The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.
Volunteering FAQs |
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This may answer some of your immediate questions about CAB volunteering but if you are already interested in becoming a CAB volunteer go to volunteer now and fill in your details. Your local CAB will then contact you to discuss possibilities and can answer your questions more fully. Questions
Answers1. Do I contact my local CAB to tell them I'm interested in volunteering? You can either contact your local bureau direct or you can contact us and your message will be automatically forwarded to them. Someone from your bureau will then get in touch with you directly. 2. What will happen when my local bureau contacts me? All bureaux have slightly different recruitment procedures. They will probably send you more information about the work that they do, and about volunteering opportunities specific to their bureau. They may invite you for an open day or an informal chat, and you will be asked to fill in an application form. You will then be invited to an interview and, providing both you and the bureau are happy that you are right for the role you want to volunteer in, you'll start volunteering shortly afterwards. You will receive a full induction at the bureau. 3. Will I have to complete an application form / have an interview? The application form and interview is a two-way process. It enables the bureau to find out more about you, to ensure that you are suitable for the role, but also for you to ensure that the volunteering opportunity meets your needs and interests. If you want to train as an adviser, there may be a slight delay before the bureau is able to take on new trainees to ensure you receive the highest quality of resources, time, support and personal attention. 4. I've got specific skills and experience, can you use them? One of the strengths of the CAB service is the diverse range of backgrounds, skills and experiences our volunteers bring to their roles. We have over 20,000 volunteers in the CAB service providing a variety of services. Naturally, different bureaux have different opportunities available according to their needs. Your local bureau will be able to tell you more about the specific opportunities they can offer you but you can look at what do our volunteers do to find out more about some of the typical opportunities available across the service: 5. Are there certain skills I need to be a CAB volunteer? It will depend on which role you are interested in. All advisers receive comprehensive free training so do not need any previous qualifications, skills or experience. However, you will need to be open-minded, non-judgemental, be able to listen, learn, and work in a team. In most of the other roles volunteers will usually need some form of prior experience. However, bureaux are learning environments and volunteering in any role will give you the chance to learn new skills and build on existing ones. 6. What will I get out of CAB volunteering? All our volunteers find their involvement with us rewarding, satisfying and challenging, and they all get something different from their volunteering:
All advisers receive comprehensive free training, which is recognised and respected throughout the country. The training programme consists of observation, working through self-study packs, and a five-day course run by Citizens Advice. You will be supported throughout your training by an in-bureau Guidance Tutor. Most bureaux have several trainees at any one time, so you are likely to be training with other new volunteers. We find that most people complete the adviser training programme in 6-12 months, although this will, of course, depend on how much time you can give to the training. 8. Do you always need volunteers? Generally, the Citizens Advice service needs around 5,000 volunteers every year to meet the constant demands for advice, although each bureau will have their own specific needs. Complete your details and the bureau closest to you will contact you directly with information about local volunteering opportunities. 9. What support will I get as a CAB volunteer? All volunteers are fully supported and supervised throughout their involvement with CAB. There will be a paid member of staff that you can turn to for extra support if you feel you need it. There is an Advice Session Supervisor on duty at each advice session to guide and assist volunteer advisers. We make sure that you are not put in situations that are beyond your abilities, and will work with you to help ensure that you find volunteering with us both challenging and rewarding. 10. How much time do I need to give? There is no minimum time requirement to volunteer with the CAB. You should discuss with your local bureau manager the time you have available, your interests, and skills, and how they fit with the bureau's needs. 11. When / what times can I volunteer? Bureaux tend to be open during office hours. If you work full-time and are therefore never available during the day it is unlikely you will be able to train as an adviser although some bureaux do run weekend and evening sessions. Other roles tend to be more flexible in the times that you can volunteer. Some roles even allow you to volunteer from home for part of the time, e.g. trustee, fundraiser, PR officer. You'll need to discuss the details with your local bureau when they contact you. 12. Will I get my expenses paid? All bureaux reimburse travel and other out-of-pocket expenses. Some bureaux can also pay for carers' expenses. 13. Are childcare costs covered? Every bureau is committed to equal opportunities and will support people with children in their volunteering as far as funding allows. Go to volunteer now and fill in your details. Your nearest bureau will then contact you to talk through options. Discuss with them the role you are interested in and when you can start. Bureaux will generally want you to start as soon as possible. If you want to train as an adviser, there may be a slight delay before the bureau is able to take on a new group of trainees to ensure you receive the highest quality of resources, time, support and personal attention. 15. What are the chances of getting a job afterwards? Nearly one-third of volunteers who leave us go on to paid employment. CAB volunteering provides invaluable skills and experience for employment and the experience is recognised by employers. Many paid bureau managers, case workers, administrators and other paid staff started out as volunteers. 16. What age restrictions are there on CAB volunteering? CAB volunteers need to be 16 or over. There is no upper age limit for volunteers. 17. I work full time, can I still volunteer? There are opportunities in some bureaux for evening and weekend work but this differs between bureaux. Trustee boards members tend to meet in the evenings so can be suitable for people who work full time. 18. What volunteering opportunities are there for students with CAB? Many CAB volunteers are students and our Millennium Volunteer Scheme is particularly recruiting 16-24 year olds into a number of roles. Many students (e.g. social policy and law) find CAB volunteering complements their course and provides them with valuable work skills for the future. Speak to your local CAB to see how you can fit in your time with that of the bureau. It is possible to move to another CAB elsewhere after you leave college. 19. Will volunteering for CAB affect my Jobseekers's Allowance? If you are receiving certain state benefits you might have a responsibility to inform the relevant agency before you start volunteering. CAB volunteering will not affect Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) provided you:
Bureaux can help you by providing a standard letter stating that you:
Volunteers receiving Income Support due to unemployment follow the same rules as JSA. 20. Will volunteering for CAB affect my other benefits? You should notify the relevant agency before starting at the bureau if you receive Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or Invalid Care Allowance (ICA). ICA is not affected by volunteering unless it prevents you providing care for at least 35 hours each week. There is no limit on the numbers of hours someone can volunteer whilst in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, though in the past some benefits agencies have claimed that volunteers who volunteer regularly and for a substantial (in their view) amount of time could be seen as fit for work. Bureaux can help by providing a letter for the volunteer confirming the number of hours, that these hours are unpaid and that volunteering is far more flexible and cannot be regarded as the same as paid work. There are some benefits that are not affected by volunteering and where the relevant agencies do not need to be informed that the person is volunteering. These include: State Retirement Pension, Council Tax benefit, Housing Benefit, Statutory Maternity pay, Maternity Allowance, War Widow's Pension and Widow's Pension. |
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