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How I went from advice seeker to advice leader with CFINE

By Kerry Gavin

Balancing single parenthood of three children with additional support needs and a return to the workforce is no easy fit. But with a strong desire to rebuild my confidence, regain financial independence, and reconnect with my community, I found my own path into the advice sector.

The importance of accessible entry points

I began volunteering at Community Food Initiatives Northeast (CFINE) in Aberdeen, supporting others in similar situations by teaching them how to cook, offering food parcels and sharing tips on making limited resources last longer. Additional services CFINE offers include welfare rights advice, financial advice and employability courses

The flexible and supportive nature of my volunteer role helped me gain experience and confidence while caring for my children.  It was here that I found my aptitude for communication, empathy, and advocacy. Recognising my potential, probably before I did, the welfare rights service affiliated with the foodbank offered me a trainee adviser post on a part-time basis, designed around my family commitments.

Training’s key role in staff retention and career progression

Over the next four years, I worked closely with the welfare rights team, initially providing casework support and developing a community outreach programme, gradually building up my knowledge of the UK and Scottish benefit systems. I received mentoring, undertook formal training in welfare rights and income maximisation, and began taking on more complex casework under supervision.

As my children grew older, and with the support of my employer and colleagues, I moved into a full-time adviser role. Here, I contributed to internal training sessions, sharing practical insights into supporting lone parent households and families with additional needs based on my lived experience.

I went on to be appointed Team Leader of the Welfare Rights Team, where I now manage a small team of advisers and trainees, coordinate complex casework, and contribute to strategic decisions around service design and outreach. For instance, I’ve had the opportunity to develop more inclusive, flexible service models that reflect the realities of families navigating disability, low income, and insecure work – situations I am very familiar with.

The future of advice

My worry for the future of the advice sector is staff retention. I believe the focus should be on strategic investment to train and retain younger colleagues. We need more hands to reach those in need of support, and the better skilled we are the bigger the impact we can have.  I hope my journey serves as a testament to the power of lived experience, community-based support, inclusive employment practices, and specialised training. My personal and professional development has had ripple effects not only improving my own financial and emotional wellbeing but also enhancing our service’s capacity to support others in similar circumstances.