Questions about Volunteering
We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds, whether for advice work, trustee board or administrative work. The following answers some basic questions you may have about voluntary advice work, although you can also volunteer for admin work, or Trustee Board responsibilities.
1. What do advisers do?
The CAB relies upon voluntary advisers to deliver nearly all of our “front line” advice service to the public. This means working on a huge variety of issues, both complex and simple, that clients consult us about every day. Advisers work in teams, with support from colleagues. There is a range of information and specialist support to enable you to deliver a quality service.
2. What time commitment is required?
When you become an adviser we would hope you could do at least one session a week of 4 or 5 hours, plus time at the end of the session for writing up case notes etc. We try to be as flexible as possible to allow for outside commitments. Also monthly staff meetings should be attended wherever possible.
3. What training is provided?
All advisers must complete the national “CAB Certificate in General Advice Work” which is common to all CABx. This is a combination of working through learning packs in your own time, tutorials in the bureau; observation; supervised interviews; practical exercises; and a 5 day course with other CABx, usually in Norwich. During the training period you would expect to spend two sessions a week in the bureau for between 2 and 3 hours each. The training can be condensed into a short time, but on an average of two sessions per week, it takes approximately 6 months. After the basic training is completed, further “post basic” training is available on more complex subjects. Ongoing training is provided for experienced workers to keep up to date, or to gain more in depth knowledge.
4. Do volunteers specialise?
As CAB work has become more complex, the opportunities for specialisation have increased. The sort of issues where we have ongoing cases, sometimes requiring representation, and more detailed knowledge of the law, include
- Benefits
- Money Advice
- Employment
- Housing
5. Why do people volunteer?
Here are some comments from existing voluntary advisers at the CAB:
"Job satisfaction with training and support"
"Superb colleagues"
"Helping make a difference to people's lives"
"Never boring or humdrum"
"Intellectually stimulating and rewarding"
"A satisfying way of keeping the brain active and helping others at the same time"
"Interesting, varied, challenging, satisfying"
"Working with people of a like mind"
"Interesting, rewarding and demanding"
"Friendly, supportive team"
"Enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of improving people's lives"
6. What do you look for in volunteers?
As we provide full training, we do not ask for any formal qualifications or experience - although obviously any specialist knowledge will be well used. What we do look for, however, are:
- Ability and willingness to work within the aims, principles and equal opportunities of the CAB service
- Good communication skills
- Ability to interact with and respect others
- Openness to new ideas and willingness to learn.
7. Application form
If you would like to volunteer or to find out more about volunteering, then please contact either Clare Ludwig or Ros Russell by letter, telephone, fax or e-mail, the addresses are in the ‘Contact Us’ section.
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