Specialist Casework roles

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire is seeking a Specialist Caseworker to deliver FCA regulated debt advice, including complex casework, with potential court/tribunal representation. The role requires sensitivity to clients in stress, and the ability to work across face-to-face, telephone, and digital channels.

You will manage a caseload, conduct income maximisation, and signpost to wider services, while upkeeping detailed client records and conforming to GDPR requirements.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills across a range of methods including face to face, telephone and digital platforms.
• Able to travel to locations across Leicestershire.
• Understanding of confidentiality and data protection responsibilities including GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Provide FCA regulated debt advice including complex casework and court/tribunal representation.
• Carry out income maximisation work and help clients access benefits.
• Maintain accurate client records and ensure continuity across service tiers.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Travel across Leicestershire

Confidentiality & GDPR

Numeracy

Experience in client-facing advice

Google Workspace IT skills

Education

Money Advice Service accredited qualification to caseworker or specialist level

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

Indicative Job Description & Person Specification

Specialist Caseworker

Typically £27,488 FTE (37 hrs) pro-rata for part-time hours Salary evaluations underway which may result in some salaries being re-evaluated - no salaries will be decreased

Full-time and part-time hours considered

Contract

Permanent

Location

Travel across Leicestershire to branches and community venues, plus some home working

Line Manager

Service Manager

People Management

This role has no line management responsibilities

DBS Check

This role is subject to a basic DBS check

Purpose of Role

Our client-facing advice services are delivered through a tiered model, with each tier reflecting the level of complexity and expertise required to support clients effectively. This role forms part of Tier 3 within the structure.

Tier 3 – Specialist Advice & Complex Casework

As a Specialist Caseworker (Tier 3), you will be a virtual part of our Citizens Advice LeicesterShire services delivering FCA regulated specialist debt advice including complex debt and housing intervention casework up to and including court or tribunal representation. You'll support local residents through a mixture of challenges including face to face, telephone and digital platforms.

If you are a qualified worker, you’ll hit the ground running; if you are joining us as a trainee we will provide full workplace training to support you every step of the way.

You will help clients navigate complex financial situations, explore their options, and empower them to take control of their financial future.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Listen carefully and sensitively to clients who may be highly stressed or vulnerable, giving them a safe, non-judgmental space to share their situation.
• Use our full range of specialist Money Advice tools to explore debt solutions, outlining clear options and their implications so clients can make well-informed decisions.
• Help clients identify priority and non-priority debts, giving them the information and confidence to act on their own behalf where possible.
• Where clients need you to step in, you will act on their behalf, calculating, negotiating, and acting on debts. This includes advising on remedies like disputed debts, debt relief orders (DROs), bankruptcy, and informal debt management plans.
• Deliver FCA regulated debt advice, including Debt Relief Orders, Breathing Space and creditor negotiation, and represent clients in formal processes up to and including court or tribunal representation.
• Provide complex debt and housing intervention for clients facing eviction, homelessness or housing related debt, drawing.
• Carry out income maximisation work, identifying and helping clients apply for any benefits or financial assistance they might be missing out on.
• Receive and action warm handovers from Tier 1 and Tier 2 services and route clients needing wider support back to the service, supporting a ‘no wrong door’ approach.
• Refer or signpost clients to other internal or external services so that all of their wider needs are fully met.

Casework Management and Administration

• Manage your own caseload effectively, making sure you plan ahead, meet deadlines, perform regular case reviews, and close cases in good time.
• Maintain accurate, high-quality client records and document production on our systems ensuring continuity for clients moving between tiers and partner organisations.
• Keep detailed monitoring and outcome statistics to satisfy both our internal management goals and our commissioning funders.
• Look out for your team by providing cover for colleagues when they are absent.

Targets

• Work towards the performance targets set by your Money Advice Service Manager, which keep us aligned with our funder requirements.
• Take ownership of your workflow, keeping your manager smoothly updated if you run into any difficulties meeting targets, or if reporting instructions change.
• Contribute real-life case studies to showcase the impact of our advice when required.

Professional Development and Training

• Undertake all necessary training to qualify and stay up to date with legislation, case law, and policies relating to Money Advice.
• Complete mandatory training on time and maintain your Continuous Professional Development (CPD) requirements.
• Complete accredited training to MaPS caseworker level / Shelter Housing training.
• Participate in regular case supervision.
• Prepare for and actively participate in team meetings, external sessions, supervision, and annual reviews.
• Stay curious by reading relevant professional publications to keep your knowledge sharp.

Research and Campaigning

• Play an active part in local and national campaigns by spotting trends and submitting evidence forms when client circumstances highlight systemic issues.
• After discussing with your manager, speak with clients about how they can get involved in our campaigns to create lasting change.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Share our deep commitment to the aims, principles and equal opportunities policies of Citizens Advice.
• Look after yourself and your colleagues by following our health and safety guidelines.
• Stay flexible and ready to accommodate reasonable changes to working hours or take on other duties to help our service run effectively.

Our Values

At Citizens Advice Leicestershire, everything we do is guided by our four core values. We expect all staff, volunteers and apprentices to demonstrate these in how they work

Person Specification

Criteria

Essential / Desirable

Measured by

• Committed to the aims, principles, and values of Citizens Advice LeicesterShire. A
• Able to travel to locations across Leicestershire. A
• Respectful and open to views, values and cultures different from your own. A
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, across a range of methods including face to face, telephone, digital platforms and email. A, I
• Able to plan and prioritise own workload, meeting deadlines and targets, with appropriate support. A, I
• Excellent IT skills across a range of applications, particularly with Google Workspace. A, T
• Able to work with numbers, including percentages. A, T
• Experience of delivering advice formally or working in a client-facing or customer-facing role. A
• An understanding of confidentiality and data protection responsibilities, including safe handling of sensitive personal information in line with GDPR. A
• Able to negotiate and act on behalf of clients, including representation in formal court or tribunal processes where required. A, I
• An understanding of the regulatory requirements attached to FCA regulated debt advice. A, I
• Able to research and interpret complex information to advise clients effectively. A, I
• An awareness of housing law / homeless prevention. A, I
• Already holding a Money Advice Service accredited qualification to caseworker or specialist level. A
• Already approved as Debt Relief Order (DRO) Intermediary. A
• Able to listen carefully, extract key information, and identify priority or time-sensitive issues. I, T
• Able to maintain clear, accurate, and timely records of work carried out with or on behalf of clients. I
• Able to receive and act on feedback professionally, and to challenge constructively when appropriate. I
• Able to engage with clients in a warm, non-judgmental way, including those who are in distress or in vulnerable circumstances. I
• Able to work well as part of a team, with a flexible, self-motivated approach and the ability to work independently when needed. I
• A willingness to learn and develop, including completing any required training, and ongoing CPD requirements. I
• Able to manage emotionally demanding work, sustain performance under pressure with appropriate support and maintain your own wellbeing over time. I

Home/Hybrid Working

For roles that include home working, it is a requirement that you have a reliable internet connection, a private space to work confidentially, and a safe, comfortable setup in line with our home working policy. You'll be trusted to manage your own time and work independently while remote. Because of restrictions on accessing our systems, your primary residence needs to be in England or Wales.