South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau The charity providing a vital local service for our community
W
e are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country and enjoy the locations and facilities
it provides. But it’s not so good for everyone and not all good all of the time. So who do we turn to when we have a problem? That is where the Citizens Advice Service come in. Here at the South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau we provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to our communities in the South Hams.
Giving Advice
The range of issues we advise on is enormous. The top four are benefits and tax credits, debt, housing and employment but we also cover education, financial products, utilities such as gas and electricity, legal and relationships. As the UK’s largest advice provider, we do our best to deal with any issue, from anyone and provide the advice to help our clients deal with their problems.
All this is made possible by the dedication and commitment of our team of 40 volunteers who provide their time and expertise to the bureau and who deal with the enquiries professionally and effectively. They are supported by a small team of paid staff who are there to provide supervision and guidance, especially on complex and sensitive cases. All our volunteers undergo an extensive and comprehensive period of training to equip them to advise on the issues that come their way. Sometimes this can be dealt with quickly and at an early stage, sometimes it requires an additional intervention to provide the specialist advice to deal with the specific problem, or problems if the case is complex. Our team provide assistance and advice by telephone, email and face to face. They help to write letters and make phone calls to organisations on behalf of their clients, help to prioritise debt and negotiate with creditors. All this takes the strain off other local services if we can prevent homelessness, avoid legal actions and help people to fill in official forms correctly. It also takes the strain off clients who feel less anxious and less stressed after receiving help from the CAB
If you are interested in volunteering, the bureau will be very pleased to hear from you and can arrange for a session to give you a taster of what the work involves.
Influencing Policy
There is a second part to our work which is to influence government and policy makers by raising social issues that are affecting our clients. All individual client information is confidential, but where a lot of clients have the same problems, we use the information as evidence to demonstrate the adverse impact of policies. Recent issues that have been raised include the contentious application of Employment Support allowance and the fit for work programme which has affected a considerable number of people with disabilities. Payday loans have also been raised as a serious concern and the government recently announced an investigation by the Financial Services Authority. The work and practices of bailiffs has also come under scrutiny, along with the high cost of childcare for working parents and an energy saving campaign. Where austerity has hit particular groups, CAB as a campaigning organisation has raised the issues and provided the evidence for the concerns. As a charity, we can only carry on with the provision of advice and
raising social issues if we have sufficient funding, which is becoming increasingly difficult. We are enormously grateful to South Hams District Council for the grant they provide to us and for funding our outreach services in Dartmouth, Ivy- bridge, and Kingsbridge and to Devon County Council for their grant to deliver services, including our contribution to a Devon wide telephone advice service. We also have local fundraising events which have included the Dartmouth Tea Kiosk and the proceeds from a concert at Britannia College. So if you have a problem and need some advice, drop in at the Dartmouth Clinic,10am to 11am Tuesdays from 1 June, Mayor’s Avenue. Phone: 08444 111 444. Mon –Thurs 10am to 4pm Do it
yourself.-www.adviceguide.org.uk E mail-advice @
southhamscab.org.uk By appointment-SHCAB, Follaton House, Totnes. Mon – Thurs 10am to 4pm Graham Meaden, Chair, South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau
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