Permanent contract
Full time – 37 hours per week
Salary scale – £25,877.80 – £26,551.20 – £27,128.40 per annum
Closing date – Monday 20.07.2026 at 09:00am
We are recruiting for two assessors – one on our Utilities Assessor team, and one on our Local Services Assessor team.
THE ROLE
Utilities Assessor
The assessor team are the first point of contact for utility customers referred to Citizens Advice Plymouth by their utility provider.
Assessors work alongside administrators, advisers and caseworkers to support clients. The assessor team is part of the wider Utilities department where we are currently a department of around 110 people across five energy projects.
Local Services Assessor
The Local Services team is part of “Advice Plymouth” which is a partnership between Citizens Advice Plymouth, Improving Lives Plymouth and Plymouth City Council which works to provide a joined-up, quality information and advice service across Plymouth. This service includes telephone, drop-in and casework support.
This role is part of our Outreach team, which is a team of 12 people.
Working at Citizens Advice Plymouth gives you a chance every day to change someone’s future and make a positive impact. We support a wide range of people to find a solution for their problems. As an assessor, you’ll be the first point of contact for anyone who contacts Citizens Advice Plymouth. You’ll use sensitive questioning and listening skills to allow clients to explain their problem. You’ll also make sure everything is recorded accurately and efficiently on our case management systems, so you’ll need to be able to type and talk at the same time.
On our Utilities projects, assessors manage referrals and contact clients by phone, email, or webchat to introduce them to our service. An Assessor is there to establish what the client needs, and complete initial assessments with clients as well as following up on their experience with us. The focus on our Utilities projects is debt and benefits and the role is fully telephone based.
On our Local Services projects, the enquiries could be on any topic, although most of our questions are on debt, benefits, housing, family, consumer issues, immigration or employment. On this project, you’ll speak to clients over the phone, via email, through webchat or face-to-face at outreach locations. Your role will include completing debt assessments and benefit checks if this is appropriate for the client, as well as giving information or signposting to other organisations where relevant.
On all our projects we aim to progress the client’s referral or enquiry as far as possible on their first contact with us, but we may book them an appointment with an adviser or a caseworker if this is needed.
There’s no ‘average’ appointment or call – support is tailored, and each client is treated equitably. Each project has its own targets to meet around number of clients supported, to make sure we are helping as many people as possible. You will have individual targets and will enjoy working in this way.
It can sometimes be a challenging role, but you will be fully trained and supported, working as a part of an approachable and supportive team in a rewarding environment to provide the best possible service to people across England, Wales, and Scotland.
The roles are 37 hours a week (9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-4:30 on Fridays) on a permanent basis. Part-time hours will be considered, but the first 4 weeks of training must be attended full-time. The start date for this role will be Tuesday 8 September 2026.
The Utilities assessor role is based at Cobourg House for your initial classroom, on-the-job training and 6-month probation period. Once probation is passed, the role will move to a hybrid working pattern.
The Local Services assessor role is a full-time office-based role with some attendance at outreach locations in the Plymouth area.
Training
Full training will be provided. Please note that no annual leave will be approved for the first 5 weeks of your employment, as you must be able to attend all the training to progress in the role.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN YOU:
We’re looking for people who really care about the work that we do for our clients and want to support them to find a solution for their circumstances. You will need to have a ‘client-first’ and ‘can-do’ attitude and will work to get the best outcome for them, whoever they are, and whatever the problem they’re facing or reason they’ve got there.
You will enjoy working with a diverse range of people and be open-minded and non-judgmental. You will take an empathetic and compassionate approach to clients to understand the problems they’re facing and find solutions while also managing professional boundaries and being able to separate your own experiences from those of your clients.
You will need to be emotionally intelligent and resilient and able to handle conversations about a wide range of potentially upsetting topics, including mental health issues, difficult life situations, domestic or financial abuse, and suicide, as these issues can be common when people are in debt and you may be the first person the client has ever told about these things.
People who thrive in this role are determined, perseverant and able to adapt to change and competing priorities quickly and calmly – working with people means sometimes things don’t go the way you thought, but you will be someone who works hard to do your best for as many clients as possible and enjoys using your initiative to adapt if things don’t go as planned.
You will have good professional spoken communication skills and be able to demonstrate active listening and control a call or conversation effectively.
You’ll be skilled at adapting your communication style to the client’s needs, including accessibility needs and communication preferences. You’ll need to be able to use a computer confidently and competently, being able to type notes or research information while on the phone to clients at the same time, write up accurate notes of the call quickly and efficiently, as well as keep client management systems up to date. You will need to have excellent organisation and time management skills and be able to work at a fast pace.
We’re looking for people who are receptive to feedback and see it as a chance to continuously improve. You’ll need to act on this feedback as part our regulated debt advice requirements and put it into practice straight away.
JOB PACK & APPLICATION FORM:
Please complete the application form in full. There are two versions of the same application form in different colours, please complete one form you find easiest to read and return.
TO APPLY:
1. Return your completed application to recruitment@citizensadviceplymouth.org.uk as soon as possible.
2. Please let us know if you need us to adapt our application process so there are no barriers for you to apply.
3. The latest date/time for applications is 09:00 on Monday 20th July 2026.
Please note:
We reserve the right to close recruitment early or withdraw an advertised post at any time.
We are not accepting CV applications for this role.
ABOUT CITIZENS ADVICE PLYMOUTH:
Citizens Advice Plymouth is a resilient, creative and independent charity. It is part of the Citizens Advice national network of over 250 organisations that delivers advice and information across England and Wales.
As an organisation we are open, honest and act with integrity and we expect the same from all our staff and volunteers. We treat everyone with dignity and respect, no matter who they are. You will understand the importance of confidentiality and data protection and will uphold the aims, principles and values of Citizens Advice Plymouth and proactively support and champion the charity in all areas of our work.
We value diversity, promote equity and challenge discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are disabled, or people from Black, Asian, and other racially minoritised backgrounds, as these people are currently underrepresented at Citizens Advice Plymouth. We also actively welcome applications from LGBTQ+ candidates.
Benefits (subject to eligibility) include:
- 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + an additional 2.5 days between Christmas & New Year (pro rata)
- Long term service leave – up to 5 additional days (pro rata)
- Employee assistance programme.
- Healthcare plan which includes money back on prescription charges etc.
- Group stakeholder pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexible working, career breaks, enhanced contractual sick pay, support for parents & carers.
- Learning & development – training and development with access to a wide range of online courses to develop your skills.
- Death in Service cover (2 x annual salary)