Volunteer with us

Work experience and work placements for law students

London Advice can help you gain essential expertise and practical skills to work in an advice environment or as an outreach worker to support clients to and from appointments in order to aid others.

London Advice Centre, is an independent, private organisation that offers university students the opportunity to apply for a work placement or experience. Law students and newly qualified lawyers are encouraged to join us and put theory into practice and develop or share work skills. You may also wish to offer your time as a volunteer while looking for suitable employment elsewhere to keep yourself occupied.

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org

Work Placement/Experience Roles

Office Assistant

Commitment: Minimum from one morning a week to suitable days per week, or from 1 to 5 days a week depending on your availability, we are flexible.

Restrictions: London residents will be given preference, but all applications are welcome and will be considered as long as you are willing.

Recruitment timetable: Positions are advertised throughout the year. Jobs are advertised in ‘Jobs in Advice’ section on Advice UK website.

General Duties: To work alongside a supervisor, project worker or manager and undertake all tasks which supports the role including

  • Note taking on client’s interviews
  • Answering telephone sending and receiving new enquiries/written correspondence
  • Research and office administration duties
  • Observe and comply with all good working practices within the office to help the organisation run smoothly on a daily basis
Personal Specification
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Effective telephone manner
  • Ability to work flexibly, individually or as part of a team
  • Experience in Microsoft office applications (desired)
  • Experience of working in an office (desired)

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org

Trainee Adviser Role

Commitment: Minimum 2 full days per week or 4 mornings a week.

Restrictions: None

Recruitment Timetable: Intakes every 6 months.

General duties: Initial six training sessions for the Telephone Gateway Assessor role (a triage service). Volunteers in this role will learn what the client issue is and then give the necessary information, signpost elsewhere, book an appointment or pass issue to a qualified adviser. At this stage they cannot give advice. Once trained and certified in this role which is approximately 25 weeks, they will have the opportunity of training for the adviser role which is another 25-week period or more depending on the course provider.

Personal Specification:
  • Strong research and analytical skills
  • Effective telephone manner
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Experience in Microsoft Office and good general IT skills (desired)

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org

Generalist Adviser

Description

London Advice Centre is looking to recruit an individual that is enthusiastic and dedicated to help our team in providing advice to help local citizens and is willing to support other members of staff or those on a work placement.

The candidate fitting this role will need to be an experienced generalist adviser and be capable of offering advice or pass information both face to face and over the phone to the general public during opening hours.

Responsibilities include:
  • Giving advice
  • Interviewing skills; sensitive questioning and listening skills allowing clients to explain their details fully while empowering them to set out their own priorities.
  • Use of the AdvicePro software to communicate, interpret and find all relevant information.
  • Help clients make informed decisions by conducting the necessary research and exploring all options and implications.
  • Act for the client where necessary by drafting or writing letters, negotiating, calculating and telephoning.
  • Negotiate with all third parties. These will include statutory and non-statutory bodies.
  • Interact internally or with other specialist agencies when required.
  • Make sure all work adheres to the company office manual, Advice Quality Standard and all other requirements.
  • Ensure that all work supports and reflects London Advice Centre diversity and equality standards.
  • Maintain all case records in terms of the continuity of casework, report preparation, statistical monitoring and information retrieval.
Research and Campaigns
  • Help with campaigns and research work while taking into an account the clients’ circumstances, through the appropriate channel.
  • Help clients become aware of all research and campaign options available.
Professional Development
  • Undertake the appropriate training in order to keep up to date with all policies, procedures and legislation.
  • Read all relevant publications.
  • As agreed with the line manager, attend all relevant internal and external meetings.
  • Prepare for and attend team meetings, staff meetings and supervision sessions as required.
Administration
  • Competent use of IT for statistical recording of information in relation to campaigns and funding requirements, document production and record keeping. Ensure that annual IT information assurance training is completed.
  • Ensure that all work coordinates with the centre’s systems and procedures.
  • Produce statistical information on the nature of cases and number of clients.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
  • Complete all required training to be in compliance with quality assurance processes.
  • Conduct all other tasks which are within the scope of the post and ensure effective delivery and development of the service.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the policies and aims of London Advice Centre.
  • Ensure all health and safety guidelines are adhered to and take responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.
Personal Specification
  • Ability to commit to and work within the parameters of the policies, principles and aims of London Advice Centre.
  • An up-to-date full understanding of equality and diversity with the knowledge of how to apply to the provision of advice.
  • The ability to give and take feedback sensitively and objectively combined with a willingness to challenge constructively.
  • The ability to maintain and monitor own standards.
  • Competent oral and written communication skills in particular on negotiating.
  • Interviewing skills using sensitivity and a good listening ear. Need to be able to get to the root of the issue whilst empowering clients and keeping structure and control of the meeting.
  • A full understanding of issues affecting society and their implications on clients.
  • Competent use of IT packages and systems and all electronic resources needed to provide record keeping, advice and document production.
  • The willingness and ability to work as part of a team.
  • A willingness to improve skills and knowledge in advice topics as well as an overall commitment to continuous professional development.
  • The ability to analyse, interpret and research complex information while presenting clear reports both in writing and verbally.
  • Full understanding of statistics and accuracy of calculations.

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org

Housing Adviser

The role will involve supporting our advisers with general casework. This will ensure that we can provide the best service to our clients. The role will suit somebody with strong attention to detail whilst seeking experience in casework management.

Responsibilities will include:
  • The setup of paper files
  • Meeting and greeting all new clients, helping them with the completion of forms
  • Inputting client’s information into our central database
  • Writing letters on behalf of our clients on their specific cases
  • Calling clients to gather details of their case
  • General admin work, photocopying

All tasks are supervised by a qualified adviser and ongoing support and training is provided where required to ensure personal and professional development.

What Qualifications and Skills Do You Need?
  • Full command of the English language (both verbal and written)
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Positive and proactive temperament
  • Advice work or any legal, social work qualification is desirable but not essential
What London Advice Centre Offers in Return
  • A friendly and professional team and a rewarding work environment
  • Work flexibility
  • Supervision by qualified advisers
  • Training and support
Commitment

We require a minimum commitment of two days per week for at least three months. Working days and hours can be mutually agreed, though normal attendance will be between the hours of 10:00 am to 18:00 pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 10:00 am to 14:00 pm. We operate an equal opportunities policy to which both salaried workers and work experience workers are required to adhere to.

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org

Administrator Opportunity Role Description as a Volunteer

Ability to effectively communicate via phone and email ensuring that all Administrative Assistant duties are completed accurately and delivered with high quality and in a timely manner. May direct and lead the work of others. Rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals and a wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department.

Responsibilities:
  • Answer and direct phone calls
  • Organize and schedule meetings and appointments
  • Maintain contact lists
  • Produce and distribute correspondence memos, letters, faxes and forms
  • Develop and maintain a filing system
  • Order office supplies
  • Provide information by answering questions and requests
  • Take dictation
  • Research and creates presentations
  • Generate reports
  • Develop administrative staff by providing information, educational opportunities and experiential growth opportunities
  • Carry out administrative duties such as filing, typing, copying, binding, scanning etc.
  • Write letters and emails on behalf of other office staff
  • Maintain computer and manual filing systems
  • Handle sensitive information in a confidential manner
  • Take accurate minutes of meetings
  • Reply to email, telephone or face to face enquiries
  • Develop and update administrative systems to make them more efficient
  • Resolve administrative problems
  • Receive, sort and distribute the mail
  • Answer telephone calls and pass them on
  • Coordinate repairs to office equipment
  • Greet and assist visitors to the office
  • Photocopy and print out documents on behalf of other colleagues
Requirements:
  • Proven admin or assistant experience
  • Knowledge of office management systems and procedures
  • Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize work
  • Attention to detail and problem solving skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong organizational and planning skills
  • Proficient in MS Office
  • High school diploma or equivalent; college degree preferred
  • Administrative Assistant top skills & proficiencies:
  • Reporting Skills
  • Administrative Writing Skills
  • Microsoft Office Skills
  • Professionalism
  • Problem Solving
  • Inventory Control
  • Verbal Communication
  • Office Administration Procedures
  • Typing Skills
  • Attention to Detail
  • Accuracy
  • Multitask
  • Telephone Skills
  • Teamwork
  • Discretion and Judgment
  • Patience
Job brief

We are looking for a competent Volunteer Office Support Worker to help with the organization and running of the daily administrative operations of the company.

What does an office assistant do?

The ideal candidate will be a hard-working professional able to undertake a variety of office support tasks and work diligently under pressure. This person will be comfortable working with a high degree of attention to detail and discretion as well as incorporating new and effective ways to achieve better results.

Please send your CV and cover letter to info@londonadvicecentre.org