Annual Review 2015/16

Citizens Advice Warwickshire Annual Review 2015/16

Citizens Advice Warwickshire comprises 5 charities who work in partnership to provide free, independent, impartial and confidential advice to help resolve the issues most affecting people's lives. We do this through face-to-face contact, telephone, email and online through www.citizensadvice.org.uk. We can help with any issue from debt, housing and employment problems to questions about welfare benefits and consumer issues, plus everything in between.

Operating in the Boroughs and Districts of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, North Warwickshire, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick we provide advice for the people of Warwickshire and use the insight this provides us to campaign for their rights and improve social policy.

In 2015/16 we helped 32,901 people with 86,565 problems.

 The top issues raised were Benefits (27%), Debt (21%), and Housing (8%)

 36% of clients experiencing a long term illness or disability

 Over £525,000 worth of annualised income gained for clients over the year

 Over £14 of public value produced for every £1 of funding received

 Our advice work produced over £2,265,152 worth of savings for the DWP, £680,000 savings for the NHS and almost £1,400,000 savings for local housing providers

 We advised on £7,500,000 of debt across the county A snapshot of our services and projects This year Citizens Advice North Warwickshire helped 4,119 people with 13,261 issues. As with the previous year these were mainly problems with benefits and debt, but following on from our recent work in the field of financial capability the themes of budgeting, saving and income maximisation is embedded strongly in our services.

We offer advice through a range of channels to maximise access to or services, as North Warwickshire is a rural district with many smaller towns and villages. This means not all clients can get to our offices for advice in person.

Face to face advice is available at our drop-in sessions in Atherstone and Coleshill. We can also be contacted by phone on our local number, and we are signed up to a Countywide CAB telephone service. Home visits can be arranged in certain circumstances.

In 2015-16 we also joined Citizens Advice’s national Web Chat & Email advice pilot, allowing us to efficiently offer information and signposting to over 1,000 clients digitally.

North Warwickshire Advice Issues - 13,261 Key statistics 2015-16: Client contacts - 6,902

Enquiries - 4,395 North Warwickshire North

“I’m so glad that I spoke to you. I felt like the world was working against me, but now I have the information I need to move forwards.”

North Warwickshire client about all ofthe benefits about household their could apply for. Warwickshire RightsAdviceparentsService helpsure to make theyWelfare knew tostudents entitled the meals. school weAt with time, free same workedpartnership in sum of toawareness the pupil a premium, schools of money eachof their paid for volunteers attended and Staff Pupil PremiumPromotion and rent. and 2 advised visited on offices their Street one South for day week,where she each with Council.Our closely adviser North Borough MaryWarwickshire the Through Local workScheme weto wereWelfare able Warwickshire Money Adviceat NorthWarwickshire Borough Council and the switching in tariff and district. practices to assessment help information us gather on energy efficiency energy 130 advisor,and people participated 43 onein with andsaving switching energy. suppliers North RuralEnergywe Project For our community visited in 3 hubs Rural EnergyProject contributionaward recognition oftoour advice in on financial skills for life. future. valueofour work The was presentation withof Citizensa recognised the Advice demonstrating our theneed services toto for funders secure ouradvicethe for services information. that help or information The the provides has FWA us invaluable been in theclientswithOf who made FWA, contact us throughover asked the 1,500 for further Financial the completed (FWA), byTool over Assessment 6,000 people. Wellbeing projectsand improve joint local people. services project allowedfor The to develop us to workcontinue together andextend the increasepartnership, to thepotential more for Althoughthestrategies. period work funded of has ended, partners to have decided access’ beneficiaries for extended and existing early include provision to intervention theresilienceagencies. enhanced This oflocal adviceservices, ‘easeof increasing Lottery projectThis a collaborative funded facilitated model for working between NorthWarwickshire AdviceService Partnership “Thank you“Thank yourvery muchfor help and advice at ourmeeting. It was invaluableyouas informed ofme many I unawarethings was of… Warwickshire to spread of to awareness howspread we help Warwickshire can

- 3 clients each clients afternoon 3 withon councilproblems tax their everythinggoing is brilliantly yourtothanks advice. ”

completed completed

North Warwickshire client - to 8 “The adviser was a real help. I really felt felt Ireally help. areal “The adviser was - parents’ parents’ school eveningsevents and 2015 in

one appointmentswith one our she was listening to my problems. problems. my to listening she was our home our energy North Warwickshire client

- 16 to raise to raise 16

”

North Warwickshire Bedworth, Rugby & Nuneaton visits email offering and necessary. telephone as adviceand inthe bureaux locations and other offices each well Borough as as homecarrying out Nuneaton and and BedworthWarwickshire, Rugby the GeorgeHospital. Our covers at catchment the Eliot Boroughsarea North of basedFawcett.They at are our Bedworthoffice deliver and week advicesessions per 4 officersbysupported Lloyd case Ellen Mike and Benefit and Advisers,Our Garfield Shahnaz are Service Nuneaton&Bedworth Macmillan Advice £37,058 worth of Macmillangrants clients. worth£37,058 of for they2015/16 of total income416 clients,gaineda in assisted £1,220,251 additional plus in other and debt advisers giveOur one and Rugby.Bedworth advice.benefits sees Davinder clients by at our Nuneaton, appointment in offices supports also expertise advisers knowledge generalist their increase delivering to of navigateto waythecomplexities their thewelfare benefitsof Davinder’s through system. decisions,challenge provide information and additional toentitled receive.This helping often means to people secure clients our the and benefits tax with people benefits issues complex to welfare ensure ongoing toCaseworker support providesand advice to Dhami,our Here help; Davinder Benefits Welfare Bedworthand Rugby SpecialistWelfare AdviceNuneaton, PIP me. to payments You who forwork those good such do all DWPthe and favour begunmy in now found tribunal have The me with my Personal Independence Payment tribunal request. request. tribunal Payment Independence my Personal me with ‘I just wanted to say a big thank you to Davinder who helped who to youDavinder thank sayabig to wanted ‘I just been worried for a long time but feel confident now things now feel confident but time along for been worried ‘Yourhave I toon. carry strength the me given has advice need help, your efforts appreciated’. much your help, very need are

- house specialisthouse services necessary. yearas financial During the off off

advice, well as managing casework ongoing refer as to and Nuneaton & Bedworth client Bedworth & Nuneaton

are moving forward’ are moving credits

they are they are and we clientsby see appointment at

and Shahnazand Ali Advice Advice Workers Garfield Hylton Macmillan

Reach Out and Help This project is now into its third year and, due to its huge success, has been re-funded for a further three years via a Big Lottery Fund grant and has been replicated by Warwick District Citizens Advice which has set up its Warwick Advice Project using the ROAH model. Our advisers seek out those with high advice need by leafleting and knocking on doors in target areas offers as well as receiving direct referrals from key partner frontline agencies. We help these individuals and families, who are often unable to leave the house or access advice and other support services, manage debt, claim welfare benefits, save money on fuel bills, deal with housing and health problems and much more. Over the three years of the project we knocked on more than 400 doors and were able to help more than 1400 people of all ages with their complex problems.

Webwise Funded by Comic Relief and delivered by Stratford Citizens Advice in partnership with Age UK Warwickshire, also entered its third year in 2015-16. It was set up in 2013 with the aim of helping older people in the District to get access to and learn how to use computers and the Internet in order to manage their finances and improve their household budgets. The free computer training was delivered informally in small groups around the district and our advice worker on the project also provided home visits to those with money worries or who needed help

Avon & District & Avon with computers in the home. -

‘The advice and help given to us has been invaluable and we

on simply couldn’t have managed without. Citizens advice have at - all times been the consummate professionals and have gone way beyond my expectations in the help that has and continues to be afforded to my daughter and me... I cannot express how difficult it would have been to cope without the dedicated support from the caseworker assigned.’

Stratford upon Avon client Stratford Court Desk Worker Helen Knight represented Stratford-upon-Avon residents in 121 individual hearings during the year, an increase of 42% over the previous year. She works closely with the benefits and income recovery teams at Stratford District Council to ensure benefit take-up and realistic payment arrangement offers. She also works with Orbit, offering their tenants at risk of eviction appointments at their offices. Of the 117 clients we assisted during the year 86 were helped to remain in their homes. Prevention of homelessness saves distress to tenants or owner occupiers and there is also a substantial saving to the community. Helen Knight is also Chair of the Stratford District Housing Forum. Warwick District in Lillington and Lillington and in the coming in Warwick months. West SYDNI where setupweekly weCentre) advice to plans nowclinics, with clinics hold advice with social/financialareas highlevels theDistrict exclusion of in (Brunswick the and Hub volunteers more coreand expanded our volunteer June weIn 2015 a recruited full RecruitmentVolunteer & Community Hubs emotional and sometimes andsometimes emotional physical and health wellbeing. demonstrate wethat havinghugelyon are a service positiveusers’ impact financial, savings referrals into £3,600) otherand (over services, support and HACT surveysour debt managing benefit(overin client gains(over and achieved), £90,000 £100,000) energy physical issuesmental had health and and already annual than more targetsexceeded our and individuals serious wellfamilies social range facing financial and exclusion as a of as Priorityand In 6 the months of Families. thefirst projectwe many supported vulnerable such agencies frontline HousingChildren Adult as and Care Associations, ServicesSocial knocks in and on areasdoors target offers as wellreferrals partner receivingfrom as direct in not who other do access adviceor adviser services. mainstream Our Warwick leaflets Endowment Henry and Trust to VIII in out those reaching Town highneed Council, Warwick September2015In we launched our new by AdviceOrbit, Project, Kingfunded Warwick Advice Warwick Project mould. lack damp draughty ofinsulation, home, or such as poorlyconditions a or heated exacerbatedcould be housingby poor which health disabilities problemsmental or patients long vulnerable with surgeries.the GP in projecttargets The workers health directly based referrals from Advice take at staff Stratford and Warwick GP Act and onPrime Energy. Citizens partnershipAvonCitizens with in upon Advice,GPWarwickshire Stratford surgeries, March weBritish In 2016 our launched Gas funded Healthyacross Project South Homes Healthy Homes Warwick client District for months.’ meill making been has that of anxiety a burden me from relieved has She whollyunexpected. CAB at the was it to andfind capacity apaid in anyone from professionalism and help of that level never experienced ‘I have Warwick client District your support ’ safe and feels with now calm sheis think attimes, hysterical quite alot, me toused phone ‘My sister

- term term physical or

- time volunteerco time development

- Staff and volunteers volunteers atStaff and our British Gas led service into 2 community hubs in 2 service community led into hubs

Healthy Homes project HealthyHomesproject launch

- ordinator to and recruit train ordinator

Volunteering We are a volunteer based service, enabling us to help far more people than we could with only paid staff. Our team of volunteers are at the heart of our service, interviewing and supporting clients, and providing them with the information they need and help them to decide their own next steps. Volunteers help people face to face at bureaus and outreaches, by phone, by email and web chat. Many also assist with administrative work, and each bureau’s trustee board is primarily made up of volunteers.

Citizens Advice Warwickshire has 306 volunteers, including 32 trustees

“I’m glad to be working here and

giving something back, doing

something worthwhile” Stratford-Upon-Avon Volunteer

The social value of volunteering Our volunteers join us for many reasons, and from a wide variety of backgrounds. Volunteers acquire valuable workplace skills which help when applying for jobs. These opportunities to gain experience through practice are of interest to students and graduates, or to experienced workers looking to acquire a new skillset. Volunteering is also of interest to retirees who are looking to keep active or get involved in the community. Volunteers

The additional value volunteers bring to our service is in excess of £1.3 million

‘Volunteering with BRANCAB has helped me to develop new skills and help people from the community where I live to overcome their problems. It has made me more aware of the challenges communities face and its great working for a supportive and professional team focussed on helping people’ Nuneaton & Bedworth volunteer Research & Campaigns Citizens Advice Warwickshire helps thousands of people every year, and we have a closer understanding of the problems that citizens experience than any other organisation. Our local Citizens Advice know which policies are working and spot emerging problems early. In our policy research we combine these insights with analysis of wider social and economic trends, and set out new ideas to improve policy and delivery for citizens. By campaigning for change we improve the lives of everyone, including those who have never used our services.

Scams Awareness Scams and fraud are an increasing problem as more and more people make use of online or telephone services, and CAB research has shown a resurgence of doorstep scammers targeting people who are older or vulnerable. Citizens Advice is well placed to keep up to date on relevant scams thanks to our ties to Trading Standards and experience helping local consumers, allowing us to pass on this information to the community.

To achieve this, we participate in national events like Scams Awareness Week, and keep clients up to date using social media. Universal Credit Roll-out in Rugby Rugby is a pilot area for the roll-out of Universal Credit and joined with 15 other local Citizens Advice offices who are in pilot areas across England and Wales to carry out research on the experiences our clients had on each stage of the ‘customer journey’ to claim Universal Credit. A number of important structural and administrative problems were highlighted through this research that unless resolved are likely to have a negative impact on claimants, many of whom are already vulnerable. Problems highlighted included difficulties paying priority bills such as rent, utilities and food whilst waiting for the first payment, changes to being paid monthly and transacting on-line. Evidence was used to produce the report ‘Waiting for

Research & Campaigns & Research Credit’ which was launched at a meeting at Westminster attended by MPs and policymakers and chaired by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson. This work is ongoing as the pace of the roll-out increases. Citizens Advice Macmillan Teams Our Macmillan Teams in Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby & Warwick District provide information, advice and support to those affected by cancer across these districts. Working with Macmillan nurses, staff at Warwick Hospital’s cancer unit, George Eliot Hospital and other health professionals we helped to ease patients’ financial worries often caused by loss of income and/or additional care needs by helping them secure additional welfare benefit income and £78,842 in Macmillan grants for costs such as additional heating, clothing and travel to hospital. advice services for the adviceservices future. for invaluable has been us the demonstrating in need our servicesfor secure to to funders our interested would in information.be further help or information theThe FWAthat provides theclientswithOf who madeFWA, contact us throughover indicated they the that 1,500 copies have been sincedownloaded they published. were sheets. fact financial sheets The fact are also online, available free and for over 4,000 Citizens get to Advicewith andbudgetinghelp bills copies our ‘life event’ of and focused CentresClients and Children’s banks. who food complete the survey details leave their can survey wasThe adopted by itself across Bureaux and up bytaken local Warwickshire information wellbeingCapability gather workabout the financial and thecommunity.of by16, devised Citizens raise North Warwickshire engagement Adviceto with Financial FWA isaThe financial surveyof by residents over 6,000 completed 2015 in Warwickshire FinancialWellbeing Assessment(FWA) and moneyand management. theHealthwatch and problems very servicewellwith widerfits our advicework benefits on and medication, many others. care and social hospital, accessto how to towards help travel costs have with dealt include enabled has to us help withhealth over 1,700 Citizens AdviceLocal have an ongoing partnership with Healthwatch which Warwickshire Healthwatch AccessPoints

Many clients’ health issues cause are byor Many health caused clients’ financial

- related issues in 2015 related

- 16. issues we16. The

- Joint working Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme (WLWS)

The WLWS is a joint project between Citizens Advice Warwickshire, the County Council and other local third sector organisations. The aim is to provide a holistic package of support that helps those in crisis, and helps prevent vulnerable groups from reaching this state in the first place. This is achieved by fostering financial inclusion through pro-active support and inter-agency co-operation.

Warwickshire Citizens Advice’s role in this multi-agency project has been to provide tailored support to people in debt, help maximise peoples income and improve their ability to manage their finances. We also trained frontline workers and worked to improve communication between advice and support services across the county, including Warwickshire Welfare Rights Advice Service and Coventry & Warwickshire Co-Operative Development Agency.

Through the WLWS we have delivered group financial training sessions, debts, budgeting and benefit advice, and worked together to bring financial resilience to the community.

The WLWS funding has enabled us to establish an Integrated Money Advice Service across

the county that provides a holistic support service for people who are in debt or struggling to manage their finances as well as providing training to frontline workers to enable them to make more effective referrals for their service users.

During the financial year 2015/16 the WLWS funded service collectively delivered through dedicated Integrated Money Advisers:  1,287 one to one advice sessions  Held 52 frontline worker training sessions attended by 435 people  Received referrals from a range of local organisations including 102 from local Borough / District Councils  A total of £603,354 of debt was written off for clients  Helped clients make savings of £328,920 through switching energy suppliers and other money saving initiatives  Helped 145 people who did not have a bank account to open and manage an account

Joint working Joint Energy Best Deal & Energy Best Deal Extra (EBDx) In a climate of financial uncertainty and reform, it can be challenging for a household to stay on top of its energy bills. Citizens Advice research shows that almost one in ten households fell behind with an essential household bill over a twelve month period. Citizens Advice in North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth and Rugby have been working on the EBDx project, funded by Ofgem and major energy companies, to make people aware of the savings that can be made by switching fuel providers or negotiating with existing providers. In 2015/16, we helped over 140 clients save over £16,000 between them by switching supplier or tariff. “I’ve never changed before but went to an energy group session run by North We also delivered 32 EBD Warwickshire CAB and thought I would group sessions to local book a session with an advisor. Thanks to residents and frontline workers the CAB, I’ve made a massive saving and at hubs, schools and I’ve very happy. It was an excellent service.” community groups. In 2015/16 we helped we helped 32,901 people with 86,565 problems.

Consolidated figures showing problems presented.