Citizens Advice Bureau Annual Report 2023/24

The bureau, in partnershipwith theMitchell Library, is in an excellent setting for integratingwithmultiple library services and centrally located for ease of access to all citizens of Glasgow. Essentially the service from the main office is by ‘drop-in’ covering the Glasgow citywide area. During the year 2023/24 volunteer recruitment was active in order to restore the volunteer staffing level prior to the Covid lockdown when many volunteers had left due to retirement, finishing university studies, securing employment or simply losing confidence. Grants from the Bank of Scotland Foundation and the National Lottery Communities Fund (Awards for All) aided this process. While recruiting and training new staff there was, for part of the year, a mixture of drop-in and appointments but later in the year the full-time drop-in service was restored. The frontline service from the main office remains volunteer led supported by salaried staff and management. A multiplicity of outreaches, mostly specific projects, serve various parts of the city reaching those, often the most vulnerable, who cannot attend the bureau or would not normally engage with main-stream services. Outreach projects, are served by paid staff and are by appointments made by referral from the hosting organisations with whom the bureau works in partnerships. All outreaches, and indeed the main bureau, are in co-location venues. Typically as a bureau with its outreaches the general subject matter is very wide although there is an emphasis on financial inclusion, outcomes and the prevention of homelessness activity. Negotiations with third parties form the largest type of work. The complexity of enquiries often involves several issues sometimes with a choice of options for a resolution. Recent years have seen a considerable decline in consumer issues and relationship matters but immigration enquiries continue to increase. As an holistic one-stop agency advisers often have to address multiple issues for individual clients – some inter-related to one main issue and some completely different in isolation. Mostly clients seek help for money advice often in the form of debt management, benefit checks and claims, benefit sanctions, housing issues and employment matters. Assistance is given in budgeting, bank accounts, financial capability, debt options, negotiations with creditors, bankruptcy, benefit applications, mandatory reconsiderations, housing options, negotiations with landlords, sustaining accommodation, recovery of wages, resolving employment disputes, Food Bank Vouchers, applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund and any other enquiries presented or diagnosed to be underlying. Consumer debt is mainly from store and credit cards and Payday loans. Personal loans are now becoming less prevalent. While bankruptcy / sequestration (not suitable for everyone) does not increase income it can alleviate the burden of on-going payments. Other gains include preventing evictions, sustaining tenancies, employers’ references and soft outcomes such as opening bank accounts, increasing income, introducing home insurance and energy efficiency. Where appropriate referrals are made to the Strathclyde University Law Clinic for Employment Appeals, the Legal Services Agency for the prevention of homelessness, the Ethnic Minorities Law Clinic for complicated immigration cases and the Glasgow City Council Welfare Rights Team for Social Security Appeals. Client Financial Gains essentially come from social security benefits, backdated wages, debt forgiveness and consumer redress. During the year there were additional national projects administered by Citizens’ Advice Scotland including Patients’ Advisory & Support Service (PASS), Help to Claim Universal Credit, Money Talks Plus (incorporatingWelfare Reformand Specialist Debt) andGambling Awareness / GamblingHarms, Pensionwise and two short term projects on Debt Prevention and Energy Efficiency. A service was introduced assisting with applications for Blue Badges in association with the Glasgow City Council Service Desk in John Street. At present there is a dedicated team of volunteers averaging 40 some with over 20 years’ service and commitment, retaining this advice agency. Support is given by a team of salaried staff which includes management, admin staff, project workers and specialists. Performance is measured against targets set by the various funders, equality, inclusivity and client profile monitoring, diagnosis of issues & underlying issues and effectively addressing them accordingly, internal case checking and compliance with the Membership Audits of Citizens’ Advice Scotland. Services delivered by outreach throughout the city include all three Glasgow City Council Social Work Casework Teams (North East, NorthWest & South) plus Chara House, Elder Street Resettlement Centre, Rodney Street, the City Health & Social Care PartnershipHousing Teamat Connect, South Portland Street & Clyde Place Hostels, the Britannia and Argyle Hotels (for refugees); Glasgow Helping Heroes; NHS Hunter Street Homeless Services (two projects - Complex Needs Service and Challenging Behaviour Rehabilitation Service) the City Centre and Govan Jobcentre Plus offices; Glasgow Life Community Libraries in Royston, Riddrie, Ibrox, Partick & Dennistoun; There is also an in-reach in the Mitchell Library where a member of the GCCAB staff walks round the building to offer assistance to any homeless people taking shelter in the library. COMMUNITY BASED OUTREACHES OVERVIEW OF THE SERVICE This service is in place to support all users of the Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS services and with concerns relating to NHS services across all Scottish Health Boards. It is a national project of Citizens’ Advice Scotland and a further extension of its contract has been secured to 31 May 2026. The main complaints presented in the last year have been about surgical operations and delays in gaining routine GP appointments. While many issues raised have been about staff and departmental communications, attitude and behaviours, it has to be recognised that there are huge pressures on NHS staff including GP Practices. The service, normally by appointment, can be accessed by speaking with a generalist adviser at any Scottish CAB; calling the PASS Helpline on 0800 917 2127 or filling out the webform fromwww.cas.org.uk/pass-contact-form. In the year there were 80 clients with 52% relating to clinical treatment, 94% for health information & advice, 40%about hospital acute services, 34%about GPs, Pharmacy and Dentists and 11%complex cases. PATIENTS’ ADVISORY & SUPPORT SERVICE (PASS)