THE Okehampton and District branch of the Citizen's Advice Bureau is running a recruitment drive during National CAB Week.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer is being encouraged to contact the local branch on September 5 and 7 between the hours of 9.30am and 2.30pm. The number to call is 01837 52574.
Alternatively, a CAB representative will be available at Waitrose on September 1 and Somerfield on September 3 for an informal chat or just to take details.
Volunteer advisors are at the heart of the CAB service and equipped to handle enquiries on anything from benefits to bigamy, employment to herbalism and, paradoxically, they do not need to be experts.
Okehampton and district branch manager Barbara Osbourne said: 'No previous knowledge is needed — but it is important to be non-judgemental and have the ability to see a problem from all sides and advise the client on all aspects.
'What's different about the CAB is that they look at everything. For instance you might discover that somebody in debt has problems at home, hasn't received redundancy pay and is in poor housing, and we can tackle all those problems.'
Clients are never told what to do, but all the options and their consequences are fully explained so the client can make an informed decision on what to do next.
Advisors get comprehensive training, including interview techniques and ongoing support. Once trained, an advisor will be able to think and work on several interconnected problems at once and can offer personal support as well as skilled guidance.
Embarking on voluntary work for the charity provides a grounding experience which opens up a wide range of future employment opportunities.
CAB volunteers have later gone on to take up posts as legal executives and housing advisors as well as becoming paid CAB advisors.