The Citizens Advice network in Scotland is the largest independent advice service in the country. Citizens Advice Scotland is a charity within this network – we act as a national organisation supporting and representing the service as a whole and the interests of citizens. At the heart of the network there are 59 individual citizens advice bureau across Scotland, all operating as independent charities in their own right, which focus on providing support and advice directly to clients. Each of these organisations is a member of Citizens Advice Scotland. We believe that every citizen should have access to free, impartial and confidential advice that helps them make informed decisions, whenever they need it and however, they choose to access it.

Citizens Advice Scotland runs a series of national specialist services as projects which require centralised project support. The Operations Officer role will work as part of the Help to Claim project team to ensure successful delivery of the service and continuous improvement. Key responsibilities will be around systems and resource co-ordination, monitoring, analysis and reporting relating to helpline operations. The role will be particularly important for identifying trends and issues through data analysis and recommending actions for service development which will be paramount to providing an excellent service for our clients. You will work as part of a strong project team but you expected to work independently. The role provides the opportunity to work with staff across our diverse network and the successful candidate will be able to build and maintain good relationships and communicate clearly with different stakeholders.

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.

For more information about the role, please refer to the Job Pack.

Employee benefits

Citizens Advice Scotland offers excellent terms and conditions. We want our people to have a great work life balance and we have designed our working practices and benefits to support this. Here are some of things our employees benefit from: a 35-hour full time working week, 40 days annual leave, genuine flexibility in working hours with a flexi-time system, and blended/hybrid working opportunities for every role. For more details of some of the other benefits on offer to our employees, please see the section on employee benefits in the job pack.

Citizens Advice Scotland is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies and flexible working arrangements to support all our staff. We are also committed to equality of opportunity for all and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

CAS provides options for blended working to allow employees to balance their time attending the office with time working from home. The number of days you will be able to work from home each week will be dependent on your job role and can be discussed as part of the recruitment process.

Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, based in Alloa, is an independent and innovative advice organisation providing holistic advice to the residents of Clackmannanshire across 7 locations in the county. We currently have 27 paid staff and 17 volunteers who provide a wide range of services, across our projects.

We have been delivering a valuable, high-level service to the community of Clackmannanshire for over 50 years. We have accreditation in Type III advice by Scottish National Standards for advice providers (SNSIAP) in the areas of Housing, Debt and Benefits

Benefits of working with Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau are, annual performance related salary increases, 5% employer’s pension contribution plan, free membership of an employer health plan, free use of company Ebikes and a retail perks scheme. Holiday entitlement for full year is 39 days leave including public holidays with the ability to buy and sell annual leave. Flexible working scheme including some home working and flexible starts finish times

The Citizens Advice network in Scotland has been delivering a comprehensive, enhanced support service called Help to Claim, introduced in April 2019, providing the advice and support people need to submit their claim for Universal Credit and support them through to their first payment.

Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau is looking for a client-focused individual with experience of providing specialist level advice, to join as a Help to Claim Adviser (UC) and to help ensure clients get the support they need. This includes supporting with online forms, the evidence required, telephone and web chat.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate relevant recent experience and knowledge of the welfare benefit system including Universal Credit, however do not require to be a trained adviser (but will be required to complete this training) but a knowledge of generalist advice would be an advantage. Applicants should also demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills, be well organised and be proficient in using a range of IT tools to carry out their work, including case recording systems, Microsoft Office, benefit check programmes and be able to make and manage benefit claims.

Consideration maybe given to individuals who do not meet the full requirements of the post but who could be trained in a reasonable period of time this will be offered at below the entry level salary initially.

Committed, results-driven and supportive to the needs of others, the successful applicant will be able to work both on their own initiative as well as part of a team and must be willing to follow and develop agreed procedures.

This is a unique opportunity to give citizens access to free, impartial and confidential advice helping them to make informed decisions, whenever they need it and however they choose to access it.

A Help to Claim Adviser delivers a holistic advice and support service aimed at clients on completing their initial Universal Credit claim and supports them through to their first payment. This involves helping with the online forms, the evidence required, and verifying their identity online using telephone and webchat.

The adviser will be expected to complete full holistic issue diagnostics, support with issues in scope of the project and any emergencies, then refer on to further services available to the client (such as drug and alcohol support). The adviser should maintain local connections with partner organisations and the DWP within their region.

Will organise and deliver the HILDA project (Housing Information Local Development Advice) – providing holistic advice and information to people facing concerns related to housing or homelessness and at risk of financial hardship. The service will be delivered via phone, email, at the bureau and through outreach clinics in the community.

Experience of advice-giving, understanding of housing issues and ways to resolve them, good communication skills, knowledge of the UK and Scottish benefit systems, and commitment to the mission and values of Citizens Advice are essential.

The post is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Cost of Living Fund.