Do you have some spare time and want to do something rewarding? Become an Advice Assistant for Citizens Advice Oxford and help your local community. You will gain new skills, meet new people, and feel part of a mutually supportive community. We welcome volunteers from all walks of life – the more diverse, the better.
Click on the links below to find out more about the work of Advice Assistants.
► What will you do?
complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
work with Citizens Advice advisers to help clients with specific tasks
write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
Some examples of what you could do:
make initial contact with a client who has been referred by an external agency or self-referred via the postcard system
record details of new clients on our client management system (Casebook)
book appointments for existing clients
complete referrals to external agencies such as foodbanks or other advice centres
respond to simple e-mail enquiries
cover the office phone on a rota basis to book or reschedule appointments for existing clients
find information on the Citizens Advice public website, Gov.uk and Shelter within the subject areas of benefits, housing, consumer and family.
help clients to write letters using template and sample letters on the public website, AdviserNet and Shelter complete income and expenditure forms with clients
help a client to find a lawyer
help a client to switch energy provider
► What's in it for you?
make a real difference to people’s lives.
learn about a range of issues such as benefits and debt.
build on valuable skills such as communication and listening.
increase your employability
work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
have a positive impact in your community.
And we’ll reimburse expenses too.
► What do 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 good listening skills
have excellent verbal and written communication skills
have good maths and IT skills
be able to understand information and explain it to others
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?
Ideally we ask for 8 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 12 months. We can be flexible so come and talk to us.
► Valuing inclusion
Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. If you are interested in becoming an adviser and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.
► How to apply to become an Advisor
Either apply now by clicking the button below, or if you have more questions about this role, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
