Overview of the role:
In addition to North Warwickshire Citizens Advice’s first aim, to provide free, confidential, impartial advice to everyone in the community, the second twin aim of the organisation is to campaign for change to improve people’s lives.
Our Research & Campaigns team use information and data collected from the issues brought to North Warwickshire Citizens Advice by clients, using this to undertake crucial campaign work in order to influence social policy, both locally and nationally.
The activities that a member of the Research & Campaigns team may undertake are:
- Identifying common, or unfair, problems that clients come for help about.
- Completing and collating evidence forms that record information about these problems clients experience.
- Working with other members of the Research & Campaigns team to share information and raise campaigns issues.
- Identifying issues requiring attention, raising these within North Warwickshire Citizens Advice and at relevant meetings.
- Helping volunteers and staff at North Warwickshire Citizens Advice to identify particular issues; assisting them with understanding the causes of the problems, how they affect clients, and what changes would solve these problems.
- Helping to support volunteers and staff in spotting particular issues and completing evidence forms.
- Helping to organise campaigns with the aim of raising awareness of particular problems or issues. This could involve creating materials which could be used to explain the problems to others, such as local MP’s, councillors, government or members of the public.
- Helping to organise campaigns with the aim of getting the organisation that has been identified as causing a problem, to change the way they do things. This could mean meeting with organisations, people or elected bodies, writing to them or holding events to campaign for change.
- Media campaigning and liaising with other organisations and agencies to provide a voice for clients.
- Helping national Citizens Advice carry out research about how certain issues affecting clients in the local area. For example, this could involve doing client surveys to find out how changes in certain issue areas are affecting them.
What’s in it for you?
- make a real difference to people’s lives
- learn about a range of areas such as benefits, debt and housing, and how problems in these areas can affect clients
- build on valuable skills such as communication, research, campaigns, how to engage with a range of audiences and working with clients
- increase your employability
- have a positive impact in your community and on broader society
What you need to have:
You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but you’ll need to:
- be friendly and approachable
- be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
- have excellent verbal and written communication skills
- be able to understand complex information and explain it (verbally and writing) so that others understand it
- have good IT skills
- be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and Data Protection
- be willing to undertake training in your role.
How much time do you need to give?
We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer within the fundraising role; on average we ask for a minimum of one to two days per week (Monday – Friday) commitment to this role, which can be flexibly undertaken throughout the week. Please come and talk to us to let us know what time commitment you can offer.
What does the training look like?
On joining North Warwickshire Citizens Advice, you will receive a full induction and introduction into the service. On completion of this, you will receive comprehensive training on the systems and processes required within your role, and receive full support and guidance from your Supervisor and the Training team.
After your introduction and induction with North Warwickshire Citizens Advice, you will begin the specific Research & Campaigns Training programme. This will include a blended learning approach of in-person sessions at one of our offices, online sessions over Microsoft Teams and e-learning modules. This training plan will allow you to gain all the learning and experience required to become a fully-trained member of our Research & Campaigns team.