Description

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract: Fixed term until end-March 2025 with possible extension thereafter

Location: Primarily based in our Kennington office and outreach location around Lambeth

Salary (pro rata for part time):

From £29,500 per annum starting specialist salary, to £36,000, dependent on experience

Annual Leave: 25 days (pro rata for part time), Charity Day, plus public holidays

Pension: The charity operates a pension scheme

The charity offers an employee assistance programme

Deadline: 6pm, Monday 6th January 2025

Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth (CAML) is the leading advice charity supporting individuals and families across the London boroughs of Lambeth and Merton. We provide a range of information, support and advice services. We also work to raise awareness and understanding of the challenging issues affecting our clients and communities.

We are looking for an experienced adviser who has experience of delivering immigration advice for a minimum of two years and has OISC accreditation of level 3 (or equivalent).

Main duties and responsibilities

  • Provide advice and casework (face-to-face, phone and email) on immigration (up to including OISC level 3) to clients

  • Provide ongoing support as required (up to OISC level 3)

  • Offer support and guidance to our level 1 OISC immigration adviser

  • Identify if client requires help with other advice-related issues and refer to Advice Supervisors as appropriate

  • Deliver service awareness and immigration training sessions to charity team

  • Work to own initiative, whilst proactively receiving support from service and other CAML colleagues as necessary

  • Identify and escalate serious problems and emergencies appropriately

  • Use excellent interpersonal skills to explore, listen and understand complex problems as they affect each individual and tailor approach to advice accordingly

  • Follow-up on actions relating to cases as appropriate

  • Produce monitoring reports as required

Monitoring Quality and Case Recording

  • Ensure that all client interactions are fully and accurately recorded on the appropriate case-recording software

  • Ensure paper files are securely and appropriately stored

  • Review your work, and monitor own quality standards, as per the Citizens Advice quality framework

  • Work with Head of Advice Services, Advice Supervisors and wider team to develop and improve services, and your own standards

Other Duties and Responsibilities

  • With wider charity team and other organisations, ensure clients are supported with related advice issues

  • Ensure all work is fully compliant with our policies and procedures and Citizens Advice Quality Standard

  • Assist and contribute to charity’s communications, research and campaigns work

  • Maintain positive working relations with our stakeholders

  • Professionally represent Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth within your work

  • Other duties as requested by Head of Advice Services and Chief Executive

Professional Development

  • All our team receive comprehensive induction to the charity and our work. We support Advisers in their professional development to ensure we’re up to date with recent legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to benefits and debt and undertake appropriate training as agreed with your line manager.

Person Specification

  • Accredited to OISC level 3 at time of application (essential)

  • At least two years’ experience of immigration advice (essential)

  • Basic knowledge of welfare benefits for EU nationals or willingness to learn (essential)

  • Experience of Casebook or another client management system (essential)

  • Ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and manage caseload (essential)

  • IT competency and experience (essential)

  • Ability and willingness to work as a team (essential)

  • Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of Citizens Advice service and our equality and diversity policies (essential)

This job description and personal specification does not form part of any contract.

If you’re interested in the role and joining us, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please follow the link to our website to find out how to apply.

The deadline for applications is 6pm, Monday 6th January 2025

If you do not hear from us, we are afraid your application was unsuccessful.

We reserve the right to close applications early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and will process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. Please refer to our online Privacy Policy for more information on how your personal data will be processed and stored.