Volunteer Calltaker/Telephone Assessor

This is a combined role. All telephone Assessors start in the role of a Calltaker.  Progression as a Telephone Assessor will depend on your ability and progress to develop the necessary information, interviewing and assessment skills to provide the calltaker role and our assessment based on your readiness for the telephone Assessor role.

As a Volunteer Calltaker you are the first point of telephone contact for our clients on our Adviceline helpline. 

The aim of the calltaker role is to provide a friendly and welcoming first contact with our service, explain the service we provide, establish through a short scripted conversation why the client is calling and provide those with some straightforward enquiries signposting to other more appropriate organisations, or some limited information or offering a callback within 24hours from a Telephone Assessor for more complex enquiries that need greater exploration or involve disputes or a need for advice for a more in depth assessment of advice need and relevant next step(s).

As a Volunteer Telephone Assessor you will explain your role to the client, sensitively, effectively and in a timely fashion, interview clients on the telephone about their enquires to assess what information, advice or support they need and provide them with self-help information, signposting to most relevant other organisations or offer to book them advice appointments with our partner advisers or make referrals to our advice partners to help with a wide range of problems they face. Topics are wide ranging from debt and housing queries to immigration. Currently, we are experiencing a high volume of calls from people seeking information on their employment rights, claiming Universal Credit and housing matters as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. 

A Volunteer Telephone Assessor is a diverse, interesting and challenging role and key skills are to understand the enquiry, know where to source relevant and appropriate independent information and assess what next steps are most appropriate taking into account the nature of the enquiry and the capability and resources of the client. You are not expected to learn and know everything or have a wide knowledge or experience of the  enquiry subjects but to be able to develop a good understanding and apply this to sourcing the relevant information or signposting.

You will undergo an intensive 13 week remote training programme, which will help in developing the skills and knowledge needed to deliver an excellent level of service to our clients. Once you have progressed to taking calls you will be fully supported by a Supervisor throughout your volunteering shift.

In light of the current Covid-19 crisis this role is more important than ever to provide vital information to those who have been adversely affected by the crisis. 

We are looking for volunteers who are able to give a minimum commitment of 9 months and unfortunately we are unable to accept any applications from individuals who cannot commit to this timeframe. 

To volunteer in this role you must have a personal laptop or PC, a private and secure internet connection and a confidential space to perform the role. 

This role will give you a good foundation in our work. After several months in the Telephone Assessor role volunteering 2 days per week, and once we agree you are ready to move onto the next step, you can train to become a Claims Assistant assisting clients with completing benefit related forms i.e. Personal Independence payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance (AA). Training to become a Claims Assistant takes 6-8 weeks (which may vary depending on the individual and the needs of the organisation.)  

What’s in it for you?

• have a positive impact in your community 
• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt and housing 
• Increase your employability – gain experience and skills to add to your CV and promote to future employers
• Developmental opportunities allowing you to train as an Adviser where you can further your knowledge and experience
• Become a part of the amazing volunteer and Citizens Advice Lewisham team in response to Covid-19

What do you need to have?

You will need to have a personal laptop/PC, a private, secure internet connection and a confidential space to perform the role..

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

• be able to work from home and independently but still within the boundaries of Citizens Advice and the role
• have a confidential working space and adhere to the Great Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Citizens Advice confidentiality guidelines
• meet the time commitment for volunteering
• be friendly and approachable
• have the ability to multi-task
• have excellent listening skills
• have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• have good maths and IT skills
• be able to understand complex or detailed information and explain it to others simply and in plain English
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
• 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 and be self-disciplined to undertake the learning independently where required 

How much time do you need to give?

We are looking for volunteers who are available Monday to Friday during the day (9.30am – 4pm). Please note we are closed evenings and weekends.

We expect all new volunteers to complete a compulsory induction for two days each week which can be done at home. One day must be a Thursday which is our group training day. 

During your induction you will be fully supported by staff at Citizens Advice Lewisham guiding you through the aims, principles and policies of Citizens Advice Lewisham and the learning for the role. After you have completed your induction we ideally ask for minimum 2 days per week, which can be spread over three days, for at least 6 months.

Valuing inclusion

Citizen Advice Lewisham is committed to equality and diversity and we recognise that we can learn from people with different backgrounds, skills, and experiences to meet the needs of our clients more effectively. Therefore we welcome individuals from all backgrounds to apply for our volunteer roles

Commitment to Safer Recruitment 

Citizen Advice Lewisham is committed to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. As you will be working with members of the community who may be vulnerable, this role is subject to two references and a DBS check. Please note that a criminal conviction will not prevent you from volunteering in this role. Please contact us using the details below to discuss any concerns around these checks. 

Contact details

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Telephone Assessor and would like to discuss this role further please contact us via [email protected].