Citizens Advice Bureau Annual Report 2023/24

Working in the bureau is an excellent basis for training and experience to enter or return to the workplace. Each year many students are recruited as volunteer advisers who later secure gainful employment after graduating. Other young people actively seeking work increase their prospects of employment from the benefit of volunteering in a wide-ranging and intense business. It often leads to prestigious and well paid work in or out of this sector. In the last year eight of our volunteers secured employment, three within the bureau and five externally. For law graduates working in the bureau often leads to traineeships with firms of solicitors. The bureau takes students from the University of Glasgow Law Students’ Placement Scheme to gain practical experience in working with clients face to face and to earn credits towards their course. Many past young volunteers return to express their gratitude for the assistance of helping them into their new employment. OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Since returning after the Covid lockdown volunteer recruitment became a priority to restore our compliment of volunteer staff force. An employee became dedicated to oversee this. In total 90 prospective volunteers were interviewed from which 41 were accepted for basic training. This training was delivered mainly individually and remotely using CASLearn (a CAS electronic system) with some face to face tuition in a classroom-like setting with physical shadowing, mentoring and examining achievement of competences. This programme normally takes about 3 months to complete but is never a race. Basic training covers the CAB practices & policies, administration requirements, interview techniques and essential subjects. On-going training for existing staff continued with specialist subjects like advanced debt management, social security, housing, employment, immigration, gambling awareness and any new legislation. Training is also delivered to staff when any new projects are introduced. Several staff attended on-line in-service training courses offered by Citizens’ Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland. Training is always on-going as volunteers do leave for various reasons. In the last year 12 volunteers left - 8 into employment, 2 to other CABx and 2 for family reasons. The bureau remains committed to staff training and personal development. TRAINING This is a service from MoneyHelper offering free and impartial guidance to people aged 50 or over helping them to make an informed decision about taking money from their UK Defined Contribution pensions pots. At a Pensionwise appointment lasting around one hour a fully trained Guidance Specialist will explain how each option works and is taxed, how to look out for scams, how taking their pension will impact their benefits and any debt arrangements and how to find other trusted sources of guidance and advice. Clients will get a summary of the pension options and next steps they need to take after their appointment. Guidance Specialists deliver a mixture of face-to-face appointments in the CABx across the UK and appointments over the telephone to service users around the world. The number to call to book is 0800 138 3944. PENSIONWISE For 2024/25we are in discussionwith the Asylum& Refugee Health and Social Care Partnership to support new refugees with Money & Debt advice. We also intend to increase our prevention of homelessness activity. Social Policy will be looking ahead to working with the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in researching improvements to benefits while continuing to take part in their review of the Scottish Child Payment. Contributions fromour knowledge and experience of benefits to CPAGwill provide data and information to their research groups in order to make informed recommendations to Social Security Scotland. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS Both of these services are under national projects administered by Citizens Advice Scotland. They operate principally with salaried staff althoughMoney Talks Plus has additional support froma small group of volunteers. Help to claim is a telephone and webchat service assisting with claims and support for Universal Credit. Money Talks Plus amalgamated the former Welfare Reform, Specialist Debt andMoney Talks projects. This is essentially a face to face service for families with children seeking advice in forms of money advice including Blue Badge applications where appropriate and operates from the main office and some of our outreach locations. In the year, with CAB Social Policy, the bureau had been working together with other local bureau to create more localised campaigns. Working closely with other CABx such as Easterhouse, Bridgeton, Parkhead, Glasgow North West and Drumchapel a launch was planned and created for a first active campaign localised within Glasgow. The campaign focused on Pension Credit, primarily on awareness and methods to claim. This was chosen due to the hard work collecting data on a range of issues across each bureau and selecting one that is often misunderstood and a common presenting issue at the bureau. Glasgow Central CAB’s role was to contact other key institutions within the local area and asking them to promote its service to clients, who may not be aware of pension credit and who could benefit from it due to the cost of living crisis. By doing so the intention to direct clients to this service and alleviate poverty for this select group through enabling greater understanding and access to benefits. SOCIAL POLICY HELP TO CLAIM & MONEY TALKS PLUS