Advice Services Supervisor – Role Description
Role Overview
The primary responsibility of this role is to oversee the advice service, providing guidance and assistance to advisers and caseworkers in delivering favourable advice outcomes to individuals within the local community. Additionally, the role involves conducting quality assurance procedures, including case evaluations, to uphold the standard of advice provided. You will work across each of the Citizens Advice East Berkshire offices and other locations as required to meet service demands. This position frequently involves offering support to individuals facing significant mental health challenges and distress. Collaboration with professional and voluntary sector partners is integral to the role, as is working alongside a dedicated and experienced team. A DBS check is required for this role.
Salary: Up to £29,343, dependent on experience
Hours: 37 hours per week, although alternative hours considered for the right candidate
Contract Term: Permanent
Location: Hybrid, but primarily office based (travel between offices in Bracknell, Maidenhead and Slough will be required)
Reporting to: Advice Services Manager, Citizens Advice East Berkshire
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Advice Service
1. To supervise the advice sessions, supporting the generalist team of advisers and caseworkers.
2. To monitor and assess the quality of advice delivered in line with national QAA standards, intervening in a timely manner to provide feedback and support as required.
3. To carry out case checking, including monthly QAA checks providing appropriate coaching and feedback, and supervising any remedial follow up action as needed.
4. To ensure the advice session is ready to operate during core hours, by opening and closing the office and carrying out any related tasks.
5. To maintain a focus on achieving positive outcomes, including financial gains and soft outcomes from welfare benefits, income maximisation, debt management, securing housing, and consequent improvements in health and wellbeing.
6. To support management in the promotion and development of the service as required, focusing on quality of advice.
7. To support the training team in facilitating the training and development of trainees and established advisers and caseworkers, monitoring and assessing the quality of advice, supporting induction and peer support, providing feedback and other related tasks as required.
2. Professional development
1. To participate in learning and development activities to achieve and maintain supervisor competences and promote best practice.
2. To keep up to date with relevant legislation, case law, policies and procedures, and undertake skills and subject based training as appropriate.
3. Administration
1. To use and maintain case records using case management systems.
2. To ensure case records are recorded and maintained in line with QAA requirements and other principles of best practice.
3. To manage information to enable required reporting, case studies and outcomes measures.
4. To ensure that all work complies with relevant Citizens Advice quality standards, systems and procedures.
4. Generic
1. To keep up to date with Citizens Advice aims, policies and procedures and ensure these are followed.
2. To ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice service's equality and diversity strategy.
3. To keep up to date with research and campaigns issues and provide evidence as appropriate.
4. To maintain effective admin systems and records relevant to the role.
5. To attend regular internal and external meetings relevant to the role.
6. To work cooperatively with colleagues and encourage good teamwork, clear lines of communication and common practices within the team.
7. To abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own health and safety and that of colleagues.
8. To identify your own learning and development needs and take steps to address these.
9. To carry out any other tasks within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
5. Networking and partnerships
1. To develop links with relevant statutory and non-statutory agencies relevant to the role.
Person specification
* Empathy and motivation to provide good quality advice and casework support to clients.
* Experience of delivering advice and casework, particularly on the subjects of welfare benefits and debt advice, in person and remotely.
* Experience of supervising others, preferably in the provision of advice work.
* Experience of quality assurance work, maintaining quality to set standards and providing coaching and feedback.
* Commitment to achieving the best outcomes for clients through delivery of high-quality advice and casework.
* Strong organisational and time management skills, using systems effectively, prioritise appropriately, and enable timely responses to client needs.
* Able to demonstrate good communication, listening skills and empathy to respond appropriately to challenging behaviour.
* Able to demonstrate adaptability, to manage different situations calmly and professionally.
* Ability to work independently, with the confidence to ask for help from the wider team and be proactive in managing challenges.
* Able to effectively and confidently use IT systems as a core element of day-to-day work, including case management, debt and benefits calculations.
* Self-awareness to enable giving and receiving feedback; and constructive engagement to achieve development goals.
* Willingness to carry out role in a main office and other locations to meet service delivery needs.
* Ability to demonstrate a commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service, including its equality and diversity policies, and research and campaigning role.
* Ability to contribute to an inventive, responsible and generous organisation and team culture, sharing tasks and supporting organisation goals.
* Ability to utilise a range of reference resources.
What we give our staff
* 5% employer pension contribution
* Generous holiday entitlement – 25 days plus 8 days Public Holidays
* Free parking at Maidenhead and Bracknell offices
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Employee Perks Programme
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £29,343.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Employee discount
* Free parking
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
* Store discount
Schedule:
* Day shift
* Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
* Bracknell, RG12 1JG: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
* welfare rights, benefits, employment, housing, and debt: 2 years (required)
* Citizens Advice Supervisor: 1 year (preferred)
Work authorisation:
* United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bracknell, RG12 1JG
Reference ID: AS-S-I
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