Behind The Scenes: Client Services

PUBLISHED - 19th October 2026

Julie Jones, Client Services Team Leader, shares how the team operates day-to-day and what inspires our client-led approach…

I joined Torch in July 2024 as a Client Services Advisor. Prior to that, I had been working for a Christian mission organisation on a temporary contract. I was on the hunt for my next role, when I received a phone call from the eye hospital, saying that my vision had deteriorated to the point that I was eligible to be registered as blind, or “severely sight impaired”.

I was working with a Christian career coach at the time, who asked whether I’d heard of Torch Trust. Two days later, I spotted a job advert for a Client Services Advisor at Torch, and it seemed a great opportunity to be involved in helping meet the spiritual needs of visually impaired people just like me.

However, one potential stumbling block was that I didn’t live locally to Torch House – and so we began to explore whether it would be possible to work as a hybrid team, comprising a mix of home- and office-based staff, which had never been done before in Client Services.

It was a steep learning curve! But I am hugely proud of the team and how we adapted to training and communicating in new ways, in order to maintain the core relational values that underpin our work at Torch.

After a year in post, I applied for and was appointed to the role of Client Services Team Leader – which I absolutely love. My aim is to encourage a culture of going the extra mile for our clients, to improve understanding and empathy among the staff team for what it’s like to live and work with sight loss, and to help deliver services and resources that are relevant to blind and partially sighted people today.

There is rarely a typical day in Client Services, as our workload is largely driven by external forces. You never know what the next phone call or email will bring – but part of the charm of the role is in the variety of clients and enquiries we get to deal with. My day usually starts off with a virtual meeting: either a team huddle with my colleagues Zan and Laura in Client Services, or prayer times with the wider Torch staff group.

Then it’s on to the email inbox – working from home, this is the main way in which I communicate with colleagues, as well as the odd crossteam meeting or “virtual coffee”.

Once a month, we have a Client Services in-person meeting at Torch House, which has proven invaluable in terms of relationship- and trustbuilding for us as a team. And there are ad-hoc opportunities to share about the work of Torch and about my faith and personal sight loss journey through magazine articles, talks and the occasional podcast interview.

Although our days vary a lot, most days involve responding to incoming emails and telephone calls, processing requests for accessible Christian literature, signposting services, registering guests on our holiday programme, and participating in daily team meetings. We receive around 100 emails and 50 incoming calls a week, in addition to letters and even WhatsApp or text messages!

The day-to-day operation is handled by Zan and Laura in the office, while I provide holiday and absence cover, as well as a point of escalation or support if necessary. And while each member of our team is trained to cover the core activities of Client Services, there are also opportunities to specialise in certain tasks, according to skills, interest and experience. I have two favourite things about working here. One is working with Zan and Laura, providing the right environment for them to develop as individuals and as a team, in the service of our clients and Torch colleagues. And the other is the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of blind and partially sighted people, by helping them to connect with our Christian services and resources. To sum it all up: as a team, our goal is to provide an informed, friendly and caring first point of contact into Torch Trust, and to support visually impaired clients in accessing our Christian literature, resources and services.