Team Lead - Health and Advice

Combination of home working and Wirral venues

Job Description

Please note that AI generated responses will not be permitted.

We reserve the right to close the post early if sufficient applications are received.

MAIN PURPOSE: 

To work as part of the wider Leads team to support the implementation and delivery of Citizens Advice Wirral projects and services across advice and/or health.  

Using innovative approaches to recruit, develop and manage staff and volunteers as well as ensuring the provision of high quality advice and social prescribing through telephone, face to face, email and other digital channels.  The post holder will also oversee the training and development of staff and volunteers to ensure agreed systems and processes are applied and will promote continued learning and development across the team.  This role will be an important link between management, staff and volunteers. 

A Team Lead will:

• Manage a busy integrated advice session, through which information and advice is given through a range of channels e.g. email, webchat, telephone and other digital channels.

• Lead on allocated projects, ensuring that a targeted approach is applied with targets set for each paid adviser and/or social prescriber (and a suggested target for volunteers), to ensure the contract KPI’s are achieved and that caseloads are manageable with clients assisted in a timely manner.

• To provide effective line management to staff, managing day to day activities to include induction, performance management, ensuring individual KPIs are met, supervision, appraisal, informal and formal disciplinary processes, staff wellbeing, leave management etc

• Drive forward Citizens Advice Wirral’s advice and/or social prescribing offer, to ensure greater access routes and make sure that it reaches the widest possible client group.

• Ensure vulnerable clients and clients with mental health issues are supported appropriately and that staff and volunteers understand how to meet the needs of those specific clients.

• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with other organisations including funders, partner organisations, other local charities and GP practices to ensure open channels of communication.  

• Regularly liaise with the other Team Leads and Managers to identify gaps in volunteer resources across the full service and develop volunteering role descriptions for new roles. 

• Support and develop existing staff and volunteers to ensure good customer service is offered and the service provided meets the required quality standards, providing additional training where quality is deemed to be poor.

• To provide cover for the other Lead roles, during periods of absence.

• Ensure that Citizens Advice Wirral’s aims, policies and procedures are followed in line with trustee and management requirements.

• Ensure that all advice conforms to the Citizens Advice Wirral’s systems and procedures and the Advice Quality Standard (AQS).

• Attend relevant internal and external meetings and prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/staff meetings as appropriate.

• Ensure GDPR compliant training is completed on an annual basis.

• Abide by health and safety guidelines, taking responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.

• Recognise the importance of safeguarding procedures within the organisation ensuring that any concerns, disclosures or allegations of abuse are immediately and correctly reported.

• Carry out any other tasks which may be within the scope of the post to ensure effective delivery and development of the service.  This may include supporting co-workers and volunteers to deliver the quality outcomes by providing cover during holiday periods and sickness;  attendance at occasional out of hours events in conjunction with the work of Citizens Advice Wirral and participation in fundraising activities; Manager in Charge duties for Citizens Advice Offices

  ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

  1) Holds level 2 qualifications (GCSE or equivalent)  in English and maths.

  2) Holds the Citizens Advice adviser certificate (or is willing to work towards this) and has experience of client facing work, ideally in the areas of advice or social prescribing 

  3) Experience of successfully leading staff and/or volunteers to achieve success

  4) A confident user of a range of IT packages, with an innovative approach to digital solutions, and the ability to embrace new technology in order to enhance service delivery.

  5) Able to motivate and challenge people to develop and reach their full potential - empowering and encouraging them whilst providing constructive feedback to facilitate improvements.

  6) Able to demonstrate a range of experience from different organisations or sectors, with an appetite for sharing these experiences and seeking new connections with other organisations.

  7) Ability to engage positively and confidently with people from a wide range of backgrounds and organisations so that they feel comfortable and at ease.

  8) Flexible and adaptable with the ability to embrace change and find new and innovative ways of working, providing a solution based approach.

  9) A commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and also to equity, diversity and inclusion.

  DESIRABLE CRITERIA:

  10) Knowledge of welfare benefits, in particular Universal Credit

  Interview date: Monday 10th February 2025

Interview location: Birkenhead, Wirral

Citizens Advice Wirral is part of the Disability Confident scheme. We're taking positive action by providing interviews to candidates who have a registered disability - provided they meet the minimum skills for the role. We'll ask you whether you are eligible when you apply, so if you'd like to be considered for this scheme, all you need to do is let us know in your application.

We are actively seeking to recruit Leads from underrepresented groups and encourage applications including people of colour, who are currently under-represented in our Leads and Management teams.