1. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Scrutiny Committee 17 th January 2008

2. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux 600 Outlets 5.5 million enquires Deliver all training free Provide Advisernet www.adviceguide.org.uk Forums to develop & share best practice Coordinate Social Policy Set Standards for quality & membership

3. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Membership Audit – Quality Assured Social Policy8 Requirements Governance 12 Requirements Financial Management 5 Requirements Planning & Managing Resources 8 Requirements Operational Management 12 Requirements Volunteers & Paid Staff 6 Requirements Training & Development 7 Requirements Networking & Partnership 5 Requirements Complaints, Suggestions & Feedback 4 Requirements Client - Centred Service 10 Requirements Case Management 13 Requirements Quality of Advice 10 Requirements TOTAL 100 Requirements The Bureau achieved outright passes on 98 out of 100 requirements - this puts us in the top 14% in the country.

4. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered ….to meet local needs 1)General Help & Limited Casework 2)Casework & Specialist work 3) Support Services 4) Volunteering Opportunities

5. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered 7 Generalist ‘Drop In’ Advice Sessions per week (4 Shields & 3 Jarrow) Daily Telephone Advice 10.00 – 12.00 Video link between both offices when needed Postal Advice – Limited e-mail Outreach sessions Ocean Road Community Centre twice per week Horsley Hill Housing Office once per week South Shields Library when required Jarrow Library when required Rekindyke Partnership twice per month Refugee & Asylum Seekers once per month Home visits when required MP’s office when required 1) General Help & Limited Casework 100% Quality Check on all advice given

6. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered 7 Specialist Debt Caseworkers – 42 New appointments 2 Specialist Welfare Benefit Caseworkers – 14 New appointments 1 Specialist Housing Law Caseworker – 6 New appointments 0.5 Specialist Employment Law Caseworker – 3 New appointments 1 Specialist Tribunal Caseworker – Average 4 tribunals per week County Court Helpdesk rota on repossession days Duty Solicitor Rota in Bureau every 2 weeks Independent Financial Advisor Rota in Bureau every month 2) Casework & Specialist Work Quality Checks of 4 files every quarter

7. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered Minority Ethnic Project 1 Arabic speaking Caseworker 1 Punjabi, Hindi & Urdu speaking Caseworker 0.5 Bangladeshi speaking female Caseworker 0.5 Bangladeshi speaking male Caseworker 0.5 Polish speaking Caseworker (Volunteer) 12 New appointments specialising in Immigration & Nationality (BME make up 3% of population but 10% of our clients) 2) Casework & Specialist Work Random Quality Checks of 4 files every quarter

8. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered 1 Quality of Advice Officer 1 Training & Development Officer 1 ICT Officer 6 Admin Officers 3) Support Services

9. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered Electronic case management & recording system Electronic appointment & diary system Welfare Benefit calculation software Debt management software Electronic quality control correction software Electronic Signpost & referral software IT Training Suite 3) ICT Support Services All of the above software are networked across both offices

10. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Services Offered Recruit & train 30 - 40 local people each year Certificate in Generalist Advice Work Pathway to paid employment IT Training Volunteers keep unit costs down 4) Volunteering Opportunities Working with local people to solve local problems

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16. Debt - 31,527 Rescheduling Extortionate credit Mortgage shortfalls Repossession Rent Arrears Council Tax arrears Eviction Bills IVA’s Administration Orders Bankruptcy Bankruptcy Restrictions County Court action Bailiffs Relationship Breakdown Loss of employment Bereavement Drug dependency Alcohol dependency Maximising Income Depression Welfare Benefits – 21,494 Income Support Job Seekers Allowance Incapacity Benefit Disability Living Allowance Attendance Allowance Pension credit Social Fund Maternity Allowance Maternity Grant Retirement Pension Pension Credit Industrial Injuries Reduced earnings Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Carers Allowance Widows Pension War Pension Bereavement Benefits Guardians Allowance Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit Sanctions Backdating Alcohol dependency Housing - 5377 Disrepair Neighbour dispute Unfair rent Tenancy agreements Rent arrears Illegal eviction Legal eviction Homelessness Bailiffs Court action Relationship Breakdown Children’s Act Alcohol dependency Anti Social behaviour Agent letting Employment - 3236 Contracts Breach of contract Unfair dismissal Constructive dismissal Redundancy Transfer of Undertakings Maternity rights Parental rights Flexible working Sex discrimination Race discrimination Age discrimination Disability discrimination Bullying & Harassment Whistle blowing Minimum wage Equal Pay Unauthorised deductions Data protection Length of service Welfare Benefits Alcohol dependency Family Divorce Children Property Occupation Orders Separation Health Primary Trust Depression Illness Disability Personal injury Other Taxes Education Immigration Consumer Travel Relationship

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18. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Other Service Providers/Partnership Working Outreach Partners Rent Arrears Partners – LA, STH, County Court, Other Advice Agencies, Nomad Anti Poverty Partners – LA, Credit Union, TEDCO, MAST Financial Awareness Partners – TEDCO, Credit Union, LA, MAST, Key Project Signpost & Referral Partners – Too numerous to list e.g. Self Help groups, solicitors, charities, benevolent agencies, statutory agencies The above assisted the LA to achieve Beacon Status for Tackling Financial Exclusion

19. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Key Issues Faced Securing Funding to maintain existing level of services Trying to maintain ‘Drop In’ advice sessions Building Volunteer base Coping with increased demand Changes to Legal Aid Provision

20. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Quality Assured General Help & Limited Casework – 100% quality check Casework & Specialist Work – 4 File Reviews per quarter for Caseworkers and spot checks on advisors Weekly ‘inactive’ file check – no file remains inactive for over 5 weeks NACAB Specialist Support Unit Standard Operating Procedures for all case management and case progression External Audit by NACAB – 3 yearly External Audit and Peer Review by the Legal Services Commission

21. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Funding Streams Local Authority Grant£105,000 Legal Services Commission£226,000 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund£124,000 ends 31/3/08 BERR£220,000 may end 30/6/08 Big Lottery£110,000 Other£ 15,000 Total£800,000

22. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Money for clients - £967,716 Local Authority £1 £10 for clients

23. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Local Authority £1 £7 from other Funders Other Investors

24. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau Local Authority £1£17 put back into the local economy Value for money

25. South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau The End