Andover & District
Citizens Advice Bureau

Staff Manual - Promoting Team Work

Introduction

Becoming a volunteer adviser with Andover Citizens Advice Bureau involves both you and the bureau in certain responsibilities and duties. This is to ensure the best possible service and smooth running of the organisation for the benefit of clients. There is a need to be able to work as part of the team; to offer support to your colleagues and receive support from them in return. This document clarifies these responsibilities and duties, both for reference and to avoid future misunderstanding.

Equal Opportunities

Andover Citizens Advice Bureau aims to be an equal opportunities organisation. In practice this means that we aim to provide an environment for clients and staff that is genuinely welcoming to people of all backgrounds.

Discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation or religion is actively opposed and positive steps to overcome disadvantage are encouraged.

All advisers are required to conform to the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies - particularly observing strict confidentiality.

Confidentiality

No information about the client or their enquiry, including the fact of their visit, should be passed on to anyone outside the bureau without the client's permission. In some cases you may feel the breaching of confidentiality is necessary; the bureau takes responsibility for the decisions of its volunteers.

Training

You have been, or will be, trained by an experienced tutor to nationally accredited standards to give advice on a comprehensive range of issues. External accreditation is available in certain circumstances. Experienced bureau staff will support you throughout your training.

Basic training normally takes four to six months, depending on trainees, tutors and availability of courses. Approximately 12 weeks is with the guidance tutor. During this time you will also come into the bureau and observe an advice session with your mentor. A four-day course then follows which is run over four weeks to learn interviewing techniques. Other appropriate training may be arranged according to the individual needs and/or legislative changes.

Meetings

As part of a large team of volunteers, who are generally in the bureau only once or twice a week, you have an opportunity to meet together every six weeks at staff meetings. It is part of your commitment to the bureau that you attend these meetings as they are very important.

As well as frequently providing a trainer or speaker of interest, these meetings give us a chance to discuss and agree issues relating to the day-to-day work of the bureau. Other formal and informal training is arranged as appropriate.

Expenses

Free car parking is provided at the Wolversdene Club. (Passes are available from the bureau manager). All other parking is paid at the discretion of the manager. Tea, coffee and biscuits are supplied and there is a jar for anyone who wishes to donate - a suggestion of 50p per month was made. All travel expenses will be paid at the rate of 40p per mile or public transport costs reimbursed.

Volunteers need to record attendance in the Bureau Diary. A record should be kept of mileage and other expenses, and claims made at monthly intervals on the appropriate form. Claims should be received by the last Friday of the month and will be paid by BACS or by cheque. Late claims will be in reimbursed at the discretion of the treasurer.

Giving Advice

Staff have access to a comprehensive information system and reference books with regular updates. There is also monthly and mid-monthly reading on a wide variety of topical issues, information about other Citizens Advice Bureaux, social policy and many other issues through Citizens Advice as well as information on local services and agencies.

Should you wish to specialise in, or develop a particular area of work, and there is a need, encouragement, support and training will be given as available.

Advisers are expected to keep up-to-date with information through regularly checking reading files, message book and personal files, initialing to confirm this were appropriate.

Clients are interviewed either face-to-face, by telephone or by email. Through skills gained on training and the use of appropriate information sources, each client's needs should be identified and options shown. Social policy work should be undertaken in accordance with procedures. Accuracy of information given should always be checked with information sources and clear CASE reporting made for each client.

Support and Supervision

Working as part of the team, you can expect support, consultation and practical assistance with any problems experienced. No adviser is left alone in the Bureau when it is open. You should expect to be working in an open, friendly and supportive environment.

The Manager will always try to resolve any problem to the satisfaction of the staff. If you have an issue or grievance affecting the work of the Bureau that you feel has not been satisfactorily resolved, you have the right to take it up through the staff representative, or the Vice Chair or Chair of the Trustee Board.

In general, when on duty you are expected to work as part of the team, sharing the workload, giving mutual support, respecting your fellow workers and sharing the routine tasks.

The Bureau aims to ensure staff are properly supported and, as part of the process, you are expected to attend an annual appraisal. This is to allow a confidential review of your work in the Bureau and to give you the chance to input into Bureau plans.

Errors and Liability

The Bureau is very well insured. If mistakes are made by any adviser, they will not be individually liable for any action the client may take. The Bureau assumes full liability.

If you realise that a mistake has been made, or you think one may have been made, you should inform the supervisor as soon as possible.

Hours and Holidays

Advisers are allocated a regular time slots on the rota. The Manager or Deputy Manager will arrange cover for emergencies (such as illness) which should be notified as early as possible.

As much advance notice as possible of holidays should be given to the Deputy Manager. Generally six weeks are allocated per year. There is a leave chart for advisers on the lift door; please put stickers up for your holidays.

Breaks are taken through arrangement with other members of the team and if working a full day, a half hour lunch break is recommended. Please let a paid member of staff know if you leave the bureau for lunch.

A minimum of six hours interviewing per week is normally expected. This can be either one full day (9:15 am - 3:30 pm) or two half days (9:15 am - 12:30 pm or 12:15 pm - 3:30 pm). Flexible hours can also be arranged individually. Additional time should be allowed to keep up to date with reading, this can be done on arrival. Writing up of case notes should take place during the session but additional time may be needed for follow-up work.

Advisers are requested to notify the bureau of any absences as soon as possible.