Volunteer Triage Assessor

What will you do? 

• Assessing customers’ problems by phone, via email or webchat, or face to face  
• Identifying key information about the problem including time limits, key dates and any requirement for urgent advice or action  
• Establishing what help the clients needs 
• Assessing and agreeing the next steps, taking into consideration the customer’s ability, the complexity of the problem and the service’s resources 
• Enabling and empowering the customer to take the next steps 
• Recording information onto the case recording database 
• Identifying any discrimination and following the service’s procedures for dealing with discrimination issues 
• Identifying appropriate cases for Research and Campaigns work  
• Keeping up to date with and working within relevant legislation, policies and procedures 
• Working collaboratively and consulting with other colleagues involved in the advice work process  
• Dealing with customers sensitively and with respect 
• Maintaining confidentiality about customers and their contact with the service 
• Preparing for and attending supervision sessions and team meetings 
• Undergoing relevant training 

What’s in it for you? 

• make a real difference to people’s lives  
• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing 
• build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and analysing 
• increase your employability 
• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team. 
• initial and ongoing training appropriate to your role  
• support and supervision 
• reimbursement of out of pocket expenses 
• valuable introduction to the work of Citizens Advice, the UK’s largest advice service 

What do you need to have? 

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to: 

• good interpersonal and communication skills, including being comfortable using the phone 
• friendliness, approachability, adaptability and the ability to work with members of the public as customers  
• A good standard of written and spoken English and numeracy 
• A good standard of IT skills; the ability to use word, outlook/email and the internet effectively 
• the ability to work well with others and to contribute effectively as a member of a team 
• the ability and willingness to maintain high standards, to monitor own standards and enthusiasm for continuous improvement. 
• awareness of the potential needs of, and demands placed on, vulnerable customers 
• willingness to learn and understand service procedures 
• understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of North & West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice and what we offer 

Valuing inclusion 

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. 

If you are interested in becoming an assessor and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.