Research and Campaigns
Volunteer or Student Volunteer Placement
Citizens Advice in East Dorset and Purbeck is a local, independent charity who help people move forward with their lives. We offer free, confidential advice on a number of issues, including Benefits, Debt, Employment, Energy and Housing.
We have a vacancy for a Research & Campaigns volunteer to join our friendly team. You will help provide an insight into the challenges people are facing by working alongside our Advisers and team. This role may be suitable for a student who is looking to gain work experience or someone who is looking for a volunteer role where they can make a difference. Training will be provided. The role is for 1 day a week (5 hours), remote working is optional, with flexibility over the days worked.
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 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
What’s in it for you?
- an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
- make a real difference to the lives of people in your community
- learn about a range of legal issues within benefits, debt, employment, housing, family, immigration and consumer.
- build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and analysing
- increase your employability
- work with a range of different people, independently and in a team
- access to further training on a wide range of topics
How much time do you need to give?
You will volunteer for a minimum of 1day per week (5 hours), ideally more to help develop this role further.
Valuing inclusion
Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical, cognitive or mental health conditions, carers, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, and people from the global majority.
What might you do?
Support Citizens Advice in East Dorset & Purbeck with Research and Campaigns which could include:
- Encouraging Advisers to complete evidence forms
- Reviewing evidence forms (via our client data base) received to look for trends identifying issues our clients are facing and assessing ways we can assist in raising the profile of the issues to help people overall.
- Keeping up to date with National Citizens Advice calls for evidence to and updating CA EDP advisers
- Big picture awareness of local Evidence forms, client information, issue recording and case studies
- Suggestions of CA EDP actions, with awareness of the above and emerging Local issues
- Working with Head of Advice Services and Advice Session Supervisors in collecting stats and evidence, supporting local R&C campaigns.
- Attending meetings relating to R&C in person/online
- Raising the profile of the R&C work within CA EDP, including updating on the work via our monthly newsletter
- Suggesting data to include in briefing and reports and adding this to papers
- Collecting case studies
- Speaking to clients by phone/email
Support Local Citizen Advice Offices in Dorset with Research and Campaigns work which could include:
- Keeping up to date with National Citizens Advice calls for evidence to and updating local offices via Dorset R&C forum
- Big picture awareness of local Evidence forms, client information, Issue recording and case studies
- Suggestions of Dorset R&C actions, with awareness of the above and emerging local issues
- Working with local R&C teams in collecting stats and evidence, supporting local R&C campaigns.
- Suggesting data to include in briefing and reports and adding this to papers
- Collecting case studies
- Speaking to clients by phone/email
- Public promotion of Dorset R&C and specific campaigns/liaison
- Attending Dorset R&C meetings, this can be online.
Administrative support
- Regular checks on the Dorset R&C Drive folder that everything necessary is present and everything present is necessary.
- Keeping the folder tidy and up to date
- Note taking at Dorset R&C forum.
- be a part of our equality and diversity work
- engage with local media services
Interested?
If you would like to have a chat with someone before applying to volunteer, please complete the expressions of interest form and our Training Manager will be in contact. Alternatively, please complete the Volunteer Application Form. Thank you.
