Assessor – Local Services

Permanent contract
Full time – 37 hours per week
Salary scale – £24,242.40 – £24,915.80 – £25,493.00 per annum
Closing date – Thursday 19.03.2026 at 09:00am

You’ll speak to clients over the phone, via email, through webchat or face-to-face in our office, and will use sensitive questioning and listening skills to allow them 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.

In the Gateway team we aim to progress the client’s enquiry as far as possible on their first contact with us, but we may book them an appointment with an adviser if this is needed. 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.

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.

You will be passionate about social justice and equity for all people, supporting the work of our Research and Campaigns team by completing evidence forms to raise issues faced by our clients.

It can be a challenging role, but you will be fully trained and supported, working as a part of a friendly, approachable and supportive team in a rewarding environment to provide the best possible service to people across England, Wales, and Scotland.

The role is 37 hours a week (9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-4:30 on Fridays) on a permanent basis. Part-time hours will be considered. This is a full-time office-based role. Our office is at Cobourg House, 32 Mayflower Street, Plymouth, PL1 1QX
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The start date for this role is:
May 2026

Full training will be provided.

Please note that no annual leave will be approved for the first 4 weeks of your employment, as you must be able to attend all the training to progress in the role.

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…