Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau

Harlow
Citizens Advice Bureau
Annual report for the year ended
31st March 2012
The charity for your community
Your local voluntary service
EMPLOYMENT
HEALTH
CARE
LEGAL
DISCRIMINATION
EDUCATION
BENEFITS
HOUSING
RELATIONSHIPS
CONSUMER
FINANCIAL
DEBT
IMMIGRATION
Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau
15-17 Westgate
The High
Harlow
Essex
CM20 1JP
www.harlowcitizensadvice.org.uk
Telephone Service: 0845 120 3717
Administration: 01279 770181/770182
E-mail: harlowcab@cabnet.org.uk
Fax: 01279 429924
Registered Charity Number 1135235
Company Reg No 7013193
Contents
Aims and Principles1
Chairman’s Report2
Bureau Manager’s Report6
Advice Service Manager’s Report
8
Trustee’s Report9
Social Policy15
East of England Financial Capability Forum
17
Bureau Statistics18
Friends of Harlow CAB21
History of the CAB23
Training Officer’s Report
25
Personal view of a;
Volunteer Gateway Assessor26
Volunteer Receptionist27
List of CAB staff and volunteers
28
We aim to
provide the advice people need for the
problems they face
improve the policies and practices that
affect people’s lives
We value diversity
promote equality
and
challenge discrimination
Page 1
Chairman’s Report
In my last 2 years of AGM Reports I have been banging on about the
lack of funding and the Value for Money we give. I am not going to
talk about lack of funding throughout this report even though we at
CAB Harlow only cost the people 75p per year per person (the cost of
a Mars bar) or 1½p per week for an organization that is open 5 days
per week, giving professional advice on a comprehensive range of
subjects on 3 days per week.
For 3p per week per person, £1.56 per year (the cost of a cup of coffee),
we can give professional advice 5 days per week with a range of other services to meet
the needs of the people of Harlow, especially with the coming of the new Universal Credit
and its two intolerable individuals Uncertainty and Change, who sometimes arrive with their
little friend Chaos.
But we at CAB in conjunction with the Harlow Council are working to do away with
Uncertainty and Chaos, grasp Change and make the transition as smooth as possible for
the people of Harlow over the coming years.
Anyway as I said I’m not going to talk about funding, I’m going to talk about the backbone
of CAB, our Strength, our Value for Money, the unsung heroes, people who give up their
time to help others, the undervalued people of our society, yes our Volunteers. For without
them we would have no CAB and society would be a poorer place
Volunteers give us and other organisation Value for Money. We at CAB Harlow have 14
volunteers to one paid part time staff. If the government were to have the same ratio the
£16.5 billion wage bill for Civil servants would be down to 1.1 billion. Just imagine the saving
on your tax bill.
Where would the Olympics have been without the 70,000 plus volunteers, we would not
been able to afford it, the ‘Game Makers’ made it a success.
Scouts, Territorial Army, Samaritans, St Johns Ambulance, RNLI, if you were drowning at sea
you would not say to the RNLI go way you are a volunteer, I want a professional. No of
course not, in actual fact you would be pleased it was a volunteer because they are doing
it to save lives not for money.
‘The Jubilee Hour’, 1.25 million have pledge to give an hour to volunteer work and the
numbers are still growing.
Volunteering is an important part of the British way of life
Page 2
Harlow CAB
in conjunction with the
Harlow Council
are working to do away with
Uncertainty and
Chaos, grasp Change
and make the transition as smooth as
possible for the people of Harlow over
the coming years.
Page 3
I spoke earlier about giving professional advice:How do you square Volunteer Advice with Professional Advice?
Yes one is paid and one is not, that is where the difference ends.
I suppose you could call our staff Professional Volunteer Advisers/Assessors a contradiction
in terms, I think not!!
What is professionalism, someone who has been trained in the correct manner, under strict
supervision, following laid down guidelines and then certificated.
Citizens Advice Professional Volunteer Advisers & Assessors
Undergo training for at least 6-9 months before qualifying as competent
Have repeated and regular training on any changes in the Law
Training records are kept on each person to ensure they are up to date and
competent
Each person undergoes a valuation each year
Have their advice audited for accuracy by a supervisor
The supervisor then has that advice checked
That advice is regularly audited by external auditors; no other advice organisation
does this.
The advice is given from our ‘CAB AdviserNet’ which is constantly being up dated,
not advice off the top of your head.
Regular surveys are carried out with our clients to ensure the service we give matches
the client’s needs
The whole organisation is also audited on finance, organisation and methods, and
also on our governance.
And we the board are constantly reviewing value for money and the standard of
service given
This makes CAB Volunteers Professional Volunteer Advisers
They give INDEPENDENT CONFIDENTIAL IMPARTIAL Advice and because they volunteer
their services our cost are low which attracts investors and funders to allow Citizens Advice
Bureaux to give FREE advice at the point of need.
Now that’s why Volunteering is so important to society.
Page 4
Some Advisers go on to do more in depth training and specialise in Debt, Welfare Benefits,
Housing, etc. For these advisers we seek funding to support them, we call it Volunteering
Back to Work.
If you were an investor you would want to invest wisely in an organisation that you know gives
good advice, which was audited, gave Value for Money. Also carried out regular surveys
to check that the service they were giving met what was required, and of course have a
Board of Trustees looking after the interest of the investor as well as the clients. In addition
to this CAB National gives backup to Bureaux with all their expertise and experience, and
social policy campaigning for the unjust.
Harlow CAB is also working with Essex CAB which embodies 13 other bureaux throughout
Essex, who are working with Essex County Council and forming partnerships with other
organisations to bring a range of services to Harlow without any cost to the people of
Harlow, such as Warmer Homes, FABA etc.
The Citizens Advice Bureaux give you confidence, redress, and value for money in an
advice giving organisation.
As you begin to appreciate the value of volunteering then hopefully some of you will join
me as a Volunteer Board Member or train as a Professional Volunteer Adviser or become
a very valued Friend of CAB to help raise funds and help organise events, this could be
one day per year, per month or per week helping with such thing as Doves at Christmas,
helping on stands or helping with social events, e.g. quizzes.
The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to
make a difference in the lives of others.
We at CAB Harlow ‘say there is no ’I’ in Team but there is a ‘U’ in Volunteering’.
So please, Support Volunteering, Support Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau, Support Value for
Money.
Thank you
Brian Smith
A very privileged Chairman of Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd
Page 5
Managers Report
Where do I begin with regards to conveying how pleased and proud I
am to be part of such an amazing team? How can I express what joy
it was to move into larger premises last year and provide space and
comfort to not only the team but also for our clients to sit comfortably?
How can I shout out to as many people as possible that we are an
Independent Charity? How can I explain to people how valuable,
professional and necessary our service is to Harlow and its residents?
I sometimes feel that I could end up repeating year upon year the
same questions but I thought it best to bullet point what we provide
with a 14 to 1 split of volunteers to paid staff.
Advice
through assessing / generalist advice / specialist support. Quality advice that is current, valid and
checked.
Information
through reception / leaflets / internet / telephone / face to face / media.
Crisis centre
assisting with immediate and emergency issues.
Signposting
to professional organisations within our community.
Referring
creating quality referrals between partners / charities / other organisations guaranteeing that
clients are seen.
Reporting
and collecting evidence to change practices and influence policy makers.
Counselling
indirectly through our advice sessions.
Training
professional training to our team of staff and volunteers that have to meet quality standards for
our audits. Our clients receive one to one training via the way our volunteers handle their enquiry,
our volunteers try to prevent the issues from recurring.
Presentations
to other organisations / vulnerable groups / young people to name a few about essential matters
such as scams / loan sharks / energy etc
Support with every issue that each client presents.
Page 6
What part do I play in all of the above? One of my duties is to ensure that the above
elements of our service and our team are financially supported. I want to make sure they
continue to have suitable premises, are supervised and managed through a quality core
team, continue to search for projects year upon year that can help our projected loss in
budget, make sure that we do not close and at the end of day provide a hot drink and a
tasty biscuit to our volunteers.
In an ideal world and in my plan for the future, I would like to see an advice service in Harlow
that can be accessed by all different means, open five days a week for full advice, have
many more outreaches in the area and provide more events, talks and training to people in
our community. I know we have the people in place and recruitment process ready but of
course it will require funding, long term funding in order for this new five day week service to
become established. Small pockets of funding that expire within a year or two have helped
us immensely in the past but I realise how quickly time flies then we are back to square one
and that is the major part within this team that I play.
One thing that I believe is hugely powerful and helpful is feedback. 98% of clients that visit
our bureau are happy with our service, I continue to try to please the remaining 2% but
sometimes it is out of our control! I thought it would be useful and interesting to finish this
report with a sample of comments that our volunteers have made about the bureau. It just
goes to show, not only do we provide such a huge variety of information to people but
we also have a huge variety of people that provide the information and work behind the
scenes to keep our charity afloat.
Volunteer comments:
“Volunteering here has helped me be part of the community, I knew no-one in Harlow
when I moved here and being part of your team has helped me get out there and meet
people.”
“Thank you for helping me through my law studies, volunteering has helped me gain a work
placement in a solicitor’s office and hopefully secured a career in law.”
“I never thought of volunteering as helping me into work but really it’s like work experience,
I can get skills and experience and add it onto my CV.”
“Volunteering at CAB helps me to help others and that is why I am here. It can be depressing
at times after a hard day but seeing that client smile through their black cloud re-confirms
why I do it.”
Tiziana Groom
Bureau Operational Manager for Citizens Advice Bureau - Harlow
Page 7
Advice Services Manager’s Report
I continue to have the privilege of working with a dedicated, loyal
supervisory team - Liz, Lyn, Lesley and occasionally Marcus. The
pressures within the bureau haven’t lessened. In fact, over the past
year, we have seen a huge increase in the demand for our services.
This means more advisers/gateway assessors to supervise; more case
sheets to check; more need for volunteers and other resources to
enable us to manage the demand.
We have a great team of advisers and gateway assessors all who give their services on a
voluntary basis. Volunteers are the backbone of our organisation, as has been said many
times in the past. I am often amazed at the effort they put in to assist their clients, often far
beyond their call of duty.
What can I say about our volunteer receptionists? Well, I am so proud of them. They are all
young, unemployed (though extremely employable), and as the first point of contact for
anyone coming to the bureau, hold a very important role. I am impressed at the efficient
and professional way in which they handle the ever-growing queues of clients when they
open the bureau in the mornings. They need all the skills they can employ to deal with
clients who, more often than not, are presenting with very difficult and emotional problems.
Sometimes I feel like standing in the ‘market place’ and shouting “GIVE THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE A JOB”. They thoroughly deserve paid employment and would be an asset to any
organisation. However, their gain would be our loss, and what a loss that would be.
We are constantly looking at ways to improve our service to our clients and to use the
resources we do have to their best advantage. We have been extremely fortunate in
recruiting law students to do gateway assessments and one to be our Social Policy Coordinator. This has proved highly successful and we are writing to law institutions hoping to
recruit more of their calibre in the future.
It’s a pleasure to work at the bureau, despite the stress and frustrations sometimes faced.
My colleagues are a great team and I haven’t even mentioned the ‘upstairs’ support staff.
Next year perhaps!!
Jean Franks
Advice Service Manager
Page 8
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2012
The trustees who are also directors for Company Law submit their annual report and
Independent Examination of the accounting records for the year ending March 2012.
As the bureau has a gross income well below £500,000 no statutory obligation is placed
upon us by the Charities Commission to have the accounts audited. However, the trustees
consider that financial accountability and transparency are an essential part of good
charity governance. and have therefore had an Independent Examination of the accounts
carried out by Colchester Community Voluntary Services (CCVS) who are authorized by
the Charities Commission to undertake such examinations
Harlow CAB established charitable status in 1954. It is governed by its own constitution, which
was revised in line with CitA’s (our governing body) recommendations and approved by the
Charities Commissioners in 2002. The bureau is independent with the objectives of providing
free, independent, and confidential advice on all subjects to everyone regardless of race,
gender, sexuality or disability.
The management of the bureau is split between the manager and the board of trustees.
The manager is responsible for the day to day running of the bureau and the trustees are
responsible for the governance and overall effective management of the bureau.
The bureau at the year end date had 4 permanent part time members of staff. While the
accounts show an average of 7 this is because of the inclusion during the year of employees
under the governments “Future Jobs” programme all of who have since left employment
albeit that a number of them continue be volunteers.
The trustee board has 6 trustees all of whom were elected or their elections ratified at AGMs
and have full voting rights. In attendance at Board meetings there is also our Manager, one
other staff representative, a minute’s secretary and a representative from Harlow District
Council. Attendees contribute to debate but only Trustees have voting rights.
The bureau has an open trustee recruitment policy ensuring that all Trustees have the skills and
time to further the aims of the bureau, work in the interests of the bureau, as specified in our
constitution, and who also have knowledge of Harlow; its residents, its business community,
its services and needs. Successful candidates are co-opted in line with the constitution and
then put forward for election by members at the AGM. We are fortunate to be part of the
Citizens Advice network and have access to their Trustee training programme including
their Trustee pack which sets out full details of Trustees’ rights and responsibilities.
The Board’s activities are scrutinised during regular operational audits carried out by CitA.
There are, in my view, a good number of checks and balances on the Board’s activities.
Page 9
CitA also provides considerable support and on going training to Trustees and arranges an
annual conference to give Trustees the opportunity to consider future developments of the
service in the light of Government initiatives and how they impact on local bureaux.
Core funding is raised by the bureau through grants and charitable donations; the shortfall
between core funding and our basic expenses is funded through specific project work
provided by NGOs such as Veolia Water Trust (now known as Affinity Water Trust), Lloyds
TSB Foundation, Warmer Homes, Financial Capability Forums and Training to mention just
a few. We are particularly grateful to Harlow District Council and Essex County Council for
providing the majority of our core funding. Further funds are raised by The Friend’s of Harlow
CAB through social events. The Trustees are grateful for their support.
The bureau has maintained reserves of £29,300 to cover the cost of redundancies and the
winding up of the bureau should such circumstances dictate.
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity
Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Bureau’s aims and
objects and in planning future activities and setting policy for the year.
The trustees of the bureau will review on an annual basis the accounts in which funds are
held in order to maximise investment returns. We also regularly review the business plan to
check that we are still fulfilling our objectives.
Despite our limited financial resources we provide a comprehensive and very cost effective
information and advice service to the people of Harlow. This is primarily due to our most
valuable resource our volunteers to whom we are greatly indebted.
The major risks identified by the trustees are:
The difficulty in attracting sufficient income to enable the Bureau to provide the core
generalist advice service which is needed in the community.
Our core services less the core funding results in a potential loss each year..
Next years budgeted loss is a whopping £29,560.
The difficulties experienced by many voluntary agencies attracting suitable volunteers
Director’s responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements that give a true and
fair view of the state of the affairs of the Company at the end of the financial period
and its surplus or deficit for the financial period. In doing so the directors are required to
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently, make judgements
and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, prepare the financial statements on the
going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in
business.
Page 10
The directors are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records, which disclose
with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable
the financial statements to comply with the Companies Act 2006. The directors are also
responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps
for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
A resolution proposing that CCVS be reappointed as Independent Examiners of the Charity
will be put to the Annual General Meeting.
Approved on behalf of the board of trustees.
Brian Smith
Chairman
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.
Married with 2 children, I have been involved with CAB for approximately 6 years. Started
with Wickford CAB which is now part of BBW CAB Ltd and now Harlow CAB. My involvement
with the CAB has been a very enlightening experience and has shown me that it is such
an essential service which is so underfunded. The service relies on the goodwill and the
dedication of volunteers from Advisors to Board Members.
Page 11
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.
Married for well over 40 years to Pam, who is a CAB advisor, we have two children fast
approaching middle age and five grandchildren meandering towards adolescence.
Hobbies are keeping fit, swimming, reading, cinema, all forms of music, and telling people
about God’s love.
Trustee – Tim Carter
I am a qualified solicitor working in Harlow. I attended Staffordshire University originally as
a business student but subsequently qualified in law and completed my masters degree
in law a few years ago. I have had various jobs to support me through university, from bar
work to site management on a railway site! When I finished university, I worked as a garage
door fitter before securing a training contract at a legal 500 city firm.
I am very conscious that most legal services are costly and that every community needs
support. During my time at university the CAB helped me on a number of issues and I valued
their support. The CAB is a support service but in itself needs support to continue; because
of this, I help as much as I can as a trustee and legal advisor.
Trustee – Sophia Adams Bhatti
I studied Law and then International studies at Birmingham University, before beginning
my career at the UN and then moving into the public sector in the UK. Having worked
in immigration and asylum, health care, and more recently consumer protection I have
focused on regulation, consumer advice and consumer voice in public policy. As the
Deputy Director of Strategy at the Office of Fair Trading I have a UK wide understanding
of Government policy on consumer issues. I am also an external advisor to the Audit
Committee of the Royal College of Nursing
Trustee – Madeline Siebert
I am a Partner at Attwaters Solicitors Harlow Office and have specialised in Medical
Negligence Law for over 10 years. I am a member of the prestigious Law Society Clinical
Negligence Referral Panel. Gaining employment as a junior solicitor at Attwaters in 2001 and
became salaried partner in June 2009. I have particular interest in the mismanagement of
labour and injury to mother and baby and have helped to secure rehabilitation programs
for injured claimants.
Page 12
I am also a passionate campaigner for access to justice and a great believer in pro bono
legal work for those who do not have the means to pay for help. I give my time voluntary to
Charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and have helped to organise fundraising
events for Attwaters Charities of the Year – St Clare’s Hospice (2009) and Spinal Injuries
Association (2010). I take a keen interest in the local community both in Harlow and where
I am based at home - Waltham Cross - where I am an active member of my local Church
participating in many Church fundraising events. On a personal note I enjoy the arts and
theatre particularly shows in the West End where my sister is currently performing a lead role
in the musical “We will Rock You”.
I am a great supporter of Harlow CAB and I frequently refer potential clients to the CAB,
particularly those needing assistance with Benefits applications. I am delighted to be
member of the Board.
Trustee – Leonard Donoghue
I joined the Trustee Board of Harlow Citizens Advice as its Treasurer at the beginning of 2010.
I have over 40 years experience in the financial world, with a financial management
diploma from the University of Toronto and am a Fellow of the institute of Canadian Bankers
Association.
Born in England in 1947, I moved to Canada in 1967 and did not return until 1980 where I
worked in the City in Commercial Banking.
I retired in 2007 and looked around at opportunities to provide charitable organisations
with the benefits of my financial experience. I was delighted when invited to join the Harlow
CAB Trustee Board particularly at a time when its core services are even more sought after
in these challenging economic conditions
Trustee - Ernest Onyema MSc (Bristol), FRCSEd
I became a Trustee of CAB Harlow in 2010. I got to know a little more about CAB when
I accompanied my wife to a CAB AGM few years earlier, my wife was training as an
advisor at the time. I am currently working as a Locum Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at
Mid-Essex Hospital NHS Trust in Chelmsford and Braintree. My Ophthalmology training was
at Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup Kent, Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow and Moorfields
Eye Hospital London. I am a member of the following professional bodies, Royal College
of Ophthalmologists London, American Academy of Ophthalmology, British Medical
Association, Medical Defence Union UK and a Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons
Edinburgh. I am also a Medical Liaison Officer for Royal Medical Benevolence Fund.
I am married with three children.
Page 13
Page 14
Social Policy Report
Advisers and Gateway assessors are constantly being encouraged to produce evidence to
facilitate social policy work within the bureau and nationally. This is the first step in the process of
helping to shape government policies, in an effort to improve the lives of our clients.
Client
contacts
bureau
Client contacts the bureau for practical advice – Whilst helping a client, an
adviser or Gateway assessor, is in a good position to identify an injustice the
client may be suffering.
A client, unemployed and in receipt of benefits, suffers from ill-health and needs
medical evidence from her GP to send to the benefits office in support of her
benefit claim. The GP wants to charge £10 plus 35p per sheet copied from the
client’s medical records. Client, already strapped for cash, has to meet this cost
in order to be able to claim benefits.
A single mother of young children, in receipt of benefits, has been left with debts
that she cannot afford to repay. Her best solution is to go bankrupt but she
cannot afford the deposit of £525 for the petition, although she would be exempt
from paying the fee of £175 which can be waived because she is in receipt of
benefits.
The adviser completes a bureau evidence form (bef) which gives details of the
client’s circumstances and the injustice he/she may be experiencing.
Amended
policy comes
into force
Policy
makers
lobbied on
proposed
solutions
Evidence Cycle
Campaigns
team mobilise
support for it
Page 15
Client
contacts
a bureau for
practical
advice
Problems
recorded
in evidence
database
Problem
recorded
Problem recorded in evidence data base – We have been very fortunate to secure
the services of Chloe Harbutt who joined us as volunteer Social Policy Co-ordinator
in May 2012. Chloe is studying law at The University of Westminster and is able to
give some time to the bureau. One of Chloe’s tasks is to record information from
befs on to a data base and forward it to the Social Policy Department of Citizens
Advice in London.
Policy
team
Policy team identifies a trend and prepares a case – The Policy team receives 50,000
bureau evidence forms per year from bureaux across the UK. Once they identify a
trend that many clients are suffering a similar injustice, they prepare a case.
Campaign
team
Campaign team mobilises support – Bureaux are contacted with urgent requests for
further evidence; bureaux are asked for details of affected clients willing to speak to
the media; bureaux are asked to raise awareness by means of the local press.
Policy
makers
lobbied
Amended
policy
Policy makers lobbied on proposed solutions- As soon as Citizens Advice have
amassed enough evidence and raised awareness by way of campaigns, their
next step is to lobby MP’s to ask them to influence legislation and policies. Bureaux
are asked to write to their local MPS to gain support for the campaign for change.
Citizens Advice approach Ministers and work with them to bring about a change in
the law.
Amended policy comes into force.
It’s a long process from seeing a client with a problem to getting the law changed
to ensure others don’t suffer the same injustice in the future. However, it is very
encouraging to see the culmination of all the hard work in the success stories, some
examples of which are below:
Tenancy Deposit Scheme – bureaux evidence showed that many clients complained of
landlords who unjustly hung on to tenancy deposits at the end of a tenancy. Citizens Advice
campaigned for change and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme was set up. If a landlord and
tenant cannot agree on how much of the deposit has to be returned then they can use the
scheme’s Alternative Dispute Resolution service and their findings are binding on both parties.
People struggling with debts under £15,000 can apply for a debt relief order, a low cost
alternative to bankruptcy, if their income and assets are below a certain level. Money saved
in pension scheme was counted as an asset. This blocked people from applying for a debt
relief order, even though they couldn’t access the often small amount of money in their
pension. Citizens Advice ran a short survey to show the scale of the problem and sent their
findings to the Minister and Insolvency Service.
The result was that the rules were changed and money in HMRC-approved pension schemes
does not stop people from getting a debt relief order.
Jean Franks
Page 16
East of England Financial Capability Forum
Financial capability is an increasingly important part of Citizens Advice with 280 bureaux
across England and Wales now involved in this preventative work. Financial capability is
about giving people the skills, knowledge and confidence to make the financial choices
that are right for them and help them avoid crisis.
Citizens Advice supports 14 regional financial capability forums in England and Wales.
Since June 2011 CAB Harlow has been coordinating the Forum in the East of England.
Since starting in 2007, the East of England Forum which covers Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire has attracted over 200 members from more than
150 organisations in a wide variety of sectors. As well as over 50 Citizens Advice Bureaux,
they include housing associations, local authorities, other advice agencies, credit unions,
schools, the FSA, local community groups and private sector funders.
Forum members support each other by sharing information and experience. The
emphasis of the forums is on involving everyone with an interest in improving financial
capability. The forums are increasingly engaged in joint activity and members work together to deliver financial capability training sessions across the region to the most vulnerable
communities.
Mary Hennessey
Financial Capability Forum Leader
Page 17
Bureau Statistics
In 1956 I graduated as Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Glasgow until moving
to Harlow in 1959. I started my own practice in a terraced house in Kingsland and expanded
the practice to six dentists working in eight surgeries. In 1993 I gained the Diploma in General
Dental Practice and was later appointed an Examiner by the Royal College of Surgeons.
After some years, conscious of the non-availability of general anaesthesia outside hospital,
I qualified as a non-consultant anaesthetist and practised this full-time, accepting referrals
from all practices in Harlow and the surrounding area.
Outside the daily grind, I spent several years on Harlow Urban District Council, chairing
successively the Public Health and Education Committees. I was also a Governor of Harlow
College, Chairman of Governors of Stewards School and a member of the House Committee
of Princess Alexandra Hospital. After I left the council, Her Majesty the Queen appointed
me as a Justice of the Peace for the County of Essex, a post for which unfortunately I am
now disqualified by my age.
When I retired, I decided that volunteering at Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau would be a
useful way to spend my time and, hopefully, contribute something. I trained as an advisor
and filled this role for some years, including acting as CASE coach, until my deteriorating
hearing made it necessary to seek other outlets. I now spend my volunteering time at a
computer, downloading and compiling statistics which help with the management of the
bureau and prove our worth to Local Authority and other funders.
Richard Kelly
CAB – Internal Statistics
Page 18
CAB HARLOW
what we do
and
the facts behind
the numbers
Last year Harlow CAB dealt with
10700
enquires and cases
Real figures with real
people and lives behind
the statistics
Page 19
the issues dealt with, and the numbers of enquires and cases
DEBT 2040
Last year CAB Harlow helped 2040 people with debt. They helped people with issues such as
creditor negotiation, payment calculation, and debt liability advice. They also provided emotion support for people who are often desperately worried about their situations.
HOUSING 650
Last year CAB Harlow helped 650 people with housing and accommodation issues. We believe
having a place to live is a basic human right, and work in partnership with Shelter to ensure
that all Harlow Citizens have this right. This may include advising people about Mortgage repayments, benefit claims or contesting unfair tenancy agreements.
BENEFITS 2086
Last year CAB Harlow helped 2086 people with issues relating to benefit qualification, claiming
benefits, appeals and calculation. Benefit issues cover a wide range of benefits ranging from
Child benefit to old age pensions.
EMPLOYMENT 484
Last year CAB Harlow helped 484 people with work and employment issues. This included help
for people unfairly dismissed, not paid the legal wage, discrimination and harassment in the
work place.
RELATIONSHIPS 642
Last year CAB Harlow helped 642 people with relationship issues. These included advice about
divorce and separation, their rights and responsibilities, and negotiating child access. CAB
Harlow saved their clients thousands of pounds in unnecessary legal fees.
CONSUMER
232
Consumer law can be complicated and CAB Harlow advised 232 clients of their rights and
how to enforce them. Equally, dealers also have rights and we also work impartially on many
cases to arbitrate in a dispute. Many companies recognise this and you will often find clauses
on their terms advising customers to seek advice from their local CAB in the event of a dispute.
FINANCIAL
236
Financial advice is often an integral part of much of the advice we give at CAB Harlow , often
linked to debt, housing, relationship and many other issues. Unfortunately, money and the issues it raises is something that touches everyone and cannot be separated from everyday life.
LEGAL 474
Many people are unable to afford the services of a solicitor, and the CAB is often the only
place they can turn to when they need legal advice. Without this service many people
would be unfairly disadvantaged against those that can afford legal representation.
OTHER,
1149
INCLUDING UTILITIES, TRAVEL, TAX, HEALTH AND EDUCATION
One of things that places the CAB bureau in a position that is often unique is that we deal with
virtually any case, we try to help people with any problem they may have. Many of the issues are
not easily categorised, and this is why we have many simply listed simply as “other”.
Page 20
Friends of Harlow CAB
Whilst 2011 was a year for rebuilding Friends, 2012 found Friends developing in leaps and
bounds. With Len Donoghue and Albert Watson coming on board in November 2011, things
started to shape up. We had two priorities, to make the name of Friends and Harlow Citizens
Advice Bureau well known within the local community and to recruit new Friends to sustain
this.
November 2011 saw our first successful fundraiser too, a night out at the Greyhounds, which
many people bought tickets for. We had an excellent raffle, with contributions coming
in from small local businesses. We then staged the much loved ‘Christmas Doves’, in the
town using Harlow Councils’ beautiful Christmas tree. The response from the public was
excellent. In February, CAB returned to Harlow Greyhound Stadium as the ‘trap winners’ of
the previous heat.
In a moment of inspiration, I contacted a local small business owner, Kerri Ann Trowsdale,
Director of Dance Fusion and with the invaluable help of The Harvey Centre staff we
dramatically raised the Bureau’s profile on April 21st, as well as a very substantial amount
sponsorship money thanks to the families of the 50+ dancers that appeared that day.
Harlow CAB then took part in the annual abseil as arranged by Harlow Tye Rotary Club,
with two volunteers Siobhan Noble and Colin Moon both raising money through sponsorship
for descending from the Veolia Water Tower in May. June saw us take part in the Charity
Car Park collection, which saw the collection of a fair amount of funds despite the awful
weather!
There has been throughout this year, a number of profile raising events, which have their
own special value as they present the face of Harlow CAB to the community we support.
We had a stand in Harlow College, at the Student Fairs on 21st & 22nd February and again on
21st & 22nd September. We also promoted volunteer recruitment during National Volunteer
Week in June, via a stand in the Harvey Centre.
Overall, Friends, volunteers, local small businesses and bureau staff helped to put Harlow
CAB firmly on the map within the local community and raised a total profit of over £3.5k+
for non-core essentials, through the various activities. We also began to build a sturdy team
of Friends, and endless thanks are due to those who came on board throughout the year.
Sadly, time became less of a ‘Friend’ for me as work pressures built
up, forcing my decision to resign in June. I have learnt so much, met
so many wonderful new people and my confidence now knows no
bounds. However the work of Friends is still there to be done, and
AJ has admirably taken it all on board. So, if you’d like to be part of
the next adventures of Friends, don’t hesitate put your name forward
now!!
Lou Moon ~ On behalf of Friends of Harlow CAB
Page 21
“the much loved
Christmas Doves
in the town using Harlow Councils’ beautiful Xmas tree.”
“The response from the public
was excellent, as popularity for
the event has been nurtured so in
previous years”
“In February, CAB returned to Harlow
Greyhound Stadium as the ‘trap winners’
of the previous heat”
Page 22
The Citizens Advice Bureau
Born out of the ashes of destruction
September 3 1939: War is declared.
September 4 1939:The first 200
bureaux open.
From the start, volunteers run the service
working from public buildings and private
houses. Advisers deal with problems relating
to the loss of ration books, homelessness and
evacuation. They also help locate missing
relatives and prisoners of war. Debt quickly
becomes a key issue as income reduces due
to call-ups.
Page 23
1942: The number of bureaux
peaks at 1,074 and one even
operates out of a converted
horse box that parks near
bombed areas.
1965: The national total for
enquiries reaches 1.25 million.
1973: A development grant from the
Government is given to the national charity,
the National Association of Citizens Advice
Bureaux (NACAB), to extend the network.
2002: The service receives a £20 million grant
from the Government’s Capital Modernisation
Fund to provide IT infrastructure to roll out
e-government services to CAB clients.
Page 24
Training
New Training Officer reports big changes afoot!
Since taking on the role of the Training Officer in February this year I felt that some restructuring
and reorganisation would be beneficial in order to ensure continued recruitment and
retention of volunteers.
Having nagged the Bureau Manager for several weeks(!) my first project was seeing the
store-come-filing-come-general dumping area revamped into a professional training room,
with internet access, new blinds, a permanent projector installed and refreshment facilities,
thankfully all funds to make this a reality was raised by Friends of CAB 1 donations and other
successful project funding. I am now delighted to say that the room is available for use (and
for hire to outside organisations) and is being used on a regular basis to train volunteers.
Having revamped the training room I felt that the Manager would be keen to see it in use
more often! With this in mind I have developed new training sessions for all volunteers which
are now being held within the Bureau. This has helped with the retention of new volunteers
who now do not need to attend remote training days as often. I am delighted to report
that our volunteer base has grown considerably, in particular Gateway Assessors. We have
now reached the stage where we have more assessors than rooms available during some
sessions. My intention is that with successful funding bids we may have the opportunity in
the not too distant future to open up our drop in sessions to four days per week which would
be a huge breakthrough and would enable us to see a far higher percentage of clients.
It has given me huge pleasure to encourage existing volunteers to increase their skills by
enrolling on different training programmes and I have ensured that local (preferably free!)
courses are made available to our staff as often as possible. I am hoping to further extend
this in the coming year as I work to enhance existing partnerships and develop new ones.
I am sure you feel as enthused and encouraged as I am by the huge success of the training
section as we move forward into a new period of further growth and development.
AJ Sanger
Training Officer
Page 25
Gateway Assessor
I joined Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau as a Volunteer Gateway Assessor in July 2011 and it
was the best decision I could have made. I usually walk to CAB, and on the approach, I am
always greeted by a long queue of clients awaiting our opening, whatever the weather.
Every session is different, with queries ranging from debt to consumer. Citizens Advice is
often the last place clients come to and they are always grateful for the assistance they
receive: better late than never.
Volunteering for Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau has opened my eyes to the everyday
problems some people are facing. I often see problems common amongst clients, and
they all think they are alone. In actual fact, they are not.
It can be frustrating when not every client gets the outcome they wanted, but at Citizens
Advice we do our best to help the community.
With my qualifications and experience, I aim to become a solicitor. Volunteering here has
definitely helped, as many of the queries posed to lawyers appear at the bureau on a daily
basis. I am proud to be a part of such an organisation.
Tara Arnold
CAB – Gateway Assessor
Page 26
Volunteering as a CAB Receptionist
Working as a receptionist for Harlow Citizens Advice Bureau is more than just answering
telephones and greeting clients, you are helping a charity provide an efficient service,
allowing advice to be delivered to those in need and ultimately doing your bit to help the
charity in what it does best, solve clients problems. As you can imagine there is a great deal
of satisfaction at the end of the day knowing in some way you have helped, whether it’s
a reassuring smile, providing directions, issuing advice leaflets or booking an appointment,
you have helped keep the bureau running smoothly.
The Process
First thing in the morning, I turn on all the computers to prepare for the day’s advice sessions.
I then set up the Reception, whilst checking with the Supervisor how many volunteers are
expected and how many clients can be seen that day. Once everything is ready I open
the doors and let the already queuing clients come in. Shortly after welcoming each client I
collect the now completed client data sheets which contain the required and confidential
client information which must now be entered into the main Citizens Advice Bureau
database.
Another requirement is to complete the Statistic Sheet which assesses whether the day’s
clients are new or returners with a new case, as well as which topic the enquiry falls under.
There is also general administrative work which needs to be completed before the end of
the day such as printing, filing etc. The Citizens Advice Bureau is always incredibly grateful
for each and every day you volunteer and you always feel appreciated by your fellow
colleagues.
Volunteering is extremely beneficial not just for the organisation but for its volunteers. Also,
you learn a variety of new skills in a very friendly environment, meet some amazing people
and gain invaluable work experience which ultimately enhances your potential of securing
employment.
Jennifer Pearson
CAB - Receptionist
Page 27
The Team
Staff and Volunteers till March 2012
Bureau ManagerT. Groom
Advice Services Manager
J. Franks
Advice Session Supervisor
L. Horner
Admin Co-ordinatorJ. Burton
Guidance TutorA.Sanger
Financial Capability Forum Lead
M. Hennessey
Volunteers in our charity come from all areas of our community and from varying work and life
backgrounds. Their time, knowledge and skills are an extremely valuable resource to our charity. As you can
see below without them we would simply not exist.
Advice Session Support & Book keeper L. Horsley
IT SupportR. Day
Website Developer D.Brown
C. Lander
F. Akinsanmi*
R. Blackman
S. Clack*
M. Dain
B. Daniels*
L. Davis
L. Davison
V. Ellice
T. Arnold
K. Butcher
H. Clapham
K. Robb
R. Golder
C. Evans
K. Mitchell*
S. Noble
D. Reed
M. Rigden
K. Wozniak
K. Cook
T. Reid*
P. Weekes*
D. Chennells
M. Harris
D. Hennessey*
P. Houghton*
C. Hatton
R. Kelly
B. Menzies*
L. Moon
B. James-Currington
S. Nathan*
A. Nutt
K. Protheroe*
S. Self
F. Skiffins*
P. Watson
K. Jones
H. Osmon
J.Patton
G. Roberts
R. Sefain
T. Yiacoupis
H. Saleem*
C. Preece*
*left during 2011-2012
Page 28
We Want to Thank You!
Harlow District Council
Essex County Council
CitA
Regional Financial Capability Forum
Friends of Harlow CAB
Essex CABs
High Sheriff’s fund
Essex Community Foundation
Lloyds TSB Foundation
Veolia Water Trust
PJK Charitable Trust
FABA
Nationwide MoneyActive
Energy Best Deal
Top Tips for Christmas
Warm Homes Healthy People
Digital Switchover
The Co-operative Community Fund
Bryan Young
Management and staff at the Harvey Centre
Parish Councils
Swallow Churchgate Hotel
Footprint printers
Staff from the Chequers public house
Dance Fusion
Harlow Greyhound Stadium
Payplan
Local Solicitors
The Volunteer Centre
Rymans
Gateway Christian Community Centre
Donations given by clients and general public
Registered Charity Number 1135235
Brochure design by Doug Brown