Outreach Adviser (Full time, part-time considered)

This outreach role involves offering general advice and support to people in Reading by:

• supporting clients via face to face outreach at venues across Reading and providing follow up work via phone and other channels
• providing consistently high quality advice to achieve improvements to their financial stability and longer term financial resilience 
• contributing to our research and campaigns work 
• building relationships with other partners/stakeholders to work effectively in the community

Location: Minster Street Office and outreach locations across Reading

Hours: Full-time 35 hours (1 FTE) Part-Time considered

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary banding: £25,000 to £27,500 per annum. Pro rata if part-time

Special Requirements: DBS check

KEY DUTIES

Service Delivery

• Work independently, but with remote support always at hand, in various outreach venues, for example, Community Centres, NHS settings and other venues across Reading as required.
• Interview clients to understand their situation and how to support and empower them to progress and resolve their issues.
• Use Citizens Advice resources to find, interpret and communicate relevant information and advice to clients.
• Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions.
• Use interpretation services to support clients with language barriers.
• Assist clients with income maximisation, reducing expenditure, energy efficiency and improving budgeting skills to help them regain control of their finances and build financial resilience, referring them for casework and digital and financial skills workshops when appropriate.
• Complete benefit calculations to optimise benefit claims and support clients to challenge incorrect benefits decisions, referring for casework when appropriate.
• Support with crisis intervention, including referrals for food, fuel, homelessness, safeguarding and mental health support, including referrals and signposting to partner and other relevant organisations.
• Conduct debt triages and refer clients with problem debt for specialist debt support.
• Provide general advice and refer for more specialist support to internal teams, statutory and other partners when appropriate.
• Give IAA Level 1 Immigration advice and refer for specialist immigration advice when appropriate.
• Manage workload on a case management system ensuring detailed case records are kept up to date and are to required standards.
• Ensure that all work meets quality standards and the requirements of the funder.
• Support our research and campaigns work through various channels including case studies and data collection.
• Follow all relevant policies and procedures.

Team

• Work collaboratively with team members, sharing knowledge and good practice and supporting each other to problem solve and achieve common goals.
• Take shared responsibility for the health and wellbeing of yourself and the team.

Skills and Knowledge

• Complete the required training to comply with quality assurance processes.
• Ensure own ongoing learning and development, including keeping up to date with changes to advice.
• Develop and maintain the digital skills needed to use the tools, software and platforms relevant to your role.

Organisation

• When appropriate attend networking and community partnership meetings.
• Understand and work within the twin aims and principles of the Citizens Advice Service.
• Understand and take shared responsibility for delivering a service that meets the requirements of Citizens Advice Reading and its funders.
• Embed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in your day to day work.
• Attend regular team and staff meetings and training.
• Any other reasonable duties as required by the organisation from time to time.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

1. Ideally, knowledge of multiple enquiry areas.
2. Ability to work in a sensitive, enabling and non-judgemental way with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
3. Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information and present it clearly, both verbally and in writing.
4. Confidence to work independently in an outreach setting
5. Ability to prioritise and manage own workload to meet targets in a busy and pressurised environment. 
6. Confident IT user and a willingness to learn and use new packages, and electronic resources.