Generalist Adviser


Company:	Coventry Citizens Advice
Salary:	£29,525 to £29,525 a year, pro rata
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Coventry
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 1 day remote
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Sept 2026
Closing date:	10 Oct 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

Purpose of the Role

The Generalist Adviser will support Coventry residents referred to the service to move

from immediate financial difficulty towards greater stability and independence. The

postholder will complete holistic assessments, agree personalized action plans and

provide practical advice and casework on income maximisation, household costs,

benefits and financial capability. They will recognise when regulated debt or other

specialist advice is required and arrange an effective referral to partners organisations.

Key Responsibilities

Holistic Assessment and Action Planning

• Contact allocated residents promptly and work within the service requirement for

initial contact within three working days.

• Interview residents sensitively by telephone, face-to-face, email or agreed remote

channels, adapting communication to disability, language, literacy, digital access and

other needs.

• Complete a structured assessment of income, expenditure, debt, benefits, housing,

employment, caring responsibilities, vulnerability, digital access, immediate risks and

previous financial support.

• Understand the resident's priorities, strengths and capacity to act, identifying both

the immediate problem and the underlying causes of financial hardship.

• Agree a clear personalised action plan setting out intended outcomes, actions,

responsibilities and timescales, reviewing it as circumstances change.

• Recognise emergencies, safeguarding concerns and risks to essential services or

housing, taking prompt action and escalating appropriately

eneralist Advice and Financial Support

• Check benefit entitlement, support claims and challenges within competence, and

identify other opportunities to increase household income.

• Help residents understand and manage income and expenditure, develop realistic

budgets and strengthen practical financial capability and confidence.

• Support residents to reduce essential expenditure and access appropriate grants,

trust funds, discounts, concessions and social tariffs.

• Help residents address priority financial pressures through practical action,

negotiation and contact with relevant organisations where appropriate.

• Provide proportionate casework across connected issues and follow agreed actions

through rather than relying on signposting alone.

• Identify debt requiring regulated or specialist intervention and make a timely referral

to a Money Adviser.

• Identify wider housing, employment, energy, health, digital or social needs.

• Coordinate referrals to the most appropriate internal or external service.

Client Engagement and Follow-up

• Make and record agreed contact attempts, including unsuccessful contact, and follow

the service's engagement, no-response and case-closure procedures.

• Maintain purposeful contact with residents while casework is active, explain progress

clearly and support them to complete agreed actions.

• Complete required follow-up activity, including six- and 12-month reviews, to

establish whether outcomes remain in place and whether further support is needed.

• Gather appropriate feedback, outcome evidence and client stories to support

evaluation and demonstrate the difference made by the service.

Quality, Recording and Performance

• Maintain accurate, timely and detailed Casebook records, including assessments,

action plans, advice, referrals, contact attempts, evidence, outcomes, financial gains

and case status.

• Record activity in accordance with agreed funder categories, evidence standards and

KPI requirements, responding promptly to recording or data-quality queries.

• Manage an allocated caseload, prioritise urgent work and meet contact, casework,

follow-up and reporting deadlines.

• Ensure work complies with Citizens Advice quality standards, safeguarding

procedures, UK GDPR, confidentiality, consent and information-sharing

requirements.

• Participate positively in supervision, case checking and improvement activity, using

feedback to maintain safe and consistent practice.

Partnership and Team Working

• Work closely with the Referral and Performance Administrator, Team Leader, Money

Advisers and other Citizens Advice teams to provide a coordinated resident journey.

• Maintain constructive relationships with the funder, referral teams and community

partners, providing appropriate progress information within consent and

information-sharing arrangements.

• Contribute to a supportive, accountable and inclusive team culture, sharing

knowledge and raising emerging operational or client risks promptly.

• Deliver appointments flexibly across agreed office, outreach, telephone, email and

remote channels, including appointments outside normal hours where arranged to

meet client need.

Research, Learning and Organisational Responsibilities

• Identify recurring problems, barriers and gaps in local provision, recording and

sharing evidence through Citizens Advice research and campaigns channels.

• Keep knowledge of welfare benefits, financial capability, household-cost support,

local services and relevant policies and procedures up to date.

• Complete the structured service induction and other mandatory or role-specific

learning, taking responsibility for continuing professional development.

• Uphold the aims, principles and policies of Citizens Advice, including equality,

diversity and inclusion, health and safety and dignity at work.

• Carry out other duties reasonably compatible with the purpose and level of the role.

Apply for this job

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.