Job Details

A key focus of EOP is to provide advice in an outreach setting, to new consumers who would not otherwise access your service. We expect that you will deliver the majority of the work in a face-to-face setting. 

EOP should be delivered in the community, as a proactive outreach service. Building links and partnerships with other organisations, and delivering EOP in the community in which our target audience live their lives, is vital to ensuring EOP works as intended. As it is an entry point service, it is also important that referral pathways to other advice services are built within your organisation.

Energy Champions will be expected to offer advice to under-represented consumers. Champions are trained energy advisers who will identify vulnerable consumers in their community and provide advice to help them take action to improve their energy situation. This advice may be delivered as a one-to-one session or a group session, where all attendees are offered the option of one-to-one follow up advice. Energy Champions may be volunteers who have existing links within an under-represented community group. 

Our Energy Advisors can advise on; energy saving tips, advice on schemes offered by Energy Suppliers and Water companies to include available grants, guidance on current Government energy schemes, benefit checks to see if you may be missing out on any benefit entitlement, fuel Vouchers in an emergency and if required, referrals to other departments within Citizens Advice Mid Mercia – such as debt or general advice.

The Role

Advice Giving

• Deliver energy advice and information to consumers in an outreach setting. This may be delivered in a group setting or through one-to-one advice
• Champions to establish a relationship with their Regional Energy Lead to ensure that best practice is shared across each region. Contact with the Regional Lead must be maintained on at least a monthly basis.
• Champions attend two networking events hosted by the area’s Regional Energy Leads.
• Set-up internal referral pathways from EOP to other advice services such as specialist debt advice
• Submit at least one Case Study, demonstrating the impact partnership and outreach work has had and the role the Champion has had in contributing to this.
• Assessing clients and maximising income through benefit calculations as well as through energy schemes and grant
• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities.
• Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.
• Deliver general promotion of the project including attending meetings, community events or workshops
• Deliver energy efficiency training to partner organisations

Experience

• Experience of working in a client facing environment
• Understanding of funder requirements and working to targets
• Ability to prioritise own workload and that of the team
• Excellent written and communication skills
• You must demonstrate that you are able to deliver impartial, client focused energy advice services through community engagement.
• Demonstrate competence in key energy advice areas or a willingness to undertake training.
• Experience of working with a diverse range of people within the community and providing a welcoming environment

Knowledge

• Ability to deliver advice on a full range of energy related matters to quality standards and undertake appropriate training programmes
• Ability to sensitively empower and engage with a wide range of clients.
• Understanding and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice Mid Mercia 

We will be interviewing for this role as suitable applications are received and may close this role before the closing date upon a successful candidate being appointed.