AGM 2010 | ![]() |
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HARLOW CITIZENS ADVICE Report for year ending 31 March 2010 |
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Who are our Clients
Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau has been in operation for 54 years and we have seen an increasing demand for our service, which we have been building our capacity to meet. We helped on average 2000 clients with over 5000 issues. The split of issues is shown on the above chart. Above are the actual recorded figures. There has been a significant increase especially in benefits and finance. There are many more clients provided with assisted information, signposted and referred that are not recorded via our CASE reporting system. Although the majority of clients visit our Bureau via our drop in session, we also have many enquiries via telephone and at our Outreach service at the Gateway Centre. Advisors also assist a number of elderly and disabled clients by visiting them in their own homes. ![]() Chairman’s Report I have been involved with the CAB at Harlow for the last 2 years. It has been obvious to all that there is an ever-increasing need for advice to the people of Harlow and I have noticed the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers to grow and extend our service. One of the most essential parts in private business is to identify a human need, match that need with the right product and then you will be a millionaire. The exception to this is that as a charity giving advice like Citizens Advice Bureau, the need for advice is vast yet the funding small. WHY - Because our advice is FREE to the clients therefore the funding must come from elsewhere. To obtain funding the funders need to know three things. Is there a need? Do we give value for money? Is the advice given up to standard? We at CAB Harlow can prove all three:
The problem is we are not fundraisers we are advice givers, but if we don’t raise funds our clients, the people of Harlow and surrounding area, lose out. This is unfair.
Therefore we ask the Local and County councils and Local and national funders to:-
We will at Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau offer:-
So what do we do for the future? To try and ensure the people of Harlow do not lose out we at Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau are going to be client driven offering them what they need with regard to advice, opening hours and facilities not what we can offer. We need to continue to give value for money demonstrating effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of services and activities. Value for money is an important core element underpinning the future of CAB Harlow, and is part of the Board’s objectives. We will at CAB Harlow, with other organisations, make public investment go further. Far from sitting like beggars with hands outstretched we will make a strong case for funding by working together offering a range of advice, skills and services, interlinked by the partnership of like-minded organisations and delivered through outlets to suit the clients. This will give added value to all the organisations and clients and will have a major impact on the quality of the life of the community and individuals especially those that are socially isolated and are in areas of highest need. To make progress we will need to change and for this to work we must find the will to make it happen. If we value our organisation and believe in what we do and want them to survive Board and Managers need to rethink and adjust the way they operate and be prepared to give and take, and find a way of working. We all need to start to think differently; why are we restricting our opening hours? We should be thinking of sharing locations and have opening times 8am till late. It’s got to be possible! We all know there are tough times ahead but I am convinced that by working together we can make a positive and constructive contribution to delivering quality advice and a range of services to the people of Harlow. The Board and I are looking forward to the challenge and working with other organisations.
PLEASE NOTE we are now open for business and ready to tender for projects.
And finally I would like to say the giving of time to people who are in need or vulnerable is for most people a basic human value. Thank you to the volunteers, staff and Trustees at Harlow CAB for all the work you have contributed to the people of Harlow.
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Trustee Profiles
Chair – Brian Smith Born in London, I moved to Basildon in the 50’s. Served an engineering apprenticeship, proceeded to Design Engineer, Sales Director then Managing Director of a large public company. A Board member of a Housing Association and Chairman of B.C Management Co.Ltd. I was also a member of the Institute of WM and Institute of WP with various qualifications in management. I ran my own company for 10 years in Essex and Norfolk with my wife and was able to retire at 50 after selling both companies.
Trustee - Rev. Albert Watson A rector of Tye Green, Harlow, I was born on Tyneside. A grammar school boy, I began work on the local paper and worked 23 years as a journalist, mostly on the subject of showbiz, until God decided otherwise and I was ordained in the Church of England.
Trustee - Hugh McCoy I was born in Dudley and was educated at the local Grammar School. Joined the Merchant Navy in 1957 as a Navigating Officer Cadet. In 1965 I came ashore and joined Gelatley Hankey a London trading Company and was posted to Saudi Arabia as Lloyds Agent. After two years, returned to London, joining the shipbroking company H. Clarkson where I became Chairman and, eventually, also Chairman of the Baltic Exchange and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, where I became President in 1994.
Trustee - Sheenagh Parsons
Trustee – Tim Carter
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Friends of Harlow CAB
This year has been an exciting year for the Friends of Harlow CAB.
Harlow CAB elected a new Board and Chairman last year and with the bureau now becoming a limited company the Friends of Harlow CAB had to decide whether to become an independent Charity or a sub group of the Board. Following discussions with the members a vote was taken and it was agreed that Friends would become a sub group of the board but the Chair of Friends would continue attending the main board meetings. Future event: We were unable to hold our annual “Quizzin Nite” event in 2009 but we hope all our regular teams will be supporting us in November 2010! We will be launching the new Friends of Harlow CAB in the New Year and would ask you all to attend the inaugural meeting to shape the work of Friends for 2011.
Ann Nutt
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Bureau Manager’s report
Introduction I began at Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau in January 2010. My previous years of management were within the hotel and aviation industry. Of course it was daunting at first, joining a bureau that had volunteers and staff with many years experience plus facing two audits in February and April 2010. I quickly began to realise that there was a very close similarity to airline customers and bureau clients especially when it came to clients’ impression and delivery of service. Service Delivery The service delivery here in Harlow as always been very high and very professional especially with clients. The volunteers, staff and management clearly practice the aims and principles of Citizens Advice and ensure consistently that, first and foremost, the client needs are met. Staff and Volunteers Our staff and volunteers in every area of the bureau make our service what it is. With their dedication, support and continued hard work we are able to provide and achieve the high standards we deliver. Training Since April 2010, we have been able to secure a trainer for one day a week provided by Broxbourne CAB. This has enabled us to recruit more volunteers; to implement our new Gateway procedure and to grow as a Bureau. Without the training we would not have been able to develop. It is a vital foundation for our Bureau.
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A day in the life of a CAB Advisor
I have been a General Advisor at the Harlow CAB for a few years now and I would like to share with you my view, understanding and experience of the bureau and its work. In Harlow this accessible FREE service, received by ALL who requests it, it is impartial, totally confidential and holistic in its approach to the individual and the problem or concern presented. Clients who see a General Advisor are never turned away without:
In the process the advisor will have ensured the client had fully understood their options and had the ability to carry out the necessary actions to bring about the solution. If the client is unable because of literacy, language, illness, or just doesn't have the ability - the bureau then carries out the actions, with the client's permission, on the client's behalf. Sometimes the problem presented may not be the only one affecting the family. A client attended the bureau worried about his rent arrears situation, as he had received a letter from the local authority advising of their intention to seek a possession order. The process: I began by checking that the redundancy payment was correct and the redundancy selection process had been fair. A quick benefit check was then carried out to ensure the client was claiming all the benefits to which the family were entitled. Advice was given on how to claim DLA; Carer's Allowance and any other unclaimed benefits. The housing situation was discussed, and various options considered; the feasibility of moving to an adapted property, a disabled facilities grant to adapt the present property. A phone call was made to the Local Authority advising of the family's situation and a request that they suspend any further action with regard to the possession order whilst the debt situation was being dealt with and the family's housing needs assessed. A referral to a housing specialist for support was also offered.
With regard to debts, various options were discussed such as liaising directly with creditors’ as one option, or the client could consider being referred to a debt specialist to enable access to a Debt Relief Order. The impact of the advantages and disadvantages of the various debt solutions are fully discussed with the client. Finally, I advised the client to return to the bureau for further support should any benefit claim is refused, their housing needs not assessed correctly or the debt situation not resolved satisfactorily. The client left the bureau with the appropriate advice guides, a copy of some useful Advisernet factsheets, together with any relevant telephone numbers and an action plan to follow. Hopefully his worries were eased a considerably. I then continued to write up his case notes and make the agreed referrals. I was then prepared and ready to help the next client.
Lesley Davison
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Liz Horner: Advice Session Supervisor
Well what a year it’s been. At our last AGM we had a temporary manager, Nick Prince, a sigh of relief, then unfortunately he moved on and we fell yet again into the depths of despair. Would we ever find another manager? Oh the uncertainty of it all! But we soldiered on and all had our heads down to undergo a further audit, without the support of a manager. Then, hey presto! A manager was appointed! What a breath of fresh air! The audit produced a higher than average result, thanks to the hard work put in by all workers, but especially to Jean’s (our Advice manager’s) guiding light. We can now look forward to a future where we can improve and produce an even better performance to continue help the people of Harlow. Life is looking up for all of us. ![]()
Social Policy Social Policy has long been at the heart of the work of The Citizens Advice service. It has always been recognised that there is little point in treating the symptoms of social injustice and bad policy if the policies remain unchanged. With a network of 416 Citizens Advice Bureaux across England and Wales, Citizens Advice is in a unique position to be able to collect evidence on Social Policy issues from all parts of society. Areas where policy and laws are not working correctly, are unfair, or fail to protect the vulnerable in society can be identified, and the evidence gathered by individual bureaux can be used to support arguments against such policies or laws.
Doug Brown
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We are here to help! Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau Limited
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