Further to your interest in this freelance opportunity, please find:

Information about CPAG Information about the freelance work Person specification Application form Equal opportunities monitoring form

To apply, please return the application form, taking particular care to provide full details of how you meet the person specification. We would also be grateful if you would return the equal opportunities monitoring form if you are willing to do so (this is not a requirement for consideration but will assist us to review our recruitment procedures).

Please send your application and monitoring form by email, to foneill@cpagscotland.org.uk by 14 August.

Interviews will be by phone and email on a date that we will arrange with you.

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General information Freelance Welfare Rights Adviser: Advice Line

About CPAG

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is a registered charity established in 1965, and a company limited by guarantee. CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.

To achieve this purpose, CPAG aims to: Raise awareness of the causes, extent, nature and impact of poverty, and

strategies for its eradication and prevention. Bring about positive policy changes for families with children in poverty. Enable those eligible for income maintenance to have access to their full

entitlement.

CPAG’s activities include: lobbying and media work; welfare rights advice, training and test case work; research, policy and campaigning; information provision and publishing; and membership work. There are currently two offices from which this work is undertaken, the main office being in London and CPAG in Scotland, located in Glasgow.

What we do

Policy and campaigningWe seek to achieve positive solutions through our high-profile lobbying and campaigning work – using our expertise and evidence to influence government, policy makers and the national and local media. We publish research and information on the causes and effects of child poverty (including regular briefing materials on our website (www.cpag.org.uk)) and seek radical and practical solutions. Our journal “Poverty”, published three times a year, aims to carry articles and features that inform, stimulate and develop the debate on poverty, its causes and consequences, and the action required to tackle it.

Rights and adviceWe help ensure that families receive the support they are entitled to by providing expert advice, training and information to welfare rights advisers, lawyers and others on all aspects of the tax credit and social security systems. Advice lines are open to advisers and frontline support workers and our staff in London and Glasgow respond to over 4,500 queries a year. Our bi-monthly Welfare Rights Bulletin keeps advisers up-to-date on new legislation and developments. Over 8,000 people a year attend CPAG’s training courses and seminars. Through carefully selected test cases, we challenge unjust legislation or unfair or discriminatory decisions.

Publishing and resourcesCPAG is a major publisher of handbooks used by thousands of volunteer and paid advisers, community workers, lawyers and members of the public. The Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook gives full coverage of all aspects of social security and tax credits. We publish a legal reference work – CPAG’s Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefits Legislation –handbooks on the child

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support scheme, fuel rights, debt advice, migration and social security, council tax, paying for care, student support and benefits, children living away from home and personal finance, and a range of What You Need To Know guides. For more information about the work of CPAG visit our website at www.cpag.org.uk

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Freelance Welfare Rights Adviser: Advice Line

The purpose of the freelance work is to provide advice by phone or email on a sessional basis to advisers and frontline staff on benefits and tax credits.

There are two advice lines in CPAG: one run from our office in London and one from our Glasgow office.

The advice lines are for advisers (eg, welfare rights advisers working in CABx, local authorities, housing associations and advice agencies) and frontline support staff (eg, family support workers, disability support workers, housing support workers, college and university staff, health staff).

Cases on the advice line cover the whole range of benefits and tax credits, and issues range from basic entitlement and advice on procedures, to detailed advice on social security law and appeal tactics. A significant proportion of cases are about right to reside issues for people from Europe.

CPAG advice line (London) –for advisers and frontline staff UK wideThere are two phone sessions a day: Monday to Friday 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm The email advice service for advisers covers child benefit, tax credits and other HMRC benefits only.

CPAG in Scotland advice line –for advisers and frontline staff working in ScotlandThe phone advice line is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm and Friday 10am – 12noon.CPAG advisers staff the line in morning (10 – 12) and afternoon (12 – 1 and 1- 4) sessions.The email advice service for advisers covers the whole range of benefits and tax credits.

We are looking for advisers for any one or a combination of these activities. Cover a regular phone session Take a regular caseload of email enquiries Be available for irregular cover of sessions

Rate per hour: CPAG pays £24 an hour. Phone sessions involve time following up cases requiring research and writing up cases in the database at the end of the session. As a freelance adviser, you would be self-employed.

Workplace Freelance advisers normally work from home using their own resources and equipment. You will need to have Windows OS (Windows 7, XP Pro with SP2, Vista), reputable updated anti-virus software, minimum broadband requirement, and for Scotland’s advice line, Microsoft Access 2010.

Advice line rotas are arranged month to month and the additional cover required varies. The number of sessions a freelance adviser is offered in a month is by agreement.

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Freelance Welfare Rights Adviser: Advice Line

Reports in Scotland to: Welfare Rights Co-ordinator, CPAG in ScotlandReports in London to: Advice and Rights Manager, CPAG

Tasks

To provide second-tier advice and information on social security and tax credits

To deliver advice and information by telephone and email

To deliver advice accurately, clearly and at the right level to best support the frontline adviser or support worker

To act in accordance with CPAG’s advice line guidelines, including using CPAG publications to provide advice

To accurately and promptly record all cases on CPAG’s advice line database

To respond promptly to feedback from CPAG checkers, amending advice and case records accordingly

To comply with relevant data protection and confidentiality requirements.

To keep up to date with trends and changes in social security including, for the CPAG in Scotland advice line, issues relating to devolved financial support.

To comply with CPAG’s equal opportunities policies.

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Person Specification

Freelance Welfare Rights Adviser: Advice Line

The following are all ESSENTIAL criteria

1. You must have five years’ experience of welfare rights advice work.

2. You must have extensive up-to-date knowledge of social security and tax credit legislation and knowledge of forthcoming changes.

3. You must know how to find social security law, be experienced in working from, and able to interpret social security Acts, regulations and caselaw.

4. You must have excellent communication skills including being able to deliver benefits advice over the telephone and in writing.

5. You must be able to advise clearly and concisely by email.

6. You must be able to deliver advice at the appropriate level for frontline staff whether their benefits knowledge is basic or advanced.

7. You must be committed to CPAG’s aims and have an understanding and commitment to CPAG’s equal opportunities policies.

8. You must have access to a phone, computer and software compatible with the job requirements.

9. For the CPAG in Scotland advice line, you must be able and willing to learn and maintain knowledge about devolved financial support.

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Application FormFreelance Welfare Rights Adviser: Advice Line

Please complete (word process, type or write) this form in black ink, to enable clear photocopying. If you need more space in any section, please continue on A4, single sided, sheets of paper. PLEASE DO NOT SEND A CV. Please do not fold application form more than once.

Personal details:

Name:___________________________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Tel Nos: Home: _______________ Mobile: Work: _______________

Email: _________________________________

Current Employment: Please give details of your present or most recent employer.

Employer’s Name _______________________________________________________________

Job Title ______________________________________________________________________

Date Started ________________________ Date Left (if applicable)______________________

Salary ______________________

Reason for Leaving __________________________________________________________

Summary of Duties:

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May we contact you there? Yes No circle which one (Discretion will be

Previous Employment: Please start with the most recent position and work backwards

Date From Date To Employer’s Name/Address Job Title/Summary of Duties Reason for Leaving

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Experience: Please give details of any unpaid work or other experience relevant to this post:

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Qualifications: Please list below examination results with dates:

Training: Please list any specialist knowledge acquired that is relevant to the job including training courses attended (with dates).

_____________________________________________________________

Work Permit:

Do you require a work permit? Please answer yes or noThe successful candidate will be required to show proof of eligibility to work in the United Kingdom prior to the start date. A list of documentation required will be sent with the provisional offer letter.______________________________________________________________

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This freelance opportunity:Do you want to be considered for:

CPAG (UK) advice line

CPAG in Scotland advice line

Both(Both are open to applicants across the UK.)

Please address all the criteria in the person specification, giving examples to show how you meet each requirement. Please be concise. Please continue on separate A4 sheet/s if necessary. CV’s not accepted.

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References

Please give the names of two referees, one of whom should be your present or most recent employer. (If this is not possible, then someone who has known you well in your most recent work experience/employment.)

Name: Name:

Title: Title:

Organisation: Organisation:

Address: Address:

Tel No - Work: Tel No - Work:Tel No – Mobile: Tel No – Mobile:Tel No - Home: Tel No - Home:Email address: Email address:

When are you available to start

I confirm to the best of my knowledge that the information given on this form is true.

Signed: Date:

Please return to: Private and Confidential(Recruitment)Child Poverty Action Group in ScotlandUnit 9, Ladywell Business Centre94 Duke StreetGlasgow G4 0UW

Or via email: foneill@cpagscotland.org.uk

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RECRUITMENT MONITORINGIn the interests of monitoring our recruitment procedures we would be grateful if you could complete this form. We will separate this document from the application form and it will not take part in any selection process.

Please tick as appropriate

Male

Female

What is your ethnic group?

A White

  British

  Irish

  Any other White background, please write in

B Mixed

  White and Black Caribbean

  White and Black African

  White and Asian

  Any other Mixed background, please write in

C Asian or Asian British

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  Indian

  Pakistani

  Bangladeshi

  Any other Asian background, please write in

D Black or Black British

  Caribbean

  African

  Any other Black background, please write in

E Chinese or other ethnic group

  Chinese

  Any other, please write in

Do you have a disability as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act (defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [your] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities)?

Yes

No

Please provide details of any special arrangements you would require if offered an

interview

What age group do you belong to?

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Under 25 26 – 35 36 – 50 Over 50

CPAG is keen to improve our recruitment practices and ensure we do all we can to attract a diverse range of applicants for our posts. To assist us, we would be very grateful if you would tell us about anything that attracted you about the organisation or the post that may help us to improve our recruitment process in future. Please also tell us how you heard about this vacancy.

Thank you for providing this information to assist us with our recruitment monitoring

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