Bellshill and District Citizens Advice Bureau is a trusted and well-respected organisation providing a free, confidential, independent and impartial service for community residents on a wide range of issues . It enjoys high levels of client satisfaction, and the excellence of its training programme is widely recognised. Its volunteer workforce and paid staff are fully committed and strive, with limited resources, to provide the advice sought by thousands of clients each year.

The Senior Welfare Officer will be responsible for the provision of outreach services at various locations across Bellshill and District and for improving access to benefit entitlements, maximising income and accessing services promoting social inclusion. For full details of the post please see the Job Description.

Main Purpose:

To break the cycle of food bank dependency by building financial capacity, energy capability and independent living skills within the target community; reducing social isolation, tackling poverty and inequality, reducing social drift, building community cohesion and developing community capacity and resilience.

Roles & responsibilities

The post-holder will support TRI (Tackling Rural Isolation) Outreach Support Service users to achieve increased financial capacity, become energy capable and develop independent living skills, by providing bespoke advice, support & advocacy as follows:

• Assistance with mitigating the impact of the cost of living crisis and maximising income.
• Help with financial and digital inclusion: support to access bank accounts & to digitally access cheaper services to free up income and build digital capacity, confidence and savings.
• Support to access appropriate affordable borrowing; to explain implications of borrowing; and to access debt resolution strategies.
• Support to access, efficiently use and manage economically viable energy provision in partnership with the Stirling CAB Energy Advice team
• Social prescribing & assistance to access further support to address underlying vulnerabilities such as loneliness, mental health, addiction, chaotic lifestyles, offending behaviours.
• Support to better integrate into the local community to address social & economic isolation and loneliness.
• Support for developing financial confidence and responsible financial management, improving independent living skills.

Full details can be found in the job description below.

Are you passionate about making a difference to your local community? Are you willing and able to give up some of your valuable time to work with a Charity that has a social ethos and values to make a difference in the local communities we serve? As the need for our services has grown, we are looking for new trustees to contribute to help us develop and deliver our strategy, values and vision.

About East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau

As a member of the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux network, East Ayrshire CAB provides free, independent, impartial, and confidential advice and information to ensure that people understand their rights and responsibilities and can express their needs effectively. We campaign and influence to tackle the root cause of the problems people face and work to strengthen their rights.

East Ayrshire CAB currently operates from two offices in Kilmarnock and Cumnock. We have 17 staff and are supported by 12 volunteers including board members. The Bureau supports individuals with a wide range of general enquiries whilst project staff provide specialist support on topics including benefits, debt, utilities, and money matters.

The Role

We’d like to enhance our board to better reflect the diverse individuals and communities we work alongside, so we welcome applications from all backgrounds. Our bureau is a place for learning, innovating and connecting, so whether you’re already an experienced trustee, or taking your first step, we’d love to hear from you. Just some examples of the experience or expertise you may bring include:

• Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Third sector leadership and governance

• Digital strategy

• Legal

You may bring different skills and strengths – more important is your passion to use your skills and experience in guiding and supporting us as we tackle the challenges people face today.

Becoming a volunteer Board member is not just about what you can offer us, it is a rewarding role that helps you learn new skills, broaden your network, raising your profile and make a real difference for the people in East Ayrshire.

There are an average of six Board meetings per year to commit to as well as preparation time and regular collaboration /communications with the team and stakeholders.

Citizens Advice Scotland runs a series of national specialist services as projects which require centralised project support. You will work as an integral part of the national projects team, with your primary role being the management of relationships between our project teams and the senior management of advice bureaux across the country through proactive engagement, communication, planning and reporting with participating member organisations of Citizens Advice Scotland.

As the Project Engagement Officer, you will ensure regular collaborative communication with both external and internal stakeholders on matters relating to service delivery and reporting, service development and changes, new projects and related implementation. You will foster a member-focused culture, and support colleagues to communicate and engage members effectively on related matters.

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.

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.

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 hybrid working opportunities for every role.

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 hybrid 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.