Citizens Advice Bureaux use evidence of their clients' problems to fight for improvements in laws and services that affect everyone. Richmondshire Citizens Advice Bureau aims to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and to improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives.
Councillors' Guide to CAB Services
The guide was launched in conjunction with the Local Government Group and follows on from the highly successful MP Guide to CAB services. The Prudential-sponsored Local Government Group is an umbrella organization that represents local government and lobbies central government on their behalf. Local Government Association, Local Government Improvement and Development (formerly IDeA), Local Government Employers, Local Government Regulation, Local Government Leadership and Local Partnerships.
Lynette Jackson Wilde Intern Counselor Tony Martin Intern Counselor Steve Wykes Intern Counselor Laura Moss Intern Counselor Jo Shorrocks Intern Counselor Jan McCormack Intern Counselor Serena Froggett Intern Counselor#.
Who works at the Bureau?
Carolyn Newman Administrative Officer Suzette Armstrong Administrative Officer David Hatton Administrative Officer Jayne Stamp Debt Officer Charlotte Lawson Debt Officer and. Every CAB is a charity: if you join the management committee, you can manage and support our work and funding. If you have just left college, remember that we want to recruit more young people.
Maybe you are unemployed, or want to get back to work now that the kids are going to school: CAB experience can lead to paid work.
Could you volunteer?
All you have to do is contact the office (see above) and we will send you an application form or invite you to the office for an informal chat.
Chair’s Report
Chairman’s Report: Councillor Carl Les
Once again, a completed year where the office is in a good financial position at this stage. As with all organisations, the current economic climate makes service provision more difficult when funders themselves are facing cuts. However, the office is responding to this as a challenge and our main aim is to continue to deliver services in Richmondshire using a range of strategies and.
My thanks go to Bureau Manager Angie, her loyal and capable staff, and my trusted colleagues.
Bureau Manager Angie House Treasurer’s Report: Gordon Hunter
Social Policy Coordinator, Financial Capability Coordinator, Financial Capability Coach, Financial Capability Administrator and Financial Capability Assistant. The Bureau is supported by a team of people who are extensively trained to cover all levels of general advice and also specialize in financial skills, debt and welfare benefits. I would like to thank them for their commitment to the bureau along with their skills.
I recommend this report and hopefully you will see clearly the services we can offer the people of Richmondshire.
Advice Session Supervisor & Training Supervisor Simon Farquhar
We looked at how to connect with people who use Facebook and Twitter. You are welcome to join the team to be part of an organization that CHANGES people's lives. The time and energy invested in the development of each volunteer, both by the Agency and of course by the volunteer themselves, can be incredible.
I also monitor the work of the paid case managers and do periodic case reviews to make sure they meet the high standards we expect.
Rural Outreach Caseworker,
It is work I enjoy doing and I can only hope that we will be successful in securing further funding when the current funding for my role, as well as others, ends in 2012.
Advice Session Supervisor and Bureau Development Officer Rachel Hunter
I have some well-established (I'm sure they don't mind me saying so) volunteers, but I've had new volunteers join the session and it's been great meeting and working with everyone. The development role ended this year, but I hope that what I achieved during the year made a small difference to the Bureau. I completed my Foundation Degree in August 2010 and I am now doing BSc Honors last year, so hopefully I will be able to contribute what I have learned to the development of the Bureau, but on a voluntary basis.
Debt and Benefits Caseworker Beth Dowson
My job as a welfare benefits and debt caseworker funded by the Royal British Legion and Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund advising service personnel and their dependents, veterans and their dependents continues to challenge and reward. Often former and current staff and their families have a limited understanding of what is out there to help them and what they may be entitled to. Welfare benefits and debt counseling contain a wide range of inquiries and are a very unique job.
I look forward to another year of providing this unique and personalized service to all service members, veterans and their families.
Debt and Benefits Caseworker Charlotte Lawson
With a past military connection (my dad served 22 years in the Parachute Regiment) and having had over 30 homes and about 6 schools before I went to boarding school at age 11, I feel a strong connection to this community and they understand some of the issues, with which they meet. We are approaching the fifth year of our Royal British Legion/Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund project. After consistently achieving results well above our requirements, we hope that confidence in our services will be reflected in the renewal of our contract.
All advice is strictly confidential and impartial and appointments can be made at the welfare office or at the Richmond office, by telephone.
Royal British Legion/Citizens Advice/RAF Benevolent Fund Project - Janet Menzies
Since June this year there is a new project called Financial Capability funded by Nationwide Money Active. In the period April 2010 – April 2011, 358 clients received advice from the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) Project. The FIF officer has attended awareness events for prison staff and offenders.
The bureau worked well with many partner organizations and FIF clients were referred to the bureau from Keyhouse, SOVA, Northallerton Magistrates' Court and Foundation.
Debt Caseworker Jayne Stamp
There has been a good response from the groups we have introduced so far and slowly but surely the wonderful volunteers who have to deliver the training. It has been very rewarding to be able to show people how to make their lives easier, a slogan I have picked up along the way is "Good money management is a means to managing a happy life". The FIF employee has continued to advise clients in Hambleton, Ripon, Richmondshire and Stokesley offices.
Customers have also been able to seek face-to-face debt advice at Northallerton Prison on a productive Counseling Day.
Financial Inclusion Fund – Debt Caseworker Elsa Goldsbrough
The bureau advised the client of the sanctions that the creditors could take if the client did not keep up with his contractual payments. The bureau could also help advise the client on all his options for managing his debt. With assistance from the bureau, the client was able to apply for his credit reference reports, and gather all relevant paperwork, before submitting his DRO application.
The client's DRO application has been approved and the client can now live within their budget.
Welfare Rights Caseworker Yvonne Todd
Macmillan and Citizens Advice Bureau Benefits Adviser Simon Fletcher
52 year old lady who lived in private rented house with her daughter. Client had been living with cancer for last 3 years, but had recently been diagnosed with
She received all of her benefits but had accumulated just over £8,000 in debts which she failed to repay because she had "buried her head and hoped they would disappear". On behalf of the client, the benefit adviser wrote letters to the creditors with a copy of the annual accounts.
Couple, living in council housing. Husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and the wife who was working needed to know if it was worth her giving up work
Besides providing administrative support to the caseworkers, I am also responsible for the day. With our two main sources of funding, the British Legion and the Big Lottery under review and our Core funding from NYCC and RDC being reduced, the future of the bureau is somewhat uncertain, but we will continue to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. - tive as our funding will allow us to do so. In my other role, I am also responsible for the smooth running of the IT systems.
As with many charities IT is not at the top of the budget agenda, but without up-to-date equipment it is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver the services we need.
Accounts Administrator Carolyn Newman
I am now entering my fifth year of part-time employment with CAB in a position mainly funded by the Big Lottery. In order for advisors to give advice they need to have access to up to date information from Adviceguide and Cablink and I'm sure most of you reading this will be able to relate to me when I say how difficult it is to get information when it isn't there. computer access. So if anyone out there reading this could offer any suggestions or even donate an unwanted computer, please don't hesitate to contact me at the office.
Administration Worker David Hatton
My main role is reception management and one of my responsibilities is to ensure that the appointment diary for counselor and caseworker appointments is kept up to date amongst the many other tasks I carry out on a daily basis. We also have a new National Advice Line telephone number that people can call if they need advice over the phone or if they are unable to call into the office to see a counsellor. I have decided to do the Gateway Assessor training although progress is slow at the moment and I am working this around my admin work.
This new skill will help me more when I talk to clients at the front desk and assess whether they need to see a counselor, make an appointment, hand out a leaflet or refer them to another organization.
Administration Worker Suzette Armstrong
The gate system worked well and it reduced the waiting time for customers to be seen.
Bureau Cleaner Hannah Brown
Volunteer Rosalie Boyles
If an individual, council or business would like to make a donation towards the cost of providing our free services, please contact the Bureau.
Who has helped us this year?
Working During Opening Hours?
Richmondshire CAB has a new telephone advice service. Call free on 08444 111444, and speak to
Open: 9.30am- 4:00pm weekdays
