**Debt Caseworker**

**Hours**:37.5 hours per week

**Pay**: £26,247 per annum

**Reporting to**: Debt Supervisor

**Location**: North East Derbyshire & Bolsover Districts

**Closing Date**: 29 February 2024

In this pack you’ll find information about:

- Our organisation
- The role purpose
- The role profile and person specification
- What we give our staff

Application for this role is by CV and covering letter, further details are in the Role Purpose section.

**About Us**

For almost 50 years Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire has been providing free, independent and impartial advice to residents of North East Derbyshire and Bolsover Districts.

We are proud of our longstanding commitment to providing advice to our local community and, along with the other Derbyshire local Citizens Advice services, we have led the way nationally through our partnership with Derbyshire Public Health and GP surgeries to provide advice in a variety of GP surgeries and community venues to meet people at the point of need.

In recent years we have innovated our service to introduce more telephone and digital advice provision, whilst still maintaining excellent standards of advice and client feedback.

As part of the national Citizens Advice network we have a nationally recognised brand which is trusted. Our research and evidence have a real impact on behalf of those who rely on us. We link with a wide network which gives us access to support and knowledge, whilst at the same time we are locally focussed with insight into the issues facing our local community.

**Role Purpose**

In response to the increased demand for debt advice we are looking to hire an experienced debt caseworker to support our existing debt team and increase capacity across our service.

We are proud to offer independent, impartial and comprehensive advice and support to all members of our local community. Often our clients have complex cases and have been turned away from other advice providers, what sets our service apart is that we see all cases and in a format which suits the clients need be it face to face or telephone.

You will be joining an experienced team with over 40 years of experience in debt advice who always welcome the opportunity to share their knowledge and support colleagues across all disciplines within Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire.

Due to the nature of the workload we are looking for an experienced debt adviser/caseworker although this experience does not have to be within a Citizens Advice setting. You will also be CertMAP qualified and a Debt Relief Order Intermediary (or be prepared to work towards obtaining accreditation with our support).

This role is not funded by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).

**Role profile**

**Advice giving**
- Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities.
- Use appropriate resources to find, interpret and communicate the relevant information to clients.
- Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions.
- Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning.
- Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non-statutory bodies as appropriate.
- Ensure that all work conforms to the organisation’s office manual and the Advice Quality standard / Legal Aid Agency’s Quality Mark / other funding requirements, as appropriate.
- Ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice service’s equality and diversity strategy.
- Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.
- Take ownership for monitoring own workload e.g. proactively reviewing progress on current cases, outcome of completed cases and quality control.

**Research and Campaigns**
- Assist with research and campaigns work by providing information as appropriate.
- Alert clients to research and campaign options.
- Professional Development
- Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.

**Administration**
- Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
- Prepare for and attend supervisor session/team meetings/staff meetings as appropriate.
- Use IT for statistical recording of information relating to research and campaigns and funding requirements, record keeping and document production.
- Ensure all work conforms to the organisation’s systems and procedures.
- Create and maintain filing systems in accordance with the organisation's systems and procedures.
- Update the Electronic information system, hard copy information system and other reference materials including Citizens Advice.

**Other**
- Complete required training to comply with quality assurance processes.
- Carry out any task that may be within the scope of the