Generalist Adviser

• Haddington Citizens Advice Bureau

• VO101513

As a generalist adviser with citizens advice Haddington, you will help to provide an efficient and effective holistic advice service to members of your community. Generalist advice is important to people who are looking for reassurance and advice about their issues but are unsure or unable to move forward by themselves. This service provides a brief intervention and aims to sort client priorities, based on their needs, and support them to act.
Day-to-day volunteering activities include; interviewing clients both face-to-face and via telephone in order to gain clarity on their issues so that you may explore options available to them; offer practical advice and information using reference books and information services made available to you; giving practical help such as filling in forms, completing benefits calculations or communicating with other agencies on your clients behalf; and keeping electronic records of client details so that further help can be offered to them should they return to our services.
As a generalist adviser you’ll be offered comprehensive introductory training to give you a sound understanding of a wide range of topics and support and supervision is available throughout your time with us from experienced advisers as well as our volunteer support officer and other members of the CAB team. Our volunteers have a wealth of experience and many stay for years. We have a really great and nurturing team any of whom will do their complete best to ensure you fit right in.
Role requirements
• Oral and written communication skills.
• Good organisational and record keeping skills to record all work undertaken.
• Ability to communicate and pass on complex advice to potentially vulnerable clients.
• Ability to communicate with people from a range of backgrounds and be sensitive to any potential vulnerabilities.
• To be able to work as part of a team.
• Regular time to commit to the role. Volunteering commitment for a minimum of 6 months is preferred.

Our localised training programme takes between 16-20 weeks, depending on each individual’s development, using a variety of methods including tutor sessions, self study and competence based learning through shadowing experienced advisers. An alternative condensed version is also available that while being far more demanding can cut the training time down to roughly 8 weeks

Experience required

Good Communicator;Reliable / Dependable;Sociable;Team Player

• About
• Notes

Support

Training details

our training programme takes between 16-20 weeks, using a variety of methods including tutor sessions, self study and competence based learning through shadowing experienced advisers.

Restrictions

Minimum age: 21

Availability

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Volunteers (aged 21-25) taking part in this opportunity are eligible to claim Saltire Awards hours for their activity.
Find out more

This volunteering opportunity is also advertised across East Lothian.

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