Who are you and what is your role at CAM?

“My name is Remy and I work in the Adviceline team here at Citizens Advice Manchester! I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan in 2020 with a degree in Sociology and started working here in July 2021. I’d always thought about volunteering for Citizens Advice after I graduated, my mum used to work for Citizens Advice so I already knew quite a bit about it and when the opportunity came to work here myself, I took it!

Adviceline acts as the first port of call for clients who are looking for help, whether they know exactly what help they need or not. We listen to their problems and then explore what help we can get them, including referring them to more specialist in-house support if needed.”

What sort of issues do you deal with in the Adviceline team?

“The issues we deal with differ all the time, you never know what problems you’ll be helping someone with when you come into work. Sometimes you get a lot of one problem at a time, sometimes it really ranges from anything from housing, to debt, to employment issues. At this time of the year, we get a lot of calls from students wanting help with housing and renting issues they’re having for example. The not-knowing is actually one of the exciting things about the job because you’re never bored. Also, being able to speak to new people every day is really nice for me. Some people can be really nice or funny and it can really make a difference to my day.”

What do you enjoy the most about working for CAM and your role?

“The job is really fulfilling because when you can tell someone is really stressed and upset about their problem, knowing you’ve helped get them on their way to solving their problem and feeling much better is the best feeling. The rest of the team here at Manchester are so nice to work with too. They’re really understanding and are willing to answer any questions I may have and help me in any way I need. There’s also a really great support system here in terms of developing and progressing in my role, which is especially important to someone like myself who is just starting out in their career and is looking to gain as much experience as I can”

What advice would you give to someone who is apprehensive about seeking help?

“It’s important to know that everything you tell us is completely confidential, so don’t worry about being embarrassed or ashamed of your problem and asking for help. Nine times out of ten, we’ve probably dealt with the same or a similar problem before, so you’re really not alone. As advisors, we are never going to judge you because our sole purpose is to help you and that is why we do this job, because we want to do that. Even if you think we can’t help, get in touch with us anyway. We can always signpost you in the right direction.”

If you need help, you can contact the team on 0808 278 7800, or visit our Get Help page to see the range of ways you can contact us.