Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice
ANNUAL REPORT
2016 – 2017
A Year of Consolidation
Company Limited by Guarantee Registered Number 6532431 Registered Charity Number 1125068 Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 617672
Chair’s Introduction
2016-17 has been another successful year for Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice (MCCA). We have continued to integrate the service across the County, but there is still some way to go. The unending support of volunteers, staff and our funders has been critical in delivering a first class service in the face of increasing demand against diminishing resources. At the start of the year we made some changes to our staffing structure following the resignation of a key staff member. A temporary arrangement was put in place to ensure that we continued to provide a full service and, following a successful trial and approval of the Trustee Board, those arrangements have been made permanent. The resultant cost savings have also contributed to a reduction in the deficit in our budget from £22,000 to £15,000. Our main funding streams continue to come from the Welsh Government (via Citizens Advice), Monmouthshire County Council and Town and Community Councils and our Friends group continue to provide valuable and loyal financial support. However, continuing austerity policies of the UK Government inevitably means that public spending cuts continue to filter down to organisations like ourselves. This poses an enormous challenge to a small organisation such as Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice. Funding for the Better Advice, Better Lives (BABL) project has remained unchanged over the last 15 years and now amounts to almost one third of our annual income. For the last three years there has been doubt about the future of this project, which is a vital part of our service. At the time of writing this report we still do not know Welsh Government intentions for coming years. The 2017-18 funding for the project was only announced in February 2017 so it seems likely that the Trustee Board will be setting a budget without knowledge that BABL funding is secure. This clearly also has an impact on clients and those staff who are employed through this funding stream. Our BABL staff achieved significant income gains amounting to £1,132,890 plus £173 of debts written off through BABL funding in 2016-17. With a reported 65% success rate of personal Independence Payments and Employment Support Allowance appeals against assessments at Tribunal, the value of this service should not be underestimated. Monmouthshire County Council also took the decision to adjust their contribution to the service by £5,000 on top of the 10% planned reduction in funding, which continues to pose challenges to delivering our services. We continued to make contact with all of the Town and Community Councils in Monmouthshire. They are advised of the number of their residents that our volunteers and staff have helped and have been successful in attracting new and additional funding through these activities. Whilst Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice is a local charity we are, as I am sure you are aware, members of the Citizens Advice. During 2016 - 2017 Citizens Advice finally approved changes to its Membership Agreement. These changes had been in the pipeline for two to three years and so we were forewarned of some of the changes that we would need to make. Participating in some of the pilot schemes has helped MCCA to adapt our working practices toward the new agreement, which became mandatory from 1 April 2017. One of the main areas of change was a requirement for self-audit and I am pleased to report that we scored well in our initial assessment.
Although funding continues to be a challenge, the Board recognise that there needs to be some investment to ensure that staff and volunteers are supported to work effectively as a single organisation. Our main investments this year have been in IT and telephony. Firstly, we completed the installation of a digital Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone system which means that our four main offices now have the ability to transfer calls between offices. This has benefits for caseworkers, supervisors and clients, and is expected to reduce our costs. Our second project has been the acquisition of a server to link IT across the County. This has proved to be quite a long process due to the poor broadband connection in some of the main towns, but it has hoped that the new server will be finally up and running very shortly. My thanks go to all of our funders for their continuing support. The number and range of enquiries dealt with during 2016-17 demonstrate how vital the service we provide is to Monmouthshire’s residents. I also want to thank all of the volunteers and staff that are Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice, it is their dedication that enables us to continue to provide the service to our clients.
Brian Counsell Chair
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Our Services The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. Citizens Advice use evidence of their clients' problems to campaign for improvements in laws and services that affect everyone. Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice is a member of Citizens Advice and is a local charity serving communities across the county of Monmouthshire. We provide information advice and support to people whatever their problem and collect data and campaign to improve people’s lives. Information and advice is provided by volunteers - over the telephone, over the internet or face-to face. Our service is free, independent and confidential. If we are unable to assist, we can signpost or refer you for specialist support. As members of Citizens Advice we are provided with business and advice support, up to date information and training materials. Citizens Advice also oversees the quality of the advice we give as well as our governance.
Our Offices
Monmouth Abergavenny 23a Whitecross Street 19 a/b Cross Street NP25 3BY NP7 5EW
Chepstow The Gate House High Street NP16 5LH
Caldicot 5a Church Road NP26 4BP
General information is available 24hrs online from https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk. Individual queries can be dealt with over the telephone via Adviceline on 03444 77 20 20, or for TextRelay 03444 111 445. Our face-to-face support is provided from four main offices in the main Monmouthshire Towns. Drop-in sessions are also available for limited hours in Abergevenny, Raglan, Usk and Bulwark. An initial assessment will either provide you with information, or where required a follow up appointment will be made with either a generalist or specialist adviser.
Information on opening hours for each location is provided at the end of this report.
Our Key Achievements
2016 – 2017 was another busy year with 3059 clients receiving advice on 6,734 issues. Volunteers in Monmouthshire County answer around 130 Adviceline calls each month. As in previous years, more of the clients we have assisted are female (56%) than male (44%). The ethnicity of our clients matched the profile of Monmouthshire, with 98% reporting as white.
Advice on benefits increased from 36% to 40% and debt 15% to 19% compared to 2015-16.
The age profile of our clients has changed
since 2015-16, with more advice being given to clients who are 60+ years old than in 2015-16. 42% of clients reported having a disability or long-term health issue.
Our advice 2016-17
Benefits 40%
Debt 19%
Employment 9%
Housing 6%
Our Benefits Advice 2016-17 27% Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
23% Employment Support Allowance (ESA) 7% Working and Child Tax Credits 6% Housing Benefit 5% Council Tax
Our Debt Advice 2016-17 17% Credit, store and charge cards 11% Debt relief orders 9% Unsecured personal loan debts 9% 3rd party debt collection (excl. bailiffs) 9% Council Tax arrears
Although a relatively small proportion of benefits issues relate to Council Tax (5%) the proportion of clients experiencing financial difficulty linked to Council Tax arrears is 8%. Assisting clients with budgeting and managing their Council Tax arrears is clearly of benefit to Monmouthshire County Council, one of our core funders.
Credit, store and charge card borrowing and unsecured debts continue to cause our clients financial problems, whilst 9% of all cases recorded as debt advice relate to debt collection practices.
Our Research and Campaigns work has identified that stopped benefits and sanctions related to changes in the benefit system, particularly from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments, are not just resulting in reduced income, but increased levels of debt.
Better Advice Better Lives Monmouthsire County Citizens Advice again received funding from Citizens Advice to deliver the BABL project. We deliver support for clients claiming benefits as well as those needing to submit appeals. Benefits advice is provided by a team of five specialists, from each of the main offices and outreach centres. Advice issues follow national trends, with timely access to benefits, the need to assist in preparing appeals and delays in receiving benefits the main concerns of Monmouthshire clients. A case can take up to nine months before conclusion, which can cause considerable financial difficulties. There are still issues with the health assessors employed by the Department of Work and Pensions for the ESA and PIP claims. This issue has been raised nationally and covered in the media across England and Wales. Over 65% of appeals that proceed to Tribunal are successful.
Our BABL Advice 2016-17 Target 328 clients Achievement 514 clients Income Gains £1,132,890
Funding for BABL continues to be uncertain. The 2017-18 funding was announced in February 2017. We are hopeful that after the successful valuation of the Wales-wide project, funding will continue. http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/evaluation-better-advice-better-lives-benefit-take- up-scheme/?lang=en
Recruitment and Training A number of volunteers have left us over the year, but we have ben able to recruit and train an equal number of volunteers. The average service of those who left was over seven years, making a unique commitment to our clients and the issues they face. Support for training is provided through our membership of Citizens Advice. The emphasis has been on assessment and a new learning platform will be introduced in the coming year. This will make management of the training process easier for both volunteers and staff. In-office training is supplemented by courses, the knowledge and information attained being cascaded to benefit other advisers. Specific training has been given on ‘ASK re’ a gender violence and abuse project, in which advisers ask clients, where appropriate, whether they feel safe at home. Money Advice Service also require training in Giving Good Debt Advice. The majority of volunteers will have competed training in both by June 2017.
We have scored well in our pilot of the Quality of Advice Audit (QAA). This has also helped us integrate processes across the offices and we have seen an improvement in case writing.
Courses have been attended on:
Ø Smart Meters Ø Employment and Tribunal
Ø Personal Independence Payments Ø Benefits Forum Ø Housing Rights in Wales (Shelter) Ø Debt Forum Ø Right to Reside
Two of our volunteers provide a MacKenzie Friends service, drawing upon their specific professional skills to assist clients in a court setting. Funding is being sought to support this service. In-house training sessions for volunteers have drawn on external expertise to support the development of volunteers’ and staff skills. These events also provide an opportunity for us to raise awareness of our own work. We have had speakers from: Ø Lions International Ø Live Fear Free, a stalking awareness organisation Ø Women’s Aid Ø Team around the Family, part of Monmouthshire’s Family First programme Ø Mind Ø Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to talk about Universal Credit • British Gas Energy Trust to explain how their project can provide people with help for utilities, funeral costs and white goods.
Information Assurance The trustee board has approved a new information assurance strategy, having identified the risk presented by the significant amounts of client data held in the local service offices. An information assurance management team exists to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all our sensitive data assets is maintained to a level, which is consistent with the requirements of our clients, our funders and our strategic partners. The service aims to achieve an appropriate level of compliance to the Data Protection Act, the Cabinet Office’s Security Policy Framework and to industry best practice, as defined by the ISO 27000 series of standards.
Our Impact - How have we helped Monmouthshire?
A single parent came to the service with debt and other problems and was in a highly Life can be extremely hard for anxious state, claiming she did not have single parents and matters are enough money to feed herself and her made worse when they have not daughter. She was in receipt of Incapacity been given the benefits to which Benefit. Over a period of months we gained they are entitled her confidence and obtained Child Tax Credits (including three months back payments), Disability Living, Care and Mobility
Allowances and Housing and Council Tax Benefit on her behalf. In addition we helped her to arrange a debt repayment plan which was within her budget. She said she felt in control of her situation for the first time in years.
A retired couple, living on a basic State Pension only, were worried about how the wife would cope when her husband, who had terminal cancer, went to hospital. He was When health problems occur it is also worried about the cost of bus fares for his easy for elderly people to be wife when she visited him in hospital. overwhelmed and many elderly Following a home visit and a full assessment people find it difficult to of the couple’s circumstances approaches communicate with official bodies were made to the Benefits Agency and the County Council. As a result the following benefits were obtained on their behalf – Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing and Council Tax Benefit plus an Attendance Allowance for the husband as a priority because of the nature of his illness. This totally transformed the quality of life and security of this couple, who could not believe they could be helped so much. The adviser continued to support her client for several months after her husband had died.
Employment issues are all too A married man with two children worked as a member of a contract cleaning team. A recent frequent……. change of management (including a new accounts manager) had meant that wages
had been paid late and some members of the team had overtime outstanding. As a result of being informed of his rights with regard to unpaid wages he and his colleagues were able to negotiate payment of overdue wages. At the same time the man was also advised of the possibility of making claims for Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Council Tax Benefit. He is now receiving his wages on a regular basis in addition to increased income
from benefits.
A married man with small children purchased a television from a high street chain and was told ……. and Consumer issues are at the point of sale that it would be compatible with his existing digital receiver. When he also very common unpacked it he discovered it was not. He returned to the store to ask for a refund but was refused. Armed with information from the
Citizens Advice on his rights under the Sale of Goods Act he returned to the store and spoke to the manager who agreed to refund the cost of the set.
A man with settled status who had lived in Britain for 17 years wished to apply for British Citizenship. His application (which the local The range of issues which every Citizens Advice had assisted him with) was Citizens Advice has to deal with is turned down because he could not find his amazingly wide. One office has passport, having moved house several times recently had to do battle with the and the Home Office insisted on fixing a Home Office on an issue of deadline for it to be produced. After citizenship intervention by his MP his application was granted.
Our clients are grateful for our help:
Thank you and your colleagues for all your help and patience – my appeal has been accepted Thank you for all your help with my Personal Independence Payment appeal – relieved and happy with the result
Thank you – we have received a back-dated payment of our Employment Support Allowance
We are so grateful for all your help
Research and Campaigns
Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice actively support Citizens Advice in research and campaigns, a core aim of the service we agree to provide. We have continued to identify trends and collect evidence on the impact of unfair policies or practice and poor administration. Some of these have been sent to national Citizens Advice as Bureau Evidence Forms (BEFs) in response to national calls for evidence. Others with a more local focus have been taken up directly with the organisations concerned.
Some of Our Research and Campaigns work 2016-17
Access to basic bank accounts We took part in Citizens Advice national research project to find out what kind of basic bank accounts were being offered, eligibility and how easy they are to access. Surveys were undertaken in nine banks in Abergavenny and Monmouth. The findings from Citizens Advice offices across the country were used to publish a national report at the beginning of 2017.
Scams month: We collected examples of scams and shared these with Trading Standards.
National Consumer Week: displays in offices, community hubs andBig outreach Energy venues Savings Week: client surveys and campaign displays with partners.
Articles published in free press across the County • Changes to regulation for privately rented housing in Wales • Help for families and children • Scams Awareness • Help and advice for older people • Energy saving • Managing your money
Our Partners Our partnerships are essential part of delivering a unified service across Monmouthshire. In addition to keeping our funders aware of our activities, we have continued to work alongside other organisations, in particular the Gateway Credit Union. We share an office with them in Abergavenny and have recently started delivering an outreach advice service in their premises at Bulwark in Chepstow. We also have a new agreement with our landlords in Abergavenny, Melin Homes, to provide an advice service to their tenants, along with capability sessions to those tenants who require it. In return, we have a lease of the premises we share with Gateway Credit Union on preferential terms. Our clients are also able to access the Pensionwise service through appointments at any of our four main offices. The CEO attends meetings of the Financial, Economic and Digital Inclusion Partnership (FEDIP), the Third Sector Network and the Regional Providers Forum, where she meets with other local organisations. Monmouthshire Citizens Advice is also a member of the Gwent Association of Voluntary organisations and we have recruited a number of volunteers from this association. It is also very important for the offices to keep up to date with both new and old projects in the area, as it increases our ability to signpost efficiently and has resulted in referrals for advice. Contacts have been made with: Ø SSAFFA - the Armed Services charity Ø Cyfannol Women’s Aid – attendance at the opening in Abergavenny Ø Tackling Financial Abuse Ø Age Cymru and the services they supply Ø Trading Standards Ø NEST, the Welsh Government’s fuel poverty scheme Ø Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) Ø Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service Ø Shelter Ø Mind Ø Local food banks Ø Monmouthshire libraries and One Stop shops Ø Abergavenny Community Centre – information at the Dying Matters stand
Our Finances
The financial position of the organisation remains secure. MCCA received income of £239,132 and spent £213,592 achieving a surplus of £25,540 to 31 March 2017. This was particularly pleasing as the Board had reluctantly set a deficit budget of £21,158 for the financial year. £99,356 of the income was allocated as restricted funds, £68,636 of which is received to deliver the Better Advice Better Lives project. The remaining £30,720 was received from CitA as the assets of the former Monmouth Town Citizens Advice Bureau. This is held as restricted reserves for the delivery of services within Monmouth. By far the bulk of our unrestricted income was from the Town and Community Councils, which amounted to £68,260, an increase over the previous financial year. We also received £56,887 from Monmouthshire County Council, 17.5% less than in 2015-16. Our main expenditure, as usual, is employment costs, which in 2016-17 amounted to £130,922, which for the first time in 2016-17 included a sum for a defined contribution pension scheme. We also invested £10,000 in the new IT equipment. At the end of 2016/17 the balance sheet showed a credit of £171,907. £16,000 of this remains restricted to the delivery of the service in Monmouth. These MCCA net assets represent about 9 months operating expenditure, which equates to a GREEN rating in Citizen’s Advice Financial Health Monitoring Assessment.
Our People Trustee Board
Mr Brian Counsell Chair Dr Claire Bloomfield Trustee - Research & Campaigns Mr Roger Chater Trustee - Personnel Mr Peter Davey Trustee - Appointed December 2016 Mrs Sally Jones Trustee - Fundraising Mr Peter McGahey Trustee Mr Simon Pickering Trustee - Communications Mr David Thomas Treasurer Professor Celia Wells Trustee - Resigned August 2016
Staff
Mrs Shirley Lightbound Chief Executive Officer Ms Beth Addis ASM (South) Mrs Yvonne James Admin and Finance Officer Mrs Jane Robinson Training Administrator Ms Kathy Young ASM (North) Mrs Lou Allerhand Project Worker (BABL) Ms Alison May Project Worker (BABL) Mrs Jenny Hart Project Worker (BABL) Mrs Yvonne Havard Project Worker (BABL) Mr Darren Williams Project Worker (BABL)
Volunteers
We now have 71 volunteers across the four offices and we are grateful to them all for the time they give to help us provide a service for our clients.
Would you like to volunteer with us?
Our service offers many different opportunities for volunteering
Advisers Being an adviser is a very varied role. As an adviser you will:
■ Interview clients at drop-in sessions and appointments in the office, over the phone or at outreach sessions ■ Give information from the Citizens Advice electronic information system and other sources ■ Give advice in explaining the choices and consequences the client faces ■ Give practical help by writing letters, making phone calls, completing forms, doing calculations and even representing clients at tribunals ■ Refer clients to other agencies if they are better placed to help ■ Keep records of all clients’ cases ■ Prevent future problems by identifying issues that affect a lot of clients
You don’t need any particular qualifications or experience to train as an adviser. All sorts of people are advisers. You need to:
■ Be good at listening ■ Be able to work in a team ■ Be able to read and write English and do basic maths ■ Be open–minded and non-judgemental ■ Enjoy helping people
Support every step of the way Advisers don’t need to know it all! We provide all trainee advisers with a comprehensive accredited training programme that will give you the skills you need to deliver a high quality service to clients. Our up-to-the-minute electronic information system contains most of the information you will need when advising clients. You won’t be left alone after you are trained. There will always be a more experienced adviser, who will give you support, advice and guidance. All advisers are insured by Citizens Advice in case mistakes are made. Once you have qualified as a Generalist Adviser, you will have the opportunity to develop further skills and increase the depth and breadth of your knowledge.
Administrators Administrators ensure that bureau systems run smoothly. Good support is essential for the running of any organisation, and Citizens Advice is no different. There are many different administrative roles – we can match your skills and time available to the bureau’s needs. Tasks may include:
■ Using spread sheets, databases and word processing packages ■ Maintaining and developing administrative systems ■ Stock control of leaflets and materials and updating information ■ Helping to arrange events ■ Receiving and sending faxes, mail, email and telephone calls ■ Taking notes and minutes at meetings
Receptionists Receptionists are the public face of the service. They are the main link between the public and the office. This role would suit people who are methodical, organised and patient. As a receptionist, you would:
■ Greet clients and make them feel comfortable ■ Arrange appointments and answer phone calls ■ Provide information on the Citizens Advice Service to clients ■ Manage the waiting room ■ Keep records
IT support co-ordinators The Citizens Advice Service is increasingly taking advantage of developments in IT. As an IT support volunteer you may be involved in a variety of areas, depending on your skills and the time you have available, for example:
■ Supporting and training users in day-to-day use of IT systems ■ Troubleshooting hardware and software problems ■ Maintaining and developing networks ■ Designing spreadsheets, databases and websites
Trustee Board Members All local Citizens Advice services are independent charities, governed by their own board of trustees, who are ultimately responsible for the quality and range of the service. Day-to-day control is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, but Trustees:
■ Set the overall direction and support the development of the service ■ Ensure the service meets the needs of the local community and the Citizens Advice membership standards ■ Employ staff and control bureau finances ■ Earn and retain the respect of important and influential people and organisations in the community, including funding bodies ■ Ensure the bureau complies with relevant laws.
Trustee boards need people from all sections of the community with a wide range of different skills, experience and perspectives. Trustee boards tend to meet in the evenings, making this a flexible role, which trustees often fit around a full-time job. A full induction into the trustee board’s role and responsibilities will be provided.
If you are interested in volunteering with us for any of these positions then please contact [email protected] for further information
Or visit the website at
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/volunteer_bureau_search
Our Funders We gratefully acknowledge the support of all of our funders
Abergavenny Monmouthshire Caldicot Town Council County Council Town Council
Chepstow Welsh Monmouth Town Council Government Town Council
Community Councils
Grosmont Mitchel Troy Tintern
Llanover Portskewett & Sudbrook Shirenewton
Llantilio Pertholey Raglan Usk Town Council
Tidenham Parish Council
Welsh Church Fund
Friends of Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice
Sir Fynwy – Oriau Agor Monmouthshire County - Opening Times (as at July 2017)
Drop in sessions for Appointments Extra sessions by gateway advice appointment only Abergavenny Office Monday, Tuesday, Available Monday, Better Advice Better 19a & b Cross Street Wednesday & Friday Tuesday, Wednesday Lives Abergavenny 10am – 1pm and Friday 10am to Wednesday 11am to NP7 5EW Information also 3pm 1pm available from 10am to Friday 10am to 3pm 3pm Caldicot Office Monday & Thursday Available Tuesday Better Advice Better 5a Church Road 10am to 12 noon Wednesday & Lives Caldicot, NP26 4BP Tuesday & Wednesday Thursday 10am to Monday 10am to 10am to 1pm 1pm 3.30pm Wednesday 10am to 2pm Chepstow Office Monday Tuesday Available Better Advice Better The Gate House, Wednesday & Thursday Monday, Tuesday, Lives (help with benefit High Street 10am to 3pm Wednesday and issues) Chepstow, NP16 5LH Thursday 10am to Thursday 9.30am to 3pm 3pm
Monmouth Office Monday, Tuesday, Available Tuesday, Better Advice Better 23a Whitecross Street Wednesday & Friday Wednesday & Friday Lives (help with benefit Monmouth, NP25 3BY 10am to 2pm 10am to 2pm issues) Tuesday 10am to 3pm Abergavenny Better Advice Better Lives (help with benefit issues) Tudor Gate Doctors Thursday 1pm to 3pm Surgery Abergavenny Better Advice Better Lives (help with benefit issues) Abergavenny Tuesday 12.30pm to 3pm Community Enterprise, Hillcrest Road Chepstow Thursday 1pm to 4pm Gateway Credit Union 50A Bulwark Road Bulwark Chepstow Raglan First and Third Tuesdays of the month 1.30pm to 3.30pm Raglan Old Village Hall Usk Thursdays 10.30am to 12.30pm Usk Community Hub Maryport Street Wyesham By appointment only Woodland View Community Shop