Assessor

For Citizens Advice Hart

Are you interested in people? Non-judgemental? Good at learning and retaining information? Then perhaps you'd be interested in becoming a volunteer assessor with Citizens Advice Hart?

What will you do?

complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what issues they have come for help with
find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you have taken
look out for issues that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do:

find the information online that explains how to apply for Housing Benefit in a client’s local area and explain it to them
identify what steps a client can take to resolve their problem with a second-hand car
help a client find and understand what steps they can take to deal with their rent arrears

What’s in it for you?

make a real difference to people’s lives
learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing
build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and analysing
increase your employability
work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
have a positive impact in your community.

And we will reimburse expenses too.

Valuing inclusion:

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

If you are interested in becoming an assessor and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, what you will do and how we can support you please contact us.

What skills do I need?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

be friendly and approachable
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different from your own
have good listening skills
have excellent verbal and written communication skills
have good maths and IT skills
be able to understand information and explain it to others
be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles, and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
be willing to undertake training in your role

Interests

Health and Social Care
Homeless and Housing
No specific interest

Activities

Administration and Office
Advice and Information
Computers, IT and Websites

Details

Accessibility
Age restrictions
Volunteers must be 16+. We are happy to speak with students undertaking law at VI form college to offer placements.
DBS check needed
Equal Opportunities Policy
Expenses reimbursed
Health and Safety Policy
Ongoing support
There will always be experienced staff and volunteers, who will give you support, advice and guidance.
Recruitment Process
Application form followed by an informal chat, if offered a position we will require 2 x references.
Training provided
Initial and relevant ongoing training.
Volunteer induction
Volunteer Policy
Volunteers covered by insurance
Written role description

When can I volunteer?

Slot	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Morning	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Afternoon	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Evening	No	No	No	No	No	No	No

Availability Details

How much time do you need to give? Ideally, we ask for a minimum of 6 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 6 months. Where will you be based? The role can be office based in Fleet or can be delivered remotely by telephone. There is also the opportunity to work at outreach locations within the Hart District.