Assessor – Utilities

The team

The assessor team are the first point of contact for utility customers referred to Citizens Advice by their utility provider.

We are recruiting for four assessors to join our assessor team, supporting customers, and working alongside our existing administrators, advisers and caseworkers. The assessor team is part of the wider Utilities department where we are currently a department of 82 people across five energy projects

The wider organisation includes around 180 staff, 40 volunteers, and 23-line managers.

The role

We support a wide range of people to find a solution for their debt circumstances. It’s the Assessor’s role to manage the referral and contact clients by phone, email, or webchat as first contact with the service. An Assessor is there to establish what the client needs and plays a vital role in the client experience as the first contact people have with us. You will complete initial assessments with clients as well as following up on their experience with us.

An Assessor must ensure that all relevant information is collected efficiently and accurately. We aim to progress the client’s referral as far as we possibly can on the initial contact and minimise the number of times they need to contact us. This is achieved by completing in depth exploration and providing tailored information where appropriate and booking in with either a Debt Adviser or Caseworker for an appointment if needed.

This role is fully telephone based, with a mix of office and remote working. 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 employer for this post is Citizens Advice Plymouth. 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.

The start date for this role will be Tuesday 18th November 2025, with interviews on 16th & 17th October 2025.

Full training will be provided. During your initial classroom and on-the-job training, you will be based at our city centre office at Cobourg House. You will continue to work from the office until you have successfully completed your probation period. Once probation is passed, the role will move to a hybrid working pattern, with a minimum of 8 days per month in the office at Cobourg House, 32 Mayflower Street, Plymouth. You must be able to attend the office as requested, including at short notice if required. Please note that annual leave will not be approved during the first 5 weeks of training.

Who we’re looking for

The successful candidates will need excellent customer service and IT skills and be confident in using the telephone to assess complex issues. You will be resilient and able to assess people’s problems sensitively and compassionately through the phone, webchat and email referral pathways.

You will be comfortable managing and supporting others during times of crisis, including clients who may be suicidal, and you will be able to manage difficult and emotional conversations well. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential, as is the ability to effectively communicate with our clients with a non-judgmental approach.

You will be able to competently use a range of Office 365 programs and keep case recording systems up to date accurately while still communicating with your client accessing the service. You will also have excellent organisational skills to be able to prioritise your workload well to achieve performance-related objectives.

You will have good boundaries and understand the importance of confidentiality in our work and be able to maintain this. You should enjoy working as part of a busy, motivated, and supportive team and be able to adapt well to changing priorities. You will be flexible to support the service where needed at short notice to cover absence and other projects in the department.

We value diversity, promote equality 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.

You will thrive on working with a diverse range of people and be open-minded, approachable, and non-judgmental. You will take an empathetic and compassionate approach to clients to find solutions to the problems they are facing.