribution by working proactively toward delivering a good service for our clients
• Provide encouragement and support to our team of volunteers and contribute to their positive volunteering experience
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with external stakeholders, including statutory and voluntary service providers
• Embrace our equality and diversity principles by treating everyone as individuals and with respect at all times

Training & Development

• Be proactive in identifying own training needs and taking responsibility for personal development
• Keep knowledge up to date on legislation relevant to the post and of local issues and policies
• Seek support from manager and participate in supervision and appraisal meetings. Use feedback constructively to further knowledge and skills

General

• Adhere to all IBS CAB policies and procedures
• Be willing to carry out any other related tasks, as required by your manager, which are compatible with the functions of the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

This role would suit an individual who is enthusiastic to gain new knowledge and learn new skills. You may be at the start of your career, returning to work after a break or simply looking for a change in direction.

What is important to us is that you:

• Want to advise and help a broad range of people particularly those who are disadvantaged
• Have good communication skills and are comfortable talking to a diverse range of people over the phone, through webchat and face to face
• Are able to build positive relationships with clients, colleagues, volunteers and external contacts , including energy companies
• Willing to have difficult and/or sensitive conversations
• Have a practical and common-sense approach with the ability to manage others expectations
• Are enthusiastic about learning and gaining new skills, knowledge and experience
• Wish to achieve a good standard of work
• Are organised and able to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Have a competent standard of written English that will allow you to complete comprehensive case records, produce correspondence such as emails and letters and complete forms on client’s behalf
• Have a competent standard of maths/arithmetic that allows you to complete basic calculations such as benefits checks, energy statement calculations and income and expenditure reports
• Are able to research information and are keen to solve problems
• Are confident in using IT systems
• Are interested in the work of CAB and associated social policy issues

Other Requirements

Please note that this post is subject to the completion of a criminal records declaration and a satisfactory Basic Disclosure check.

Our Network Services Team help Citizens Advice Bureaux across all Scottish communities to be inspired by their actions, support them, and offer them guidance and opportunities for initiating social change and making improvements to their own communities through their services.

The team act as a bridge between bureaux and Citizens Advice Scotland and provide vital assistance in the distribution of key messages, the implementation of project co-design and production with bureaux and monitoring the progress of the bureaux.

This post provides a great opportunity for you to provide administration and analytical support to the Network Services Team to support delivery of their core programme of work to the Citizens Advice Bureaux network. The aim of this programme is to build capacity across the Network. The programme consists of a range of core areas from Governance, Volunteering and Net Zero and everything in between.

As an Administration Officer you will be responsible for the collation, analysis, and reporting of statistical and qualitative data to support informed decision-making and optimise administrative effectiveness across various functions of the team, you will also have opportunities to liaise with bureaux directly.

This role offers you the opportunity to work at the heart of supporting Scotland's largest independent advice network and to make an invaluable contribution to citizen’s lives.