About us: Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a local, independent charity that provides free, impartial, and confidential advice.

Job Description: As an Advocacy Worker for the Stronger Start project, you will play a critical role in supporting pregnant women and new mothers, helping them address their concerns, understand and execute their action plans, and offer empathetic listening.

A PVG is essential for this position.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Dedicated Advocacy: Provide dedicated advocacy and support services to women participating in the Stronger Start Project, focusing on addressing key areas of concern and assisting them in understanding and implementing their action plans.
2. Empathetic listening: Offer empathetic listening to clients, creating a safe and supportive environment for them to share their challenges and goals.
3. Collaboration: Facilitate communication and cooperation with the Advice Worker and social workers as needed, ensuring a coordinated approach to client support.
4. Client Relationships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, fostering trust and encouraging self-empowerment, helping them to achieve their personal and project-related objectives.
5. Assessment of Evolving Needs: Assess the evolving needs of clients, recognising that their circumstances may change between appointments with the Advice Worker. Work closely with the Advice Worker to ensure that clients’ support needs are met effectively.
6. Referral Coordination: Ensure the coordination of referrals for ongoing issues by partnering with local agencies, making sure that clients have access to the resources and services they require.

Person specification:

• Previous experience in advocacy, counselling, or a related field is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of issues related to pregnancy, motherhood, and social issues.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Empathetic, patient, and dedicated to fostering client self-empowerment.
• Ability to work well in a team and independently
• Strong organisational and time-management skills
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical standards.
• Ability to adapt to evolving clients' needs and effectively coordinate support.
• Knowledge of local resources and services available to pregnant women and new mothers.

About us:Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a local, independent charity that provides free, impartial, and confidential advice.

Job Description:We are seeking an enthusiastic and empathetic Advice Worker who embodies the qualities and skills required to support our clients effectively. The Advice Worker will lead our Stronger Start project which will help pregnant women/new mothers to navigate the challenges they may be facing, ensuring that they have access to the support they need for a brighter future. The project's clients will have multiple vulnerabilities including, mental health/physical disabilities, poverty, and communication (language and literacy difficulties) which will require additional support.

A PVG is essential for this position.

Key responsibilities:

1. Client Support: Provide advice, guidance, and support to pregnant women and new mothers, helping them to address a range of issues including financial stability, housing, legal rights, and access to essential services.
2. Assessment: You will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the client's needs throughout their interaction with the project. You will ensure you have a full understanding of the client's circumstances and will develop a tailored support/action plan with them.
3. Knowledge: You will maintain up-to-date knowledge of local resources, services, and benefits available to pregnant women and new mothers, facilitating referrals to relevant agencies and organisations as needed.
4. Record Keeping: You will maintain accurate and confidential records of client interactions, ensuring that all data is promptly entered into the Bureau’s case management system.
5. Collaboration: You will work closely with the project’s advocacy worker and administrator to ensure a coordinated approach to support and advocacy for the project’s clients.
6. Social Policy Advocacy: You will assist with the Bureau’s social policy work by reporting social policy issues through the appropriate channels.

Person Specification:

Essential for appointment & holding of post:

• Friendly and approachable manner with an ability to show respect to all clients regardless of their circumstances.
• Agreement to observe the strictest level of confidentiality on all client matters.
• Experience working as an Adviser in an advice giving organisation.
• Ability to manage workload and accommodate variation in demand for service and resources available.
• Maintain expertise in relevant legislation, including welfare rights and debt.
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills with a demonstrated ability to work within systems and follow procedures.
• Strong communication skills in conversation, by telephone, and in writing with clients.
• Commitment to work in partnership with our volunteer advisers, specialist advisers, and other colleagues for efficient service delivery.
• Ability to use computers and computer-based information systems in support of the role and the work of the Bureau.
• Ability to develop skills and knowledge to support colleagues and the project.
• Attend team/staff meetings as required
• Establish/improve liaison with other agencies and community groups
• Undertake any other tasks as may reasonably be requested

Highly Desired:

• An understanding of, and a commitment to the aims and principles of the CAB service and its equal opportunity policies.
• Experience in advising on Welfare Rights, Housing, Employment, and Money Advice issues.
• Proficiency in word processing and the use of databases and computer-based information systems.
• Experience in working with vulnerable adults
• Experience in working with volunteers
• Ability to monitor and maintain own standards
• Ability to use IT in the provision of advice
• Willingness to learn and develop skills in advice topics
• Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information

Role Purpose:To provide administrative support services to our Stronger Start Adviser/Advocacy team. The role will involve regular interaction with clients, making them aware of the scope of the service, helping them to engage with the service by organising appointments, dealing with paperwork/mail for the adviser/advocacy workers, and working with the adviser/advocacy worker to produce reports/evaluations of the project.

Context of role:Working to support our Stronger Start Adviser/Advocacy workers to deliver high-quality advice and information service to vulnerable pregnant women in the Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire, and Inverclyde areas. This is a client-facing role and will involve dealing sensitively with clients in crisis situations. A PVG is essential for this position.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Understanding of and commitment to the aims of the Citizens Advice Service and its equal opportunities policy
• A commitment to learning about the different roles within the bureau and areas/levels of advice offered
• Previous administrative experience
• Competent in literacy and numeracy
• Ability to monitor and maintain own standards
• Skills in Word, Excel, Google Sheets and Outlook
• Excellent Time Management Skills
• Problem-solving, ability to think on your feet and effectively make decisions.
• Ability to accurately input data and keep to desired formats.
• Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise own work, meet deadlines
• Exceptional Communication and Customer Service Skills
• Experience in handling Confidential Information
• Flexible approach and willingness to work as part of a team.
• Ability to recognise data/recording variances and highlight concerns to management/supervisor.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a customer-facing role
• Experience working with volunteers

Main areas of responsibility:

• Dealing with email, post, telephone messages, photocopying and filing
• Gathering the correct information in a sensitive manner and making appointments for clients.
• Producing letters, documents, and reports as required
• Maintaining statistics and collating and producing reports in a prescribed format
• Assisting advisor, and advocacy worker, with routine tasks associated with the Stronger Start Project.
• Compliance with legal and organisational standards including confidentiality, data protection, information assurance, and equality.
• Challenging discrimination and promoting equality
• Updating own knowledge and identifying own training needs
• Following Health and Safety guidelines and sharing responsibility for own and others' health and safety
• Any other relevant administrative and support duties required to ensure the smooth running of the Stronger Start Project

The Financial Capability and Numeracy Trainer will deliver financial capability sessions in an interesting and engaging manner; covering debt prevention, money management and digital skills such as budgeting, using bank accounts, options for borrowing and saving, and dealing with debt.

See full job description below for more details.

The successful candidate will be the project lead for a partnership project between Renfrewshire Citizens Advice and local charity Roar. The aim of the project is to provide older adults in Renfrewshire with income maximisation advice. The project worker will be responsible for the provision and development of quality advice, information and representation on statutory benefits, and other social welfare matters in a number of outreach locations throughout Renfrewshire.

Role purpose: To deliver financial capability and numeracy training

Job Responsibilities: Delivering financial capability sessions in an interesting and engaging manner; covering debt prevention, money management and digital skills such as budgeting, using bank accounts, options for borrowing and saving, and dealing with debt.

About the job

A Help to Claim Adviser (Universal Credit, further ‘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, web chat and video call.

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.

The adviser will be line managed by their local bureau manager but will be operationally responsible to the Citizens Advice Scotland Operations Officer for providing their regional service and local knowledge. They will be required to liaise with the Operations Officer regarding their shifts, helpline coverage and holiday requirements.

Pension Wise is the free and impartial UK government service that offers people guidance on their defined contribution pension options.

You’ll be part of a service that has helped over 300,000 people by providing valuable, life changing and impartial guidance giving them the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their options and obtain the best value from their pension. Working within our dedicated Pension Wise team, you’ll see positive and rewarding results for the people you help - Pension Wise is consistently rated very highly by service users.

You’ll be expected to supply accurate and relevant information and guidance on pension options and choices. Successful candidates will possess a good foundation knowledge of pensions law and practice, gained in a pensions role, as well as a thorough understanding of the range of pension products available to the UK consumer. You will also have a good understanding of the wider issues for those facing retirement and the ability to keep pace with changes to them.

We are currently recruiting for new Pension Wise Guidance Specialists to deliver appointments over the telephone and face-to-face. Successful candidates must be able to attend an online induction programme commencing in July 2022.

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is an innovative advice charity providing holistic advice and support to our community.

The Legal Clinic’s principal aim is to reach out across Renfrewshire and provide free legal advice and representation in the areas of employment, debt, housing, welfare rights, and public law.

We are currently recruiting for an In Court Adviser / Coordinator to join us on a fixed term basis to 31st March 2023 (extension subject to continued funding).

The role presents an excellent opportunity for someone with a keen interest in and understanding of the law to develop within a structured and multi-faceted service that includes both experienced lay advisers and representatives, and solicitor support.

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is an innovative advice charity providing holistic advice and support to our community.

Coronavirus and its impact on the economy has brought additional employment issues to the foreground. We are working hard to respond to current and future challenges, for which the advertised position is pivotal.

The successful candidate will have experience delivering employment advice and representation, and a good knowledge of existing welfare benefits and the debt relief mechanisms available in Scotland.

Good interpersonal skills are essential and the post holder will be responsible for managing the service and developing the service to meet the needs of our community.

RCAB is committed to equal opportunities both in service provision and employment.

Scottish Charity number: SC01738. Charity name: Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau.

Renfrewshire CAB is a trusted and well-respected organisation. 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.

Over the past year Renfrewshire CAB dealt with enquiries relating to a wide range of issues and obtained significant financial gains for clients.

We are currently recruiting for a Housing Adviser to join us 35 hours per week on a fixed term basis to 31st March 2023 (extension subject to continued funding).

Good interpersonal skills are essential and the post holder will be responsible for managing the service and developing the service to meet the needs of our community.