Elementor #450

Money Advice Caseworker / Trainee

 Information Pack

 Closing Date: Thursday 31^st October 2025 at 12.00pm

 Dear Applicant,

Thank you for expressing an interest in our vacant Money Advice Caseworker/Trainee post.

Citizens Advice Warrington is a very innovative organisation, always looking to address the advice needs of local people. 

Before completing the application form, please make sure you fully read the following pages: 

Copies of your application form and the completed Diversity monitoring form must be submitted by:

12.00 pm midday on Thursday 31^st October 2025

We will accept CV’s only if they address the Person Specification in full or if a covering letter is provided with this information.

In the first instance all application forms/CV’s/Covering Letters should be returned to;

 by email to janet.henshaw@cawarrington.org.uk

 Interviews will be held on Wednesday 5^th November 2025.  In view of the anticipated demand for this post we maybe unable to acknowledge receipt of applications.

Summary Terms & Conditions of post

 Job Title: Money Advice Caseworker / Trainee Adviser

 Reporting to: Head of Money Advice

 Hours: 36.5 per week – 22 days annual leave (Fixed Term Contreact for 6 months)

 Salary: £28,264 per annum (£25,423 – Trainee) + up to 6% pension (*pro-rata for part time)

 Job description

Context of role: You will be a member of Citizens Advice Warrington Money Advice team.  As such you will be required to work from any Citizens Advice outlet and outreach venue and report to your line manager who will usually be the Head of Money Advice.

Role purpose:

To undertake and complete Debt Caseworker training as directed. As a trainee work towards attaining the Money and Pension service Accreditation Caseworker Status. Within six months to be actively advising and assisting clients and managing a caseload.

Key work areas and tasks: Below is a list of the key areas of work the post-holder will be expected to perform and examples of what tasks are involved in those areas. The list of tasks is not exhaustive.

1          Casework. 

Work with, and support, other staff and volunteers in the delivery of Citizens Advice Warrington money advice services

Provide casework and other support covering the full range of debt and money advice by

face to face, telephone, and electronic media as appropriate.

 Advice should include specific advice on but not exclusively:

• Rent or mortgage payment problems
• Council Tax problems
• Utility bill (water / electricity / gas / phone) problems
• Loan and credit problems including overdrafts, hire purchase and credit cards, mail order and catalogue debts, other unsecured debt including extortionate credit
• Child support and maintenance
• Tax problems including National Insurance and VAT
• Dealing with multiple debts
• Going to court, court orders, fines and the consequences e.g. whether you can be sent to prison
• Debt Relief Orders, including submitting DRO applications as an Approved Intermediary
• Administration orders, individual voluntary agreements, bankruptcy
• Breathing Space, including submitting and managing an application
• Advice and assistance with High Court enforcement
• What creditors are allowed to do when collecting debt(s), dealing with bailiffs and challenging harassment
• Contesting debts
• Dealing with bailiffs
• Unfair credit agreements
• Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning and ensuring income maximisation, e.g. through the take up of appropriate social security benefits.
• Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts as appropriate.
• Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate.
• Make home/outreach visits as necessary.
• Provide advice and assistance to other staff across the whole range of Debt and Money Advice issues.
• Ensure that all casework conforms to Citizens Advice Warrington Office Manual and Advice Quality Standard General Help Quality Mark at the appropriate level.
• Maintain case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, and statistical monitoring and report preparation.
• Ensure that all work conforms to Citizens Advice Warrington’s systems and procedures.

2               Research and Campaigns.

• Assist with research and campaigning work by providing information about clients’ circumstances.
• Provide statistical information e.g. on the number of clients and nature of cases and provide regular reports to the management team.
• Monitor service provision to ensure that it reaches the widest possible client group.
• Alert other staff to local and national issues.

3               Professional development.

• Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to Debt and Money Advice and related bureau work and undertake appropriate training.
• Read relevant publications.
• Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/management team meetings/external meetings as agreed with the Line Manager.
• Assist with initiatives for the improvement of services.

4               Administration.

• Review and make recommendations for improvements to our services.
• Assist with the maintenance of Office information systems.
• Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production and provide regular reports of the work undertaken or needed.
• Maintain close liaison with relevant external agencies.

5          Public relations.

• Assist with the delivery of Citizens Advice Warrington’s publicity.
• Assist with the development of initiatives to promote good money management skills and avoidance of debt.
• Liaise with statutory and non-statutory organisations and represent the Service on outside bodies as appropriate.
• Actively promote Citizens Advice Warrington amongst local organisations and develop partnerships.

6          Other duties and responsibilities.

• Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the whole service.
• Demonstrate commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service.
• Abide by safety, health and environment guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.

Person specification

1. Knowledge and experience of Debt and Money Advice casework. Ideally you should have one-years’ experience of dealing with Debt cases in a Citizens Advice or similar advice service setting. 

Desirable

2. Hold or be willing to work towards the Money and Pensions service Accredited Caseworker Status.

Essential 

3. Hold the Citizens Advice Certificate in General Advice or demonstrate recent experience of giving advice in the law relating to, Debt, Benefits, Housing, Consumer, Employment.

Desirable

4. Effective oral and written communication skills with particular emphasis on negotiating, representing and preparing reviews, reports and correspondence.

Essential

5. Understand the issues involved in interviewing clients especially through face-to-face and telephone channels.

Desirable

6. Numerate to the level required in the tasks.

Essential

7. Ability to prioritise own work, meet deadlines and have an ordered approach to managing a caseload.

Essential

8. Ability to use IT in the provision of advice and the preparation of reports and submissions.

Essential

9. Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively and a willingness to challenge constructively.

Essential

10. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team.

Essential

11. Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.

Desirable

12. Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equal opportunities policies.

Essential

Citizens Advice Warrington provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.  We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.

Our Aims and Principles are:

Our aims:

• to provide the advice people need for the problems they face
• to improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.

Our principles:

The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

Our advice is free, independent, impartial and confidential. The Service is non-judgmental, offering assistance as appropriate to all callers.  We aim to be equally accessible to everyone who seeks or needs our help, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, HIV status, disability, sexuality or other form of discrimination. All our advice workers, whether paid or volunteer, are professionally trained to provide an accurate, quality service and to be supportive to clients.

How the service operates:

Citizens Advice Warrington operates from The Gateway building in the town centre.

Citizens Advice Warrington deals with thousands of enquiries each year, giving detailed information, advice and support to people on every subject. The majority of problems concern social security benefits and debt, followed by employment, domestic abuse and housing law. 

All our caseworkers are required to work to Advice Quality Standards and are required to meet individual performance targets. You will be joining a very dynamic team who is proud of their past achievements but know that so much more still needs to be done.

The recent pandemic and unprecedent cost of living crisis have seen more and more people lose their jobs, struggle to pay their utility bills and face the risk of losing their home.

For more information about the work of the Citizens Advice service you can visit www.citizensdavice.org.uk  or our website at: https://cawarrington.org.uk/

Notes for applicants

• If you are shortlisted for interview, the selection panel will ask you questions based on the person specification & job description which will cover the areas in more detail.

• The following applies only to advisers, and not to other posts. Sections 25 and 26 (1) (d) or (g) of the Immigration Act 1971 are concerned with the following offences: assisting illegal entry, falsifying documentation or obstructing the authorities investigating immigration offences. If you have committed one of the offences above you may still be able to be an adviser; however, we would have to contact the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner to discuss the issues.

• Our Disclosure and Barring Policy requires us to undertake a BPSS and/or a DBS check on all advisers.

Citizens Advice Warrington

The Gateway, 89 Sankey Street, Warrington WA1 1SR

 Email: debra.naylor@cawarrington.org.uk