Webchat now more than 20% of our client delivery

People helped

The information we can retrieve from Petra about the work we do is now very detailed. This Dashboard shows that we are seeing more people in almost every advice category. It confirms what each of you experience every day; that more people need our help, and more of those people are having problems with welfare benefits and tax credits. Other dashboards also show us that much of this growth in clients helped is through our webchat services which now account for over 20% of our clients.

The profile of a webchat client is belived to be quite different. they are predominently from England, more likely to be 'in work' and often chatting from work. they prefer to remain annonymous, are from more diverse backgrounds than our drop in clients and present witha more diverse range of issues.

New starters

This month we welcome some new volunteers to the Bureau; Fred Wyer, Jessica Steer, Caroline Treacy, Sarah Clifford and Emily O'Mara. Also a big well done to Sue House who has qualified as an Adviser.

Training 

There is a very high level of training going on in the Bureau these days. The number of volunteers qualifying in advice roles reported in previous blogs is testament to this. Also in recent weeks staff have attended training sessions on Suicide Awareness, Abuse, Illegal Money Lending, Mental Health First Aid. Currently the Admin Team are training with our Benefits Team so that they will have a better understanding of how they can support caseworkers and a fuller understanding of the client journey.

Blaenavon

Since early January we have moved our Blaenavon outreach into the new Health Centre. This is a busy location as it is also home to the doctors surgery, an opticians, pharmacy, podiatry services, dentist, careers, health visitor services and much else. We operate a drop in service Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri with Welfare Benefits appointment on Wednesdays.

Redecoration at Cwmbran

Thanks to an offer from Melin Homes we hope we will very shortly be able to redecorate the reception and first floor areas of our Cwmbran Bureau

Team Meeting

The next team meeting will be held on Wed 24th Febfrom 1- 4pm. The main element will be an Introduction to Welfare Benefits delivered by Lesley and her team of Welfare Advisers.

Next closed period

The Bureau will next be closed for Easter and will not be open 25th, 28th and 29th March 2016

A very happy Christmas & a prosperous New Year

Happy Christmas

A very happy Christmas and a prosperours New Year to all at Citizens Advice Torfaen. It is a privilege to work with so many committed staff and volunteers who work hard to deliver such a high standard to advice to our communities and who so often go the extra mile for our clients. 

All change at Blaenavon

From Monday 4th Jan our Blaenavon outreach will move to the health Centre. Formerly called the Blaenavon Resource Centre it is the centre for all the doctors in Blaenavon as well as podiatary, dentistry, opticians, a pharmacy, careers, communities first, police, and a range of other services. It is also opposite the only primary school in Blaeavon so we are very excited to be moving to what we hope will be a more accessible location. Our outreach in Church View will close on the 19th Dec.

New Staff

This time we welcome Aleshia Warren and Jade Ngai on to our staff team in the role of casework support. They will both work within Lisa's Admin team to support our caseworkers manage the client caseload. Welcome aboard both.

New volunteers

We also welcome Kirtsy Vaughan & Denise Colcombe who join the Admin team and Janette Tovey, Charles Dabbs and Sue House as trainee advisers. Welcome aboard all. 

Training

Ruth Felvus and Graeme Russell both graduate as Advisers whilst Lisa Oates has passed her NVQ Level 2 qualification in Team Leading/Management and Andrea Thomas & Allison Whitehouse passed their NVQ level 3 in Management.
 

Please complete our staff and volunteers survey

The survey will support us to continuously improve our people management performance and provide Citizens Advice with an assurance of the quality of our people management.

Please take the time to complete this survey. It is important that the views of everyone working here are represented.

You can complete the survey by clicking on this link: http://goo.gl/forms/53B7hmoTp1 

If you would prefer to complete the survey in an alternative format, or have any other difficulties accessing the survey, or just have a question please let Mal Edgson know.

Your response to this survey will be anonymous and confidential. Citizens Advice will only share summary results from the survey with us. We will share these summary results with you.

The deadline for completing the survey is 14 January 2016.

Changes to Benefits & Tax Credits
The Chancellors Autumn Statement introduced a new wave of reforms to the system of social security. This is a very complex area and apart from this article very little has yet been published on the impact on different household types. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/23/budget-deficit-could-hit-40bn-pounds-autumn-statement-george-osborne

Diary Dates

Next Bureau Team Meeting - correction: Thu 21st January 2015 at 1 - 4pm All staff and volunteers are welcome.

Christmas Closure 2015: The Bureau will be closed from 12.30pm on Thu 24th Dec and will reopen on Mon 4th Jan 2016. Bureau staff will need to take annual leave on the following days. 24th (half day), 30th, 31st Dec. Note: we will be closed to the public on the morning of 24th Dec but this is still a working time and staff will need to take leave if they do not intend to report for work.

All outreach (Blaenavon, Trevethin, Greenmeadow & Garnsychan Partnership) will be closed from Mon 21st Dec until Fri 1st Jan inclusive.

Feedback

I always welcome feedback from staff and volunteers, you can ring me on 01633 876128 send an email at mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk, write a letter, comment on this blog, place your comment or suggestion in the comments box in the Cwmbran meeting room, feed it through your line manager or Advice Session Supervisor or come and see me.

This Blog is prepared for the staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice Torfaen

The Advisers are coming

Helping Most People in a single visit

We are working towards helping as many people as possible with their problems in a single visit.

in the last two years we have been stretching the old concept of  The Gateway Interview to include quick advice, simple form filling and so on.

Part of creating a service capable of solving more problems on the first visit is about providing the training to support our volunteers to go further with the help they can provide for people.

3 months ago we took the decision to train all new volunteer advisers to Adviser level. The initial results are very encouraging.

10 volunteer advisers have qualified in recent months and join the experienced advisers Hazel Waters, John Sharratt and Tony Pursell.

A big hand for our new generation of Advisers: Lynda Evans, Jill Martin, Francesca Breet, Jade Ngai, Justine George, Lesley Turner, Sophie Hall, Sue Roberts, Cynthia King and Martha Smith-Higgins.

This complements our team of Gateway Assessors: Alyson Vorres, David Taylor-Williams, Emma Taylor, James Johnson, John Hodgetts, Madeline Newhook, Martin Mills, Pauline Prichard and Sandra Harris.

There will always be a place for the short triage interview but we are delighted to have some many fantastic volunteers who can go further with the help they can give the people of Torfaen.

Bureau Christmas Dinner

All staff and volunteers are invited to our Christmas dinner. Following a vote we will be trying to secure the Little Crown in Wainfelin. the Little Crown came a narrow second in our poll but unfortunately the winner (Greenhouse, Lantarnum) cannot do the numbers.

If you want to come to our Christmas Dinner (its free) please sign up here by Monday 2nd Nov if possible
http://doodle.com/poll/khwwdsi7huywrdws 

Other Dates

Next Bureau Team Meeting - correction: Thu 21st January 2015 at 1 - 4pm All staff and volunteers are welcome.

Christmas Closure 2015: The Bureau will be closed from 12.30pm on Thu 24th Dec and will reopen on Mon 4th Jan 2016. There will be no outreach sessions on Thu 24th. Bureau staff will need to take annual leave on the following days. 24th (half day), 30th, 31st Dec.

Feedback

I always welcome feedback from staff and volunteers, you can ring me on 01633 876128 send an email at mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk, write a letter, comment on this blog, place your comment or suggestion in the comments box in the Cwmbran meeting room, feed it through your line manager or Advice Session Supervisor or come and see me.

This Blog is prepared for the staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice Torfaen

Citizens Advice Torfaen - Great Value for Society

Citizens Advice Torfaen - Great Value for Society

Citizens Advice have published data on the value of each local Citizens Advice to its local community. Using the Treasury's own social value model we can confidently say that every £1 invested in Citizens Advice Torfaen yields at least £2.42 in savings to Government, £12.66 in public value and wider social benefits and an impressive £24.68 in benefits to individuals.

That is a staggering

• £1.4m reduction in health service demand, local authority homelessness services and out of work benefits for clients and volunteers.
• £7.3m in wider economic and social benefits, improvements in participation and productivity fore clients and volunteers.
• £14.4m in benefits to individuals and volunteers of income gained through benefits, debts written off and consumer problems solved.
• On top of this there is a further £5.5m of debts rescheduled which otherwise might not have been repaid.
• and £235,000 in the direct value of volunteering.

That totals out at nearly £29m annually of savings and benefits into our local communities, helping individuals cope and public services manage.

Welcome Aboard Sam

Samantha Greenland started last week as our new Operations Manager. Sam comes to us with a background in Trading Standards and recent experience working for the Welsh Local Government Association on their Academy project. Sam will gradually be taking over many of the aspects of the operational running of the Bureau and is part of an initiative to strengthen the Bureau and help us grow in the future. Sam will normally work Wed, Thu and Fridays in Cwmbran. Please make her feel welcome.

Volunteering their way into work

A number of our volunteers have found their way into work recently. Sue and Sophie as our own paid advisers, and in the last year.

Emma -  Cardiff University, immigration adviser.

Kirsty - McMillan Cancer Care

Wveronika - Air hostess training

Catherine - Poundland

Mathew - Bristol University

Courtney - ITEC

Samantha - Brantano 

Sammie – Mind as a Volunteer

David - Gwalia

Tony, Matthew and Sarah - Citizens Advice Consumer Centre in Cwmbran

Nathan - Pupillage in London Barristers Chambers

Its great to see them doing so well.

Energy Contracts

We are delighted to announce that Citizens Advice Torfaen have successfully secured a 4th round of energy advice contracts under the Energy Best Deal programme. Having just successfully completed the last contract we are now funded to run 8 group sessions and 100 individual sessions between 1st October and 31 March. These are in addition to the Energy Efficiency (advice on grants) programme that Natalie will be delivering between now and 31 March 2016.

Over the next few days we will be making arrangements to recruit part time support to cover the additional clients required for these projects.

Dates

Next Bureau Team meeting - correction: Thu 21st January 2015 at 1 - 4pm All staff and volunteers are welcome.

Christmas Closure 2015: The Bureau will be closed from 12.30pm on Thu 24th Dec and will reopen on Mon 4th Jan 2016. There will be no outreach sessions on Thu 24th. Bureau staff will need to take annual leave on the following days. 24th (half day), 30th, 31st Dec.

Feedback

I always welcome feedback from staff and volunteers, you can ring me on 01633 876128 send an email at mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk, write a letter, comment on this blog, place your comment or suggestion in the comments box in the Cwmbran meeting room, feed it through your line manager or Advice Session Supervisor or come and see me.

This Blog is prepared for the staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice Torfaen

Webchat is the new Black

Citizens Advice Torfaen welcomes some new advice staff

We are pleased to announce that following a competitive recruitment process the  internally advertised position of Generalist Adviser has  been offered to Sophie Hall and Sue Roberts as a job share.

   

The position will be mainly working from outreach on our Communities First  project. Both start week commencing Mon 17th Aug, Sophie on the Monday and Sue on the Wednesday.

   

Both position are fixed term for 9 months whilst Natalie is seconded to the Energy  Best Deal xtra Energy Efficiency Wales (EBDxEEW)  project.

I would like to welcome them both aboard the paid staff team and I am sure you will  all make them feel very welcome. 

Great work on the webchat

It seems that Torfaen has really taken to advice by webchat. In July our generalist advice webchat team had 271 advice 'chats' while the Debt webchat team exceeded their target by 20% with 113 chats, the highest in the delivery group and also achieved the second highest satisfaction rating from clients at 91%. well done to everyone involved.

Anyone wanting to learn how to do advice by webchat should speak to Dave Roberts. It is popular because advisers can pick up some webchats if the bureau is quiet for any reason.

TCAB Twitter Czar required

If you are good with twitter and would like to develop our twitter presence please come and talk to Mal or email mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk  or tweet @torfaencab

Next Team Meeting

Wednesday 16th September featuring 'An introduction to Welfare Benefits' and an introduction to our new Independent Financial Adviser and what he is able to offer clients.

New services, New people

Financial Advice

From September Citizens Advice Torfaen will be able to offer financial advice under a new program called MoneyPlan. Under MoneyPlan a qualified financial adviser will offer services as a volunteer. Clients can be referred to this service on a fortnightly basis initially.

Pensions changes to criteria

Please note that Pensionwise is now available to clients aged 50 or over and not 55 as previously

Energy Efficient Homes

Citizens Advice Torfaen have secured funding to offer clients advice on grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Natalie Hopkins will lead on this project which will advice 120 clients between now and the end of March. The project is also funded for home visits. This project is in addition to the Energy Best Deal project which advises on supplier switching.

Introduction to benefits for volunteer advisers

Our next Team Meeting (Wed 16 September) will feature a full session on an introduction to welfare benefits. This will be ideal training for advice volunteers and other staff wanting to know more. The session will be led by our Lead Benefits caseworker, Lesley Cave.

Operations Manager

Samantha Greenland has accepted our new post of Operations Manager. Sam comes to us with a background in trading standards where she has been a Trading Standards Officer in Blaenau Gwent, a Regional Officer for the Welsh Local Government Association and most recently a Project Support Officer for the All Wales Academy Project.

Sam will be key to the next phase of development for the Bureau, supporting both the operational delivery of our client service and the development of new funding streams. Sam's first day in the Bureau will be Thu 10th September. The position is pert time.

New starters

This week we welcome Martha Smith-Higgins and Francesca Breet

New on the Advice Rota : Justine George, Jade Ngai and Cynthia King

There are a number of adviser courses coming up as follows, please see David Roberts if you are interested.

15^th and 16^th September - Bristol

22^nd and 23^rd September - Birmingham

7^th and 8^th October – Cardiff

This Blog is prepared for the staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice Torfaen

Is there anything else we can help you with ?

The Budget - implications for our communities and how we can help.

It will be some time before independent research can shed light on the implications of the July budget for Wales, South East Wales or even Torfaen.

We can help households across Torfaen manage by giving the right advice.

Citizens Advice Chief Economist Hugh Strickland says.. 

"...more concerning is the significant reduction in support through the tax credit system. £3.5 billion of support is taken away next year, rising further as limits to two children are imposed in 2017. This will have a serious impact on working families who are low paid but paid above the National Living Wage, for example families earning between £14,000 (for one full-time worker) to £25,000 (for one full-time and one part-time earner). [for example] A couple, one working full-time, the other part-time, with two children could well lose over £2,000 per year." full article can be found here

It is likely to certain that a large number of families in our local communities will fall into the category that Hugh refers to. 

'Is there anything else we can help you with ?'

In the coming days we will be asking all our advisers to offer an MOT style support package (provided by our casework team) of advice and support with budgeting, debts, benefits, fuel savings and access to other forms of support or help such as food banks, families first and others.

We owe it to our clients to make sure they have the information to manage the changes.

Scams Awareness Month

July is scams awareness month. We are collecting examples of scams to publicise on our Facebook pages so please send any examples you have come across recently to mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk

You can play the Scams Awareness Game here

New Advisers

The week we welcome onto our advice rota Jade Ngai and Cynthia King. well done both of you, we hope you enjoy the role.

Dates

Next Bureau Team meeting - correction: Wed 17th September 1pm - 4pm All staff and volunteers are welcome.

Bank Holiday closures: Mon 31 Aug.

Christmas Closure 2015: The Bureau will be closed from 12.30pm on Thu 24th Dec and will reopen on Mon 4th Jan 2016. There will be no outreach sessions on Thu 24th. Bureau staff will need to take annual leave on the following days. 24th (half day), 30th, 31st Dec.

Feedback

I always welcome feedback from staff and volunteers, you can ring me on 01633 876128 send an email at mal.edgson@torfaencab.org.uk, write a letter, comment on this blog, place your comment or suggestion in the comments box in the Cwmbran meeting room, feed it through your line manager or Advice Session Supervisor or come and see me.

This Blog is prepared for the staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice Torfaen