The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. See below for details of the role.
Volunteering as a Generalist Adviser with Ceredigion Citizens Advice
We can all face problems that seem complicated or intimidating and it can be difficult and stressful trying to work things out alone.
At Ceredigion Citizens Advice, we have highly trained volunteers who are invaluable to delivering our service and helping people find a way forward with the problems they face.
During 2020/21 Ceredigion Citizens Advice (volunteers and staff):
- Advised 2,500 people
- Dealt with 14,000 issues
- Gained £1.7m in extra income for clients
- Reduced debts by over £295k
- Distributed £20k of fuel vouchers
What will I get out of it?
By volunteering with Citizens Advice, you will:
- Make a real difference to people’s lives and have a positive impact on your community
- Learn about a range of issues that affect our clients
- Build on valuable skills such as communication and problem solving
- Meet new people from a range of backgrounds – mainly virtually currently, though we do arrange ‘walks’, ‘coffee’ etc for any volunteer who is interested
- Earn Tempo Time Credits – details here.
Who can apply?
As a volunteer at Ceredigion Citizens Advice, you do not need any specific qualifications or experience, beyond a proficient level of Maths and written English along with basic IT skills. You will need to be friendly and approachable and have a respect for views, values and cultures that are different to your own.
All applicants will receive consideration for a volunteer role based on capability and performance regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
For applicants who are not UK citizens, please note that you are only allowed to volunteer if your immigration status permits it. Please do check that you are entitled to volunteer, to avoid breaching the terms of your status. You can find further information about different visa rules on this government webpage. Irish citizens, EU/EEA citizens with settled or pre-settled status, and refugees and asylum seekers are fully entitled to volunteer.
What training will I receive?
As a volunteer you will receive an introduction to the service and full training for your role including the following areas:
- Benefits
- Housing
- Employment
- Immigration and Nationality
- Family and Personal
- Consumer
- Debt
You will also have support and supervision throughout your training and your time volunteering with us. Initial training takes up to 6 months, but after 5 weeks you could be advising via email alongside training. There are always opportunities for development, and many volunteers go on to apply for paid positions.
What does the role entail?
Our volunteers help clients online via email or video call, over the phone and face to face (currently not an option), to explore the issues that they need help with and find the information they need to solve their problems.
A volunteer generalist adviser role involves the following:
- Exploring the client’s situation and recording all details on our database, in line with Data Protection.
- Empowering clients to find information themselves and/or to act, for example, to manage their money, pay their council tax bill or find a rented property.
- Researching the situation and offering options to help the client resolve their issue, where they cannot do it themselves.
- Signposting/referring where we cannot help.
Student Solicitors
Please note: For individuals who want to volunteer in advice giving roles, and who are also training to be a solicitor, if you started training to be a solicitor before 1st September 2021, you may be able to get up to six months reduction in your training contract. If you started training to be a solicitor after 1st September 2021, you may be able to include time spent volunteering in advice giving roles as part of (or all) your qualifying work experience. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.