Debt Adviser (Crisis and Resilience Fund)

Salary:

Starting salary £29,747.43 – £33,022.83 p.a. pro rata (£14,873.72- £16,511.42 actual), depending on experience
8.5% pension contribution after successful completion of probation period

Hours:

17.5 hours per week, across 2.5 days
Normal working hours 9.30 to 5.30

Contract type: Fixed term until March 2027, with possibility of extension as the Crisis Resilience Fund

Responsible to: Service Manager (Foodbank and Debt Projects)

Location: Our offices in Battersea and Roehampton and outreach locations across the borough of Wandsworth with some home working possible following probation period

About us

We’re a thriving advice organisation that is part of the national Citizens Advice network. Our services are delivered by a team of around 40 paid staff and 60 volunteers. We have a typical annual turnover of £2 million and in addition to our core advice service, funded by Wandsworth Council, we have a range of projects funded by trusts, foundations and our local Integrated Care System.

While we’re proud of the number of residents we support, we know that we can’t meet demand for advice and that marginalised communities don’t always come to established organisations for support. Because of this, we place equal value on improving reach and access through creative collaboration with equity-led organisations, partnership development and capacity building.

Why we need you

Are you trained in money advice or are you willing to build on existing advice experience? Are you passionate about helping others and could you thrive in this rewarding role?

We’re looking for a motivated individual to join us as a Debt Advisor. This crucial role is supported by the Crisis and Resilience Fund and involves giving a full range of debt advice, including dealing with emergencies, budgeting advice, income maximisation and developing a debt strategy. The aim of the role is to support clients throughout their individual journey and help them build financial resilience so they can avoid problems in future. This will involve providing holistic advice and support, following up to ensure clients are empowered to resolve issues and, where needed, helping them to challenge debts and contact creditors.

Familiarity with Citizens Advice is helpful but not essential. We’re looking for someone with experience of advice services but you don’t need to be fully qualified, just share our values and have the ability to grow into the role. Trainees will receive a complete package of MaPS accredited training and one-to-one support from our specialist debt advisers, with the aim of being qualified and working on the activities below within a month.

What will you be doing? 

You’ll make an impact every day by:

Offering support with debt issues face-to-face, by phone and through digital channels.
Delivering advice on money and budgeting, empowering clients to feel more in control of their affairs and providing tailored support based on each of their needs.
Supporting clients with appropriate referrals and signposts, such as for DRO applications.
Helping clients to maximise their income from work and benefits, where needed connecting them to external support to improve employability, wellbeing, etc.
Negotiating with creditors, providing follow-up support and acting on behalf  of clients with more support needs.
Working alongside colleagues in Battersea and Roehampton, taking referrals and supporting our drop-in services.

Why you should join our team

You’ll be part of a dynamic voluntary sector organisation that has a strong track record for quality, innovation and successful delivery. You’ll also be part of a diverse and friendly team who are passionate about supporting people out of hardship and poverty. You can read more about the support and benefits we offer here.

Our commitment to EDI

We’re passionate about promoting equity, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people but particularly people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and people with disabilities, as these groups are currently under-represented in our team.

How to apply

To apply for one of these roles, please send your CV and a supporting statement to recruitment@cawandsworth.org before the closing date. Your supporting statement shouldn’t be longer than two pages of A4 and should demonstrate how you meet the criteria below. Your supporting statement and CV should be Word files, not PDF or another format.

We recognise that generative AI can be a useful tool when applying for a job, but what we’re interested in is your individual motivation, skills, experience and values. To make your application stand out, it’s best to avoid standard AI responses and have your statement reflect your own thoughts and experiences.

If you want to discuss the role before applying, please email recruitment@cawandsworth.org with your contact details and daytime availability.

For this this role we’re taking applications on a rolling basis and will offer an interview if you’re shortlisted.