Volunteer in South Glos
Looking to volunteer in South Glos and help your community?
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire offers a range of volunteering opportunities including Generalist Advisers, Receptionists and Disability Forms Advisers.
These are important roles which can involve helping people with issues including benefits, debt, housing and cost-of-living issues, among others.
It could involve welcoming people who are in need of help to our new Advice Centre in Yate.
Or it could mean meeting with our clients – the people we help – at our regular weekly drop-ins across South Gloucestershire.
These include Cadbury Heath, Stoke Gifford, Lyde Green, Thornbury, Kingswood, Bradley Stoke, Emersons Green, Staple Hill & Mangotsfield, Westerleigh & Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell.
Volunteering is central to what our charity is able to achieve in South Glos and we would love to bring you on board with our brilliant team.
Why volunteer in South Glos?
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire is a vital advice charity in the South West. We help more than 8,000 people per year with a wide range of issues including benefits, debt, housing, relationships and employment among others. And our dedicated volunteers are essential to what we do. Our 20 volunteers give 200 hours a week to help the people of South Gloucestershire and have secured £17.6 million in financial outcomes for the people we support in the past year.
Volunteers are the backbone of Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire and we would love for you to volunteer with us. We put the highest priority on ensuring that our team of volunteers receive full, up-to-date training. They are also expertly supported on a day to day basis. This ensures that people who use the service receive the best service possible. We are always exploring new and better ways of making volunteering worthwhile. Joining our team can mean more fulfillment, opportunity and learning for you.
We’d love it if you could join our team and help us deliver top-quality advice to those who need it in our community. It’s a hugely rewarding role – and we have many team members who have stayed with us for years.
Step 1 – Choose a role
There are lots of ways that you can volunteer with us at Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire. You could become a:
Step 2 – Apply
To apply to volunteer in South Glos, please contact our Finance and Admin Manager Amanda Wood at bureau@sgloscab.cabnet.org.uk to ask for an application form.
Step 3 – Training
Generalist Advisers will train one day a week for a period of around five months. After this, trainees will begin seeing clients under constant supervision for a period of at least six months and until they complete the Certificate in Generalist Advice Work. The training period is shorter for Receptionists and Disability Forms Advisers.
Step 4 – Start volunteering
Every day volunteering with us will be different – and you’ll get huge satisfaction from being able to give vital help to those who need it in South Gloucestershire. You’ll gain valuable skills, benefit from excellent support and supervision and join a brilliant team.
To begin with, you’ll be based at our Yate Advice Centre (see map below) but there is potential for you to volunteer across South Gloucestershire in one of our drop-ins at Cadbury Heath, Stoke Gifford, Lyde Green, Thornbury, Kingswood, Bradley Stoke, Emersons Green, Staple Hill & Mangotsfield, Westerleigh & Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell.
Benefits of volunteering
If you are taking up a role of Generalist Adviser, we ask that you commit to giving volunteer help twice a week for two years of work with the charity.
Benefits for volunteering in South Glos with us include:
- Travel expenses paid (45p a mile)
- Dedicated training programme with visiting speakers at monthly team meetings
- The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in your community as part of a supportive team
Volunteer in South Glos – FAQs
How can I volunteer in South Glos with Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire?
If you want to volunteer in South Glos with Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire – choose from our volunteer vacancies, apply by emailing us and asking for an application form, complete our training and start volunteering with our charity!
Do I need experience?
Experience of the advice sector is not necessary to volunteer in South Glos with our charity. You will receive all the training you need and benefit from ongoing supervision and support. We welcome people with a wide range of life and work experiences.
What will I get out of it?
You’ll get huge satisfaction from being able to provide vital help to people in your community with problems such as benefits, debt, housing and cost-of-living issues. You’ll get great supervision and support throughout your time with us. And you’ll enjoy the camaraderie of being part of an excellent team.
How much time do I need to commit?
It is hoped that all new volunteers will commit themselves to two years voluntary work in the Bureau. The charity asks that advice workers do a minimum of two sessions per week. The rota will be negotiable, but flexibility will be important.
Certain days may be particularly busy when one or more extensions may be operating. As others will cover for you when you are on holiday, it is hoped that you will cover for others. The time commitment will commence from the start of the training. Teamwork is an essential feature of working in the service.
How long does training take?
For the Generalist Adviser role, the total training time will be approximately five months. It takes about six months from the start of basic training to the day when a new worker can go on the rota. There is a further six months during which the new adviser is under supervision. By the end of this period the adviser will hope to have achieved the competencies which make up the Certificate in Generalist Advice Work.
At an appropriate time, trainees sit in and observe interviews with clients and later progress to conducting supervised interviews under the guidance of an experienced adviser. Training is also given in writing up case notes at the conclusion of an interview. Each training programme is organised by the Training Officer, who is an experienced adviser.
The training time and requirements are different for other roles, such as Receptionist and Disability Forms Adviser.
Will I need to attend Team Meetings?
Team Meetings are held monthly. You will be asked to attend as many of these as you can due to the training content.
Our aims and principles
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire is opposed to all forms of racism and discrimination and is committed to ensuring that all services are equally available to all people. We:
- Resist and challenge acts of discrimination and undertakes to support our clients and staff when confronted with racial harassment.
- Work to uphold the Equality Act 2010.
- Are an Equal Opportunities employer and encourage participation of all ethnic groups at all levels of the service.
We provide free, confidential and independent information, guidance and support to individuals, using our experience to help improve the service we offer.
We maintain professional standards of service and rely on the commitment of our volunteers.
