Plymouth CAB
Water Debt Gateway - Administrative Support Worker
Job Description
Job Title: Water Debt Gateway - Administrative Support Worker
Salary Scale: £15,000 (Admin scale £14 - £17,000, initially funded at £15,000) Plus 3% Scottish Widows stakeholder pension
Working hours: 22.5 hours per week
Responsible to: FreshStart Fund Manager
Initially this post is offered on a fixed term contract for 3 months as this is the funding available. An extension of the present funding arrangements may be possible.
This post will support the Plymouth CAB Water Debt Gateway/FreshStart team in running a project providing financial assistance and guidance to South West Water (SWW) customers who are experiencing financial difficulty.
You will need to have previous experience of administrative work, good communication skills, and be well organised.
Excellent IT and decision making skills are essential and you should enjoy working as part of a busy and motivated team.
In addition it would be beneficial to have an understanding of debt and welfare benefit advice. However this is not essential to apply for this post.
An application pack can be found on our website www.plymouthcab.org.uk or from
This post is funded by SWW and subject to regular review.
Closing date: Noon 17th March 2014
Shortlisting 17th March
Interviews: 1st April 2014
Background note
Water Debt Gateway / Freshstart Fund
FreshStart is a scheme funded by South West Water (SWW) to provide financial assistance to SWW customers who are experiencing financial difficulty. The scheme is now in its 3rd year and Plymouth CAB Water Debt Gateway team administer the scheme independently of South West Water. The FreshStart Fund sits alongside WaterCare and WaterSure in South West Water’s affordability toolkit and superceded the old Special Assistance Fund.
The Water Debt Gateway team receive applications by email, telephone and post from debt advice agencies within the SWW area. Many customers will already have received debt and benefit advice and have completed a common financial statement so there will be no face to face work with clients. However the team complete many telephone interviews to obtain and collate information. Queries do not normally generate casework but some will generate sign posting.
The emphasis of the scheme will be on helping people who are new to debt, vulnerable, in water poverty and who need time and assistance to adjust to their new circumstances. The primary aim of the FreshStart Fund is to aid customers whose financial or personal situation would benefit from the immediate write off of debt, and/or, possibly, fund subsidy of charges on a temporary basis for a short and finite period of time.
In addition the team are now looking to manage the South West Water Watercare tariff. This is a new subsidised tariff which is designed to help customers on a low income.
Plymouth CAB
February 2013
Plymouth CAB
Water Debt Gateway - Administrative Support Worker
Job Title: Water Debt Gateway - Administrative Support Worker
Salary Scale: £15,000 (Admin scale £14 - £17,000, initially funded at £15,000)
plus 3% Norwich Union stakeholder pension
Working hours: 22.5 hours per week (Job share not appropriate)
Responsible to: FreshStart Financial Officer
Overall Purpose of the Post
This post will support the Plymouth CAB Water Debt Gateway team in the efficient management of the FreshStart Fund to help clients in water debt and process applications for the South West Water Watercare tariff.
Responsibilities
To support the Water Debt Gateway team by providing administrative support.
To adhere to processes and procedures to ensure that the fund is managed as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
To update and maintain accurate statistical information for the project to ensure targets are being achieved.
To be able to accurately assess information provided with application forms in order to approve grants and approve tariff subsidies.
To be part of a strong administrative team within Plymouth CAB, providing cover and support for other team members.
To be a welcoming and efficient point of contact for agencies and customers.
Tasks
Assess Watercare tariff application forms, check quality of information/documents provided, make decisions and keep up to date records
Assess applications for assistance using the South West Water affordability toolkit and make appropriate referrals
Grant assessment
Liaising with clients and agencies by email and telephone
Complete financial statements for customers over the telephone
Word process letters, documents and reports as required
Use photocopier, scanner, fax and other office machines as appropriate
Use various software applications as necessary for the work involved, e.g. Word, Excel, Petra (Citizens Advice case recording system)
Create and maintain filing systems in accordance with the bureau’s systems and procedures
Maintain stationery, posters and leaflets as required
Maintain diaries and work records and make appointments
Answer the telephone, refer calls or take messages
Send and respond to e-mail
Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues
Any other relevant administrative and support duties required to ensure the smooth running of the unit.
Person specification
1. Administrative experience in an office environment, answering telephone, collating information, preparing documentation.
2. Ability to research, analyse and interpret information to be able to make decisions
3. Excellent IT skills and experience of commonly used packages including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
4. Good numeracy skills to a level required to carry out the tasks involved
5. The ability to relate to a wide range of people
6. Ability to monitor and maintain own standards
7. Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise own work, meet deadlines
8. Good interpersonal skills particularly on the telephone but also with colleagues
9. Written communication skills to level required for drafting correspondence, writing reports
10. Flexible approach and willingness to work as part of a team
11. Understanding and commitment to the principles of the CAB service and its equal opportunities
February 2014
CONFIDENTIAL APPLICATION FORM SECTION 1Recruitment
Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureau
Floor 2, Cobourg House, 32, Mayflower Street, PLYMOUTH PL1 1QX
Email address
Please refer to the Guidance Notes for Applicants before completing this application form.
We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds. Members of the recruitment panel will consider information you provide against the person specification for the role to decide whether you will be shortlisted for an interview. It is therefore essential that you complete the form fully and that you clearly demonstrate how you meet each point on the person specification. Please note that CVs are not accepted.
Candidate ref. number (for office use only):
Position applied for
Job title / Job reference
Location
Personal information and address for correspondence
First name(s)
Last name
Address
Postcode
Telephone home
Telephone work
May we contact you at work? / Yes/No
Mobile
We will normally contact you by e-mail, However, if you would prefer to be contacted using another method please let us know here:
Information, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
It is essential that you complete this section in full. Please refer to the Guidance Notes for Applicants for further details.
· Please explain and demonstrate how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the selection criteria for the post described in the Person Specification (found in the Job Pack).
· Please ensure that you address all the criteria on the person specification using the same order and numbers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
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15.
Career history
Please include your current / previous employment (including job training schemes), voluntary work, community activities, school placements, time caring for dependants etc. Please put in date order, starting with the most recent. (Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.)
Employer’s name and address and type of business. / State position held and outline briefly the nature of the work and your responsibilities.
Dates: / From / To
Reasons for leaving:
Dates: / From / To
Reasons for leaving:
Dates: / From / To
Reasons for leaving:
Dates: / From / To
Reasons for leaving:
If you have worked or volunteered in the Citizens Advice service within the last 5 years please provide further details. References will be taken up for successful candidates.
Employer’s name and address and type of business. / State position held and outline briefly the nature of the work and your responsibilities.
Dates: / From / To
Reasons for leaving:
Manager’s name and contact details:
Educational History
Please give details of educational qualifications you have obtained from school, college, university etc.
Subject / Level / Grade
Professional development
Please give details of any professional qualifications, including membership of any professional bodies and any job-related training that you have undertaken.
Criminal convictions
Have you had any previous convictions not regarded as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974? / Yes / No
If YES please provide details of the offence and the date of conviction.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working for [bureau} CAB – much will depend on the type of job you have applied for and the background and circumstances of your offence.
For some posts, an offer of employment will be subject to a CRB check. If this applies to the post for which you are applying, this will be noted in the application pack.
Please see Guidance Notes and Application Pack for further details
References
Please provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of two people who may be approached for references. One of these should be your present or most recent employer, the other could be someone who knows you in a work related, voluntary or academic capacity. Both referees should be able to comment on your suitability for the post applied for. References will only be taken up for successful candidates following interview.
Referee 1
Name
Address
Postcode
Telephone
In which context does this referee know you?
Referee 2
Name
Address
Postcode
Telephone
In which context does this referee know you?
Attachments
Have you attached any separate sheets or documents? / Yes/No / If yes how many?
Entitlement to work in the UK
A job offer will be subject to confirmation that you are permitted to work in the UK in accordance with the provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. You will be asked to provide evidence of your entitlement to work in the UK if you are successful and an offer of employment is made.
Please note that Citizens Advice does not hold a sponsor licence and, therefore, cannot issue certificates of sponsorship under the points-based system.
Declaration
Data Protection Statement: I consent to this information being processed and stored for the purpose of recruitment and selection at Plymouth CAB, and if appointed, for the purposes of employment at Plymouth CAB.
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge, the information I have provided on this application form is true and correct. I understand that if appointed on the basis of false information contained in this form, I may be summarily dismissed.
If you are sending your application form by e-mail, please mark this box
(as a substitute for your signature) to confirm that you agree to the above declaration.
Signed: / Dated:
Please return this form to
CONFIDENTIAL APPLICATION FORM SECTION 2Diversity monitoring
Please note Section 2 will be detached before sending your application to the recruitment panel for shortlisting.
Job title:
Candidate ref. number (for office use only):
The CAB service is committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
In order to achieve these aims we need to know about the diversity of people who apply to work in the service. Please help us by providing the following information.
All information will be treated confidentially and will be separated from your application form before making any selection decisions.
Data Protection Act 1998
Citizens Advice will record the information given for the purposes of recruitment and selection monitoring. If you become an employee of Citizens Advice the information will be processed for the purposes of personnel administration only. The information will be retained for monitoring purposes only.
Thank you for your co-operation.
This information will not affect your application.
Age
r <25 r 25-34 r 35-44 r 45-54 r 55-64 r 65+
Gender
r Female r Male r Prefer not to say
Ethnic origin
How would you describe yourself?
Choose one section and tick the appropriate box within it.
A White
r British
r English
r Scottish
r Welsh
r Northern Irish
r Irish
r Gypsy or Irish Traveller
r Any other White background, please state……………………………..
B Mixed Heritage
r White and Black Caribbean
r White and Black African
r White and Asian
r Any other Mixed background, please state…………………………….
C Asian or Asian British
r Indian
r Pakistani
r Bangladeshi
r Any other Asian background, please state……………………………
A SUMMARY GUIDE 7
D Black or Black British
r Caribbean
r African
r Any other Black background, please state……………………………
E Chinese or other ethnic group
r Chinese
r Arab
r Any other, please state………………………………….
F r Prefer not to say
Disability
The Citizens Advice service believes that people are disabled by the barriers society places in their way and not by their own impairments. We believe everyone has a role to play in society and we want the service to benefit from the widest range of talent available.
Do you consider yourself to be a disabled person or do you have a long-term health condition?
r Yes r No r Prefer not to say
Sexual orientation
What is your sexual orientation?
r Bisexual
r Gay man
r Gay woman / lesbian
r Heterosexual / straight
r Other
r Prefer not to say
Religion or belief
Which group below do you most identify with?
r No religion
r Christian (incl. Church of England, Catholic, Protestant & other denominations)