Benefits of Volunteering for Citizens Advice Halton
Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, including young people, people who want to broaden their horizons and retired people who want to give something back. Our commitment to valuing diversity and promoting equality means we actively encourage individuals who might not otherwise volunteer.
Citizens Advice volunteering provides individuals with opportunities to develop their personal skills and abilities.
For some – volunteering with Citizens Advice Halton can be a route into employment, or an opportunity to try something different. Nearly one third of volunteers who leave us go on to paid employment.
Volunteering Opportunities
Citizens Advice Halton has a number of volunteering opportunities for local people. Although we value your skills and knowledge no prior experience is needed as we can offer you the training you will need for your role. Below is an example of some of the volunteering roles available.
Not sure which volunteering role is for you? Why not have a go at our short quiz to find out which area of volunteering you might be interested in?
Meet Nicoline
Nicoline has successfully completed her adviser training and is now advising clients on a range of issues.
I started at Citizens Advice Halton after searching for a volunteering opportunity which would assist me with my future aspirations to work within Law.
I really enjoy being part of a team and discussing options and finding a way forward for our clients.
Volunteering for my local office means I am able to offer my skills and knowledge to the community who would otherwise have no means of accessing advice, I value the services that Citizens Advice provides, and I believe barriers need to be removed for people who need support the most.
The experiences I've had as a volunteer have improved my problem solving and communication abilities while also allowing me to make a valuable contribution to the lives of other people.
In my experience as a volunteer I have enhanced my question asking skills and ability to provide people with their options to help them move on with their issues.Nicoline
Meet Kath & Dave
Kath and Dave have been volunteering with us for 8 years, after retiring and finding more spare time to help the community.
Volunteering at Citizens Advice Halton is enjoyable as you are learning all the time, with each client comes different issues, you don’t have to remember everything as there is always a dedicated member of staff, Advice session supervisor available to check with.
All the staff are lovely and helpful always willing to have a chat and answer questions which makes you feel comfortable and confident. We look forward to every shift! And the training and support is excellent. I would say if you are considering volunteering go for it as you can really make a positive difference.
I find it really rewarding to provide clients with advice they otherwise would not be able to access. There is no better feeling being thanked for helping others when their issues have kept them awake at night and made them feel anxious and stressed.Kath and Dave
How to apply?
You can return the forms either by post to our Widnes Office or email them to volunteer@citizensadvicehalton.org.uk
You can also call 0151 257 2449 to express your interest in volunteering and have an application form emailed or posted to you.
Volunteer FAQs
Please note that you are only allowed to volunteer if your immigration status permits it. Many will, but please do check that you are entitled to volunteer, to avoid breaching the terms of your status. You can find further information about different visa rules on this government webpage.
Yes, you CAN volunteer whilst claiming benefits and we have many volunteers that do. What you need to do will depend on the type of benefits you are getting.
There is a Citizens Advice leaflet with further information which you can download here or you can email us at volunteer@citizensadvicehalton.org.uk
Former clients can, and do, make excellent volunteers in a range of roles. Having lived experience can give you really valuable insight into what it’s like to access the Citizens Advice service. We may suggest a break before you become a volunteer, but we can discuss this with you when you apply.
When you apply, we will acknowledge your application and invite you to an interview.
Our interviews are informal and friendly and give us an opportunity to find out a little bit more about you and your reasons for wanting to volunteer with us. During the interview you will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the role and about Citizens Advice Halton.
The training will allow you to develop not only your knowledge but also your customer service skills, your admin and computer skills and also give you a wide variety of experiences that will support you during your time as a volunteer.
No, not at all. Being the right type of person is what matters most to us. We are looking for down to earth and friendly people who are non-judgemental, empathetic to the needs of our clients and willing to comply with our policies, procedures, aims and principles.
We ensure volunteers feel confident and able to do their roles and offer support, training and guidance to our volunteers so that they can be and feel as competent as possible.
It depends on how much training you will need to do and the role you have chosen. For your own personal development and to ensure we can meet the demands of our clients we do ask that people volunteer for one-two days a week, for at least six months.
We put lots of time and effort into our volunteers and invest a lot in the training process so we do ask in return that people remain as committed as possible and are honest about their availability.
Our offices are open 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. During these hours we see clients face-to-face, answer phone calls and talk via webchat. We suggest for our rota, that people either volunteer all day (10am – 4pm) or split it into half days. This could be a morning (9am – 12.30pm) or an afternoon (12.30pm – 4pm) slot.
Citizens Advice Halton will pay reasonable travel costs for you to travel from your home to the office in which you volunteer.
We will pay travel expenses if we ask you to attend a training course or other event connected with your volunteering.
Unfortunately, we cannot pay childcare or other carers’ expenses.
Volunteers need to be 16 years old or over. We do not have an upper age limit for volunteers.