Agnes Smith Advice Centre 96 Blackbird Leys Road Oxford OX4 6HS Tel 01865 770206 Fax 01865 771585 www.agnessmith.co.uk

Annual Report

April 2013 – March 2014

The Agnes Smith Advice Centre is run by an independent registered charity, Blackbird Leys Neighbourhood Support Scheme Ltd.

CONTENTS

Contents______1 Introduction from Co-Chairs______2 Who’s Who ______3 Our Service______4 Map of The Leys ______5 Profile of Blackbird Leys ______6 Treasurer’s Report ______7 Manager’s Report ______8 Centre Statistics ______9-12 Volunteering ______13 Case Studies ______14 -15 Client Feedback ______16 In the News ______17-18 Thank Yous ______19

Aims of the Centre

Agnes Smith Advice Centre aims to ensure the best practices in the delivery of free, independent, impartial and confidential advice by:

 Maximising income through welfare benefit take-up  Encouraging long-term sustainable plans to tackle debt  Enabling people to remain in their own homes  Empowering people within their own community

1 INTRODUCTION FROM CO-CHAIRS PAUL DORNAN AND KATE GRIFFIN

Blackbird Leys is a strongly rooted community but also one which faces considerable ongoing economic disadvantage. As the consequences of the national recession and cuts in benefits and public services continue, providing an accessible source of advice to the local community remains as important as ever.

Recognising this, we have seen a busy year at the centre as we face the future. Our new manager, Clare Charleson, who joined the centre at the start of the year, discusses much of this hard work in her manager’s report on page 8. Advice centres and other agencies across Oxford have been working increasingly closely together as part of the Oxford Advice Agencies Stronger Together (OAAST) partnership. We believe that working together in this way will help us to make the best use of our resources and provide high quality service to our clients whilst remaining proudly independent and locally focussed.

This year trustees agreed a new business plan, identifying key aims for 2014-2017 as: 1. To ensure those who need advice in the local area have access to it and improve the accessibility of our service 2. Deliver the highest quality service we can with the resources we have available, including actively responding to rapid changes in the social welfare system expected over this period, resulting from welfare reforms and legal aid cuts 3. To use evidence from the experiences of those contacting the centre for social policy development 4. continue to build close working relationships and work in partnership with other local agencies to provide a better service to the local community 5. Improve the working environment for both workers and clients 6. Protect existing funding and seek new funding to support the service

Wider pressures on charitable foundations and cuts to public services make it challenging to cover the core costs of providing an advice service. The charity has had a modest deficit for 2 years, as costs have outstripped our ability to raise core resources. Fortunately, we have been able to draw on our reserves but whilst trustees have accepted this on a short-term basis, in the long term it presents a threat if we cannot cover our costs.

Finally, some thank you's. Thanks to the staff team for hard work and dedication over this year, which has involved much change. We are grateful to those volunteers and trustees who have freely given of their time to support the work of the centre. We would especially like to mention Kim Poyser whose sad illness and death robbed the Centre of one of its most dedicated and long- serving volunteers. We are also very grateful to the Centre's supporters in the local community, and for those who have funded our activities – as Fran Bennett notes in the treasurer's report on page 8. In this year trustee Pamela Baker resigned, and we would like to thank her for her contributions to the centre's work. We would also particularly like to thank the manager, Clare Charleson and trustee treasurer Fran Bennett for their huge efforts. 2 O’S WHO WHO’S WHO

April 2013 – March 2014

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Co-Chair……………………………………………………….…………………………………… Paul Dornan Co-Chair …………………………………………………………………………………………….. Kate Griffin Treasurer ………………………………………………………………………………………… Fran Bennett Company Secretary …………………………………………………………………… Audrey Bronstein Trustee …………………………………………………………… (Resigned Jan 2014) Pamela Baker Trustee …………………………………………………………………………………………….. Elaine Chase Trustee ……………………………………………………………………………………………... Helen Leney Trustee ………………………………………………………………………………………... Beryl Loughran Trustee …………………………………………………………………………………………….. Simon Pitkin Trustee …………………………………………………………………………………………… Cora Spencer

STAFF

Manager/Advice Worker ……………………………………………………………… Clare Charleson Deputy Manager/Advice Worker ……………………………………………………… Laura Wilson Reception Supervisor/Volunteer Coordinator …………………….…………. Stephen Knight Outreach Advice Worker ………………………………………………………………….… Cathy Wells Outreach Advice Worker ……………………………………………………....………….. Jackie Knight Clerical Worker …………………………………………………………………………… Alison Chapman Cleaner ……………………………………………………………………………………………. Carole Ewers

VOLUNTEERS

Senior Volunteer Receptionist ……………………………. (deceased Dec 2013) Kim Poyser Volunteer Advisor ……………………………………………………………………………… Laura Court Volunteer Employment Advisor…………………………………………………………..Daniel Smith Volunteer Trainee Advisor …………………………………… (left July 2013) Wayne Prescott Volunteer Receptionist ………………………………………………………………….. Quamrul Islam Volunteer Receptionist ………………………………………………………………….. Latisha Walker Volunteer Receptionist …………………………………………………………………… Jo-Anne Berry

3 OUR SERVICE

WHAT WE DO

We are a local service for the local community. We are located in the heart of Blackbird Leys, and we are the first port of call for many individuals who do not know where to turn to for advice.

We are recognized for our work in helping people who might otherwise fall through the safety net, on everyday issues such as debt, welfare benefits, housing and employment.

We offer specialist support in debt and welfare benefits. Our debt advisors help clients tackle their financial problems, including setting up long-term, sustainable repayment plans, or if necessary a debt relief order or bankruptcy. Our benefit advisors help clients with anything from form-filling to challenging decisions by the benefit agencies.

We make a real contribution to the community. This year our advisors had 2247 contacts with people who came to us for advice.

HOW THE SERVICE WORKS

The centre offers a range of services to meet the needs of the local community. We provide a drop- in service to gather brief details of the problem, and assess its urgency and how best to deal with it. We are here in a time of crisis, and can offer emergency help at the drop-in.

We offer face-to-face appointments when a client needs more in-depth support. Clients often approach us with multiple issues and complex problems. Our advisors may need several appointments with clients over a period of time in order to resolve their issues.

For self-help, we have a wealth of information, forms and leaflets in our reception. Our receptionists are trained to signpost clients elsewhere if the best option is to see another agency better able to deal with their query.

REACHING THE COMMUNITY

We operate from our office in the heart of Blackbird Leys. We also offer outreach services to people in venues used by the community. We offer home visits for clients who can’t come to our offices because of illness or mobility issues.

LEGAL ADVICE CLINIC

We provide a free legal advice clinic at the centre, courtesy of Bower and Bailey solicitors. This takes place every other Thursday by appointment only. The legal advisor can offer guidance on all legal issues and point the client in the right direction if they need more in depth legal advice. 4

MAP OF THE LEYS

OX4 7BU OX4 TheFarmhouse Avenue Nightingale Leys Greater Oxford

63 Cuddesdon Way Cuddesdon 63

-

TheClockhouse Ground Long Leys Greater Oxford 7FX OX4

OX4 6SB OX4 The Leys Children’s Centre Centre Children’s TheLeys 61 Leys Blackbird Oxford

OX4 6HS OX4 Agnes Smith Advice Centre Advice Smith Agnes Road Leys Blackbird 96 Leys Blackbird Oxford

Our Outreach Locations OurOutreach

OurLocation

PROFILE OF BLACKBIRD LEYS

Blackbird Leys is a residential estate on the southern edge of Oxford. It was built in 1958, to provide housing for workers at the Cowley car plant, the main employer in the area at the time. This original development created an estate of approximately 8,000 people.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, as a response to the housing problems in the city, the city council made further land available to the south of the estate for new housing. This resulted in the development of Greater Leys; the population of the two estates is now approximately 15,000. The area incorporating Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys is now collectively known as ‘the Leys’.

The majority of housing in the old part of the estate is council housing, while in Greater Leys it is provided by housing associations. With almost 5,000 residential properties on the estate, the Leys is one of the largest housing estates in Europe.

The Agnes Smith Advice Centre serves the whole of the Leys - and a small proportion of clients from surrounding areas. We are the only general advice centre in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys.

DEPRIVATION

The Indices of Deprivation 2010 identified the area of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys (including the ward of Northfield Brook) as an area of multiple deprivation in Oxford. The key findings were:-

 Parts of Northfield Brook and Blackbird Leys have the highest overall deprivation score in Oxford, and are amongst the most deprived 10% of Lower Super Output Areas in England*.

 The areas with the greatest income deprivation in Oxford are parts of Northfield Brook and Blackbird Leys, with 34% and 31% respectively of their population considered to be income deprived.

 The areas with the greatest income deprivation affecting children include parts of Northfield Brook and Blackbird Leys where 51% and 49% respectively of the children and young people aged 0- 15 are living in income deprived families.

 Parts of Blackbird Leys have the greatest income deprivation affecting older people in Oxford.

 Parts of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys have the greatest employment deprivation in Oxford.

*A lower super output areas is a small geographical areas of approx 1,500 residents, used for the reporting of small area statistics and to provide a measure relative to other areas in England.

6

TREASURER’S REPORT

FRAN BENNETT

We are very grateful to Oxfordshire County Council, and to Oxford City Council in particular, for the funding they provide. This was renewed again for 2013/14, despite financial pressures. Both the councils also allowed us to bid for smaller amounts of additional funding for specific purposes (including social inclusion and winter warmth). Our work with Oxford City Council and others on the impact of welfare reform on claimants continues. And our advice helps clients of several different county council departments, and prevents some people from having to use social services.

Funding from the local housing associations - Greensquare (OCHA), Catalyst Communities Housing Association and A2 Dominion - supports our outreach advice in particular, though we also see their tenants in-house. Social housing tenants are affected by various benefit changes, and we are pleased to be working with the housing associations to help them through a difficult time.

This year saw the first funding from the Advice Services Transition Fund, paid by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by central government. Oxford Citizens Advice is managing this for ‘Oxford Advice Agencies Stronger Together’, the group of local advice agencies. As a result we are working together more closely, preparing joint funding bids and sharing our knowledge and ways of working.

The rest of our funding comes largely from charitable trusts. This is becoming ever harder and this year we had to use up some reserves (though less than last year). This is only viable in the short term. The Henry Smith Charity, a long-term partner funder, gave us a 2-year grant not limited to specific activities. The value of such funding cannot be over-estimated.

St Michael’s and All Saints’ Charities has been generous to us before, and this year gave us a grant towards replacing the carpet. We are investigating what structural changes if any we need to make before spending this. Similarly, the Blackbird Leys parish council gave us a grant again, towards specific day to day costs. It is important that we can demonstrate support from our local community who know us best. We are very grateful to all our funders, the individuals who gave donations and the workers who fundraised for the centre.

Looking to the future, the city council is revising its service agreement with us, to set up a 3-year funding arrangement. The county council is planning to cut its support for advice provision significantly and reviewing its commissioning. With the difficulty in securing grants (especially core funding) from charitable trusts, the future seems at least as challenging as the past.

The treasurer’s duties were a shared effort again. Paul Way of MoneyIQ administered the payroll. Nicola Reid prepares management accounts. We are grateful to Andrew Churchill Stone, of Mercer Lewin, for the independent examination of our accounts. Many thanks to all of them, to other trustees and to all the workers at the centre. MANAGER’S REPORT CLARE CHARLESON

In the year April 2013 – March 2014 we focused on 4 main areas: meeting demand, quality, partnership working and streamlining systems.

We helped more than 1,000 individuals and their families who came to us for advice. For most people, their income hasn’t grown for a number of years, and basic living costs have continued to go up. They are further squeezed by cuts to their benefits as a result of the welfare reforms, with many more cuts still to bite. Demand on the Centre has grown correspondingly.

We helped a large number of clients trying to cope with the loss or reduction in benefits as a result of sanctions, the bedroom tax or failing ESA medical assessments. We advised an increasing number of clients faced with tax credit overpayments. We helped clients to maximize their benefits, we advised them of other funds available (e.g. discretionary housing payments), and we helped them to challenge decisions when they were wrong.

In this climate, clients struggled to pay their debts. We trained 3 of our advisors in financial capability to help clients focus on budgeting and finding long term solutions. Where there was no other way forward, we helped clients to obtain Debt Relief Orders or to become bankrupt so they could make a fresh start. We obtained 56 Debt Relief Orders for clients (27% increase from 2012/13) and 15 bankruptcies (36% increase). In response to this demand, two more of our advisors trained and qualified as Debt Relief Order intermediaries this year.

We invested in a wide range of training as part of our focus on quality. As well as the money advice training, we tried to keep one step ahead of the welfare reforms and attended training on the new Personal Independence Payment and the new ‘mandatory revision’ procedure for challenging Department for Work and Pensions decisions. We had refresher training sessions on the importance of quality and how to ensure we achieve it. Our volunteer supervisor attended training on how to recruit, train and manage volunteers.

Partnership working was a particular focus this year - with the start of the two year Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund Project. We have been working closely with local agencies in Oxford to share knowledge and resources and to improve the quality of service we give to clients in Oxford. The insights we have gained have been invaluable as a benchmarking exercise, as we continually strive to achieve best practice.

The Big Lottery project helped fund a new case management system (Advice Pro) for the Centre. This was a major undertaking for us, and by the end of the year we successfully made the transition from a piecemeal system to the new integrated system to capture our data. The result is that we save time, work more efficiently – and we are able to capture data to produce accurate management and funding reports.

We feel that the progress we made this year will stand us in good stead in the increasingly demanding environment. 8 CENTRE STATISTICS

FOR THE PERIOD 1 APRIL 2013 - 31 MARCH 2014

Facts and Figures

2,247 Number of client contacts

1,049 Number of individual clients

710 Number of new clients

3,649 Number of issues presented

Issues 1998 Apr 2013 -Mar2014 2000

1500 937

1000

500 224 36 140 54 22 18 44 51 82

0

9 CENTRE STATISTICS

BREAKDOWN OF BENEFITS DEALT WITH IN 2013/14 Apr 2013 - Mar 2014 Means Tested (Income Support & Housing &Council Tax Benefit) Job Seekers Allowance Employment & Support Allowance Tax Credits Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment Child's Disability Living Allowance Carers Allowance State Pension / Pension Credit Bedroom Tax GL24 / Mandatory Revision 3% 4% 6% 2% 5% 28% 6%

1% 4% 12%

29%

Client Profile

 66% of our clients are female

 34% of our clients are male  12% of our clients are over 60 years old

 93% of our clients have children  23% of our clients have disabilities or long term illness

10 CENTRE STATISTICS

£1,400,000.00 Money Gained £1,200,000.00 £1,000,000.00 £800,000.00 £600,000.00 £400,000.00 £200,000.00 £0.00 Benefit Debt Charity Other One Total take-up write-off Grants off Money (Including payments Gained Community Care Grants) Apr 2011 -Mar2012 £133,151.05 £541,080.01 £5,998.78 £9,758.01 £689,987.85 Apr 2012 -Mar2013 £161,559.71 £910,396.33 £18,765.76 £3,454.58 £1,095,554.00 Apr 2013 -Mar2014 £322,191.00 £959,659.33 £19,853.00 £6,733.00 £1,325,233.00

Facts and Figures

£1,955,146 Total amount of client debt dealt with

105 Total number of debt management plans set up

56 Total number of debt relief orders (an increase of 27 % from 2012/13)

15 Total number of bankruptcies (an increase of 36% from 2012/13)

11

CENTRE STATISTICS

Facts and Figures

39% of our clients are local authority tenants

34% of our clients are housing association tenants

Accommodation 1000 878 Apr 2013 -Mar2014

800

600

400 245 195 203 228 164 136 129 200 1 14 1 16 37

0

12

VOLUNTEERING

Thanks very much to all our volunteers this year

JO-ANNE BERRY – Volunteer Receptionist LAURA COURT – Volunteer Benefit Advisor QUAMRUL ISLAM –Volunteer Receptionist WAYNE PRESCOT – Volunteer Trainee Advisor (left July 2013) DANIEL SMITH – Volunteer Employment Advisor LATISHA WALKER – Volunteer Receptionist

CONGRATULATIONS !– to Fran Bennett, our longstanding trustee and treasurer, who received a Volunteer of the Year Award at the Oxfordshire Charity and Volunteer Awards for all her hard work, enthusiasm and commitment to the centre over many years.

SPECIAL REPORT ON VOLUNTEER KIM POYSER

In December 2013 the centre suffered a sad loss. Our longest serving volunteer sadly passed away after a short illness. Kim had become one of the faces of the centre. During her 10 years of volunteering with us Kim earned a lot of respect from her work colleagues as well as the clients and users of the centre. She had a friendly, caring personality and was always smiling. This helped immensely when dealing with the everyday situations that would arise in the centre.

We were all very proud when she received a Volunteer of the Year award in 2012, which recognized her dedication to volunteering, to the centre and to the community.

Kim touched the hearts of many and will always be sadly missed.

13

CASE STUDIES

Case Study 1 A couple came to the Advice Centre because their Housing Benefit had been reduced by the under- occupancy penalty, known as the ‘bedroom tax.’ They had lived in a three bedroomed house for many years and now that their children had left home and the Housing Benefit regulations had changed, they were under-occupying by two bedrooms, meaning that they had an extra £19 per week rent to pay, where previously they had been entitled to full housing benefit because they were on means tested benefits. Their housing benefit had been reduced even further by an overpayment, which the clients did not understand, because they had no income for the period in question.

The clients wanted to move to a one-bedroomed property so that they would not have to pay the bedroom tax, but their landlord would not let them exchange or transfer due to their rent arrears. They had accumulated high rent arrears over the years due to ill-health, sporadic work and difficulty with managing their benefit claims.

The clients were also having difficulties with bailiffs enforcing several years of unpaid Council Tax, and had been paying non-priority doorstep lenders at the expense of their rent and Council Tax.

We advised the clients on priority and non-priority payments and helped draw up a budget to ensure that priority creditors were paid first, to avoid the risk of losing their home or having goods removed by bailiffs. It was clear that even with the use of budgeting there was a shortfall for priority payments, leading to ongoing hardship.

We contacted the Housing Benefit authorities and explained that the clients had had no income for the period of the alleged overpayment, and they cancelled the overpayment, reducing the deductions from the weekly benefit. We looked into options for dealing with the client’s debts.

The clients were both eligible for Debt Relief Orders, due to their low income and lack of assets, and we negotiated with their landlord not to enforce the possession order on the property and to allow them to downsize and have a fresh start with no rent arrears and no bedroom tax on the smaller property. The Debt Relief Orders also provided for the write-off of the Council Tax and all non-priority debts. Debt Relief Orders cost clients £90 due to Insolvency Service fees and so we raised the funds from a local charity.

The clients are now settling into their new one-bedroomed home and are debt-free, and the hardship that they were suffering has been alleviated now that they are free from debt repayments and the bedroom tax.

14 CASE STUDY 2

A client came to us as he was struggling to make ends meet. In the course of the interview we discovered that our client’s wife had left him a few years ago. However, he had not informed the council of this change of circumstances, so he was not getting the benefit of the 25% single person’s discount that he was entitled to on his council tax.

We contacted the council on his behalf and asked them to take into account his single status and re-assess his council tax account. The client received credit of £312, and instead of paying £110 per month council tax, he now only pays £52 per month – giving him an extra £58 per month to help with other living expenses.

CASE STUDY 3

A client came to us for help with her living conditions. She had recently down sized and moved to a smaller flat. The floor had a bare concrete floor, making it feel very cold and unwelcoming. Our client is disabled and her only income is from benefits. She could not afford to pay for new flooring herself.

We arranged for the client to obtain quotes to have carpet put down on the floors. We submitted these to a local charity on the client’s behalf and were successful in obtaining a grant for the client to get new carpets laid down – before the winter set in.

15

CLIENT FEEDBACK

From client survey forms between April 2013 – March 2014

“Thank you for listening and interpreting our problem correctly and efficiently obtaining a great result – no more worries!”

“Fantastic help second time I have used Agnes Smith and have had a lot of help and advice with everything. Thank you very much.”

“Just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help. You turned a serious worry into news which was advantageous to us and we are extremely grateful to have this burden lifted.”

“Very happy with the service I hope that you continue to help other people like myself. THANK YOU.”

IMPACT

As well as achieving specific outcomes, our work can improve the general wellbeing of the clients we help, and their families.

• Many clients have told us that they have better understanding of their situation and their rights and responsibilities as a result of attending the centre for advice. This can give clients the confidence to tackle problems themselves in the future.

• A number of clients have commented on how their stress levels decreased considerably after seeking our help, and that they were able to sleep better and generally cope better with other aspects of their lives.

• Other clients have highlighted the improvements they experienced in both their physical and mental health after their problems were resolved.

16

LEYS NEWS, 2013

OXFORD MAIL, JUNE 2013

18

THANK YOUS

We would like to thank our funders this year:

A2 Dominion The Big Lottery Fund Blackbird Leys Parish Council Catalyst Communities Housing Association Feoffess (St Michael’s & All Saints’ Charities) Greensquare Housing Association (OCHA) Henry Smith Charity Oxford City Council Oxfordshire County Council Santander Foundation

We would also like to express our appreciation to the following people and organisations who gave their time and skills to support the advice centre this year:

Blackbird Leys Community Centre The Church of the Holy Family Bower and Bailey Solicitors Cllr Scott Seamons Andrew Smith MP Cllr Val Smith

Throughout the year, many people have given their time freely to work within the advice centre —especially the volunteers. Often thanks are not expressed where they should be because these people are always there. They continually show a dedication beyond that which is called for. Please accept this as not only a thank you but a commendation for the help you have given.

There are so many people who deserve our thanks, including the paid workers and trustee board; without these people we would not be able to continue providing this essential service to the local community.

19 Agnes Smith Advice Centre 96 Blackbird Leys Road Oxford OX4 6HS Tel 01865 770206 Fax 01865 771585 www.agnessmith.co.uk

A company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales reg. no. 2662382 Registered charity no: 1050456