1. Menu Can you help by volunteering? What do we offer you?
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Menu
Can you help by volunteering?
What do we offer you?
What volunteer roles are there?
Volunteer receptionist
Volunteer Gateway Assessor
Volunteer Adviser
Reception & Gateway Assessor training
Adviser training
About Leeds & Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureaux
Our aims
The principles of the CAB service
How to apply
Further information

2. Can you help us by volunteering?
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Can you help us by volunteering?
CAB volunteers come from all walks of life with a varied range of experience. All new volunteers receive full training for their role at the CAB.
What sort of skills and experience do you need to become a Leeds or Chapeltown CAB volunteer? You need to…
…have the capacity and willingness to learn
…have good literacy and numeracy skills
…be confident in dealing with people
…have good written and verbal communication skills
…be committed to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service
…have good computer and IT skills
…have enough time

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What do we offer you?
As a volunteer you’ll be giving us so much but we hope you’ll agree that we can offer you something back. We offer you:
Full training through group sessions, observation & self study
Ongoing support and training
Certain out of pocket expenses including travel within Leeds
A travel and child care expenses scheme
A friendly environment which recognises and values the skills and contribution of volunteers
Personal satisfaction and self development
A stimulating role where you learn about different aspects of life “ “
Volunteering at CAB provides an interesting, stimulating and enjoyable challenge. Marion

4. “ “ What volunteer roles are there?
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What volunteer roles are there?
There are a number of different volunteering opportunities available at both Leeds and Chapeltown CAB.
 Adviser
 Gateway Assessor
Receptionist
Full details of each role are available by clicking on the above links
We may from time to time have other roles available e.g. Administration, Social Policy, IT and Trustee
We need people for different roles at different times, so our volunteer vacancies vary. See our website for current volunteering opportunities. “
Volunteering at CAB became the most enjoyable part of my week. After a while I started to question why I was working in a job I enjoyed less than what I was doing for free each week. Once I had built up enough skills and experience I applied for paid positions and am now in the Money Advice Team - and much happier for the whole week! Julie B. “

5. Volunteer Receptionist
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Volunteer Receptionist
Volunteer Receptionists are part of a team providing the first point of contact for clients who use our service.
As a Reception Volunteer you would do some or all of the following:
Set up the waiting room and prepare paperwork
Welcome clients
Update the reception log
Make appointments
Give out information
Record client details
Make reminder calls for next day’s appointments
Telephone reception work
Other administrative tasks
For this role we are looking for volunteers who can offer at least one day a week.

6. Volunteer Gateway Assessor
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Volunteer Gateway Assessor
The Gateway Assessor provides a crucial service to the Bureau by making an initial assessment of clients’ needs either on the phone or face to face. This role involves more interaction with clients than any of our other volunteering roles.
The Gateway Assessor’s duties include:
Identifying the nature of the client’s enquiry
Assessing the level of service required by the client
Offering and explaining information to clients
Identifying cases which require urgent action
Liaising with Bureau staff and making internal appointments where appropriate
Referring or signposting clients to external agencies
Recording details and enquiries on our electronic case recording system
For this role we are looking for volunteers who can offer 1½ days per week for the first six weeks and then at least two half-days per week for at least nine months

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Volunteer Adviser
Advisers give advice to clients on an individual basis once an assessment has been made by the Gateway Assessor.
The Adviser’s role includes:
Exploring the client’s situation and identifying what the client wants
Researching the client’s rights on our Information System and explaining options available to the client
Helping the client to take action including filling in forms, drafting letters and making phone calls
Recording client and enquiry details on our case management system
Attending training in order to develop competence as an adviser
For this role we are looking for volunteers who can offer two days a week for the first 4 months and then at least a day and a half each week for at least another 14 months

8. This is the minimum period we ask you to commit to for volunteering.
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Receptionist & Gateway Assessor training
Receptionists at Chapeltown CAB receive on the job training. All other gateway or reception volunteers attend group training 1 day a week for 6 weeks, plus observation, self study and assessment in the Bureau. During this period you are asked to commit to 1½ days volunteering per week.
During the group training period trainees learn the skills and procedures they will need for the role.
Initial training takes 6 – 8 months to complete and leads to the Level 2 Certificate in Supporting the Provision of Legal Advice. Trainees are supported throughout by a Guidance Tutor with whom regular learning reviews take place.
After the group training trainees begin working with clients whilst continuing their training and assessment. Receptionists are asked to commit to 1 day per week and Assessors to two ½ days per week.
WEEKS 1 - 6
9 MONTHS
6-8 MONTHS
2-6 MONTHS
This is the minimum period we ask you to commit to for volunteering.

9. Advisers are asked to commit to at least 1½ days per week.
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Adviser training
After the group training trainees begin working with clients whilst continuing their training and assessment. Trainees are supported throughout by a Guidance Tutor with whom regular learning reviews take place.
The training takes 9 – 14 months to complete and leads to a Level 3 Award in the provision of initial legal advice.
Advisers are asked to commit to at least 1½ days per week.
This involves attending group training 1 day a week for 15 weeks, plus observation, self study and assessment in the bureau. During this period you are asked to commit to 2 days volunteering per week.
During the group training period trainees learn the skills, knowledge and procedures they will need for the role.
16 MONTHS
WEEKS
4-14 MONTHS
This is the minimum period we ask you to commit to for volunteering as an Adviser.

10. “ “ About Leeds & Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureaux
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About Leeds & Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureaux
Our clients and volunteers come from all walks of life. We are committed to providing an independent advice service, and volunteering opportunities, to the whole community. Leeds and Chapeltown CAB are both run as independent charities although they have close links and share some recruitment and training.
We provide up to date information and advice over the phone and face to face using our unique electronic information system. We link clients up with other services and agencies, help write letters and complete forms, negotiate with creditors and make phone calls on clients’ behalf . “
Click here to continue…
The service does not work without volunteers, so I know what I’m doing is important. I learn new things all the time, about life and situations outside my comfortable existence. I learn about myself too! Barbara W. “

11. “ “ About Leeds & Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureaux
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About Leeds & Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureaux
The problems we are most often asked about concern: benefits, debt, housing or employment, but we will help people who come to us with any enquiry including consumer rights, legal matters and immigration. “
Volunteering at CAB has been an overwhelming experience and I feel honoured to have been able to bring positive changes into people’s lives. Very supportive staff to work with and a great way to learn new skills. Uma
DEBT
BENEFITS
HOUSING
EMPLOYMENT “
Our advisers don’t tell clients what to do, but explain their options and the possible outcomes of different courses of action. Clients are encouraged to make their own decisions and act on their own behalf. We enable clients to manage their own problems by focusing on their needs as individuals.

12. Our aims #1 Provide the advice people need for the problems they face
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Our aims
#1 Provide the advice people need for the problems they face
The CAB provides information, guidance and support. We do this to enable people to make informed decisions about their lives, so that they can solve their own problems, using their own skills and abilities.
We achieve this by offering:
Advice to inform clients of their rights and responsibilities
Accurate and up to date information on a wide range of issues
A choice of options to clients and opportunity for them to decide how any action should be carried out, and by whom
Help with completion of forms, calculations, letter writing, telephone negotiations etc
Referral to a more appropriate agency where the advice or information required by a client is beyond the scope of the CAB and/or a better service is available elsewhere
#2 To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives
We make use of the experience and knowledge we gain from working with individual clients to try to prevent similar problems arising for others. This means…
We gather information based on our work with individual clients and using this information to try and influence policy makers and providers of services
On a local level, we monitor local policies and practices and the effect of these on clients visiting the Bureau, often involving working with other organisations in the city
On a national level, we report to our umbrella organisation, Citizens Advice, any underlying problems with a regional or national policy, service or practice which we have identified through working with our clients

13. Citizens Advice opposes all discrimination
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The 5 principles of the CAB service
Citizens Advice opposes all discrimination
We insist that all our clients are treated with respect and proper consideration. The Service has been committed to equality since its foundation. We believe that everyone should have access to employment and services, and that everyone is entitled to fair treatment. Citizens Advice seeks to make sure that a quality service is available to everyone who might use it.
IMPARTIAL
The Service is open to everyone. We expect everyone who works for Citizens Advice to be able to offer an impartial service. This means offering a service that is not influenced by our own or other people’s prejudices and personal beliefs.
CONFIDENTIAL
Nothing our clients tell us will be passed on to anyone outside the CAB Service without their permission, including the fact they have visited the Bureau. The service we provide is based on trust and without that trust it would not exist.
Our 5 principles
FREE
The Service is free, regardless of whether or not a client can afford to pay - This is because we do not believe that access to information and advice should be means-tested.
INDEPENDENT
The Service is completely independent. In terms of the advice and information we offer, we are responsible to our clients and not to our funders. We are therefore able to give impartial advice on all enquiries and to take up any issue with the appropriate authority on behalf of individuals and groups.

14. How to apply If you can answer Yes to the following…
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How to apply
If you can answer Yes to the following…
Do you support our aims and principles?
Do you have good literacy and numeracy skills?
Do you have good computer skills?
Do you have enough time?
…please look at the Leeds CAB website for current volunteer opportunities and our application form - you can submit an application at other times and we will hold it on file. We run a number of volunteer training programmes throughout the year which have a fixed number of places.
Then save, complete and return the application form.
Applications received are reviewed and those selected are invited for interview.

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Further information
Leeds CAB is made up of a main office in the city centre and 4 community bureaux located in Crossgates, Morley, Otley and Pudsey.
Chapeltown CAB is an independent charity, however the two bureaux have close links and recruitment/training of volunteers is shared.
If you have any questions or require more information
Jane Pearse at
Phone
For information about other volunteering opportunities in Leeds visit the Doing Good in Leeds website
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