Other Practice Reviews
Manchester
£3 million
§ In 2009, Manchester CC commissioned an external consultant to undertake a review of advice (including welfare rights & debt advice provision) in the city. Manchester Advice (in house service) not in scope. Report cited that provision was ad hoc/proliferation of small organisations where quality was variable.
§ Decision made to put advice provision out to competitive tender jointly funded £1.5 million from the local authority and £1.5 million from Community Legal Services to create the Manchester Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS).
§ Manchester CAB were successful bidder and have sub contracted to others including solicitors, voluntary sector (eg Shelter). Advice is provided at 6 Community Legal Advice Centres (CLACs) – idea that face-to-face advice on a variety of topics can be accessed under one roof. General help is provided to all, specialist advice to those legally aidable (not representation). This was not “new” additional advice provision but essentially pre-existing advice provision operating on a reduced basis following a cut to local authority grant of £480,000 in 2009/10.
§ It was intended that Manchester Advice would complement the CLAS by continuing to provide specialist welfare rights & debt advice to those not legally aidable and also representation at tribunal and court however following the CSR, decision to cut Manchester Advice funding has resulted in massively reduced capacity.
§ Manchester Advice was a large well established service which from its annual report 2009/10 generated £30 million to the local economy by tackling worklessness, preventing crises and assisting residents through housing and financial problems. It also increased the incomes of residents through benefit take up to help them to pay off council tax arrears, rent arrears etc.
§ Manchester Advice now has 2 appeal officers for city (welfare rights) was meant to be 5 but staff left or were redeployed before decision made to retain Advice appeals team had dealt with 521 appeal tribunals in 2009/10 but no funding for representation through CLAS and several commissioned and therefore externally funded posts eg Macmillan/HIV worker/Willow Park Housing
§ Manchester Advice Training Unit provided training to a large number of statutory and community organisations, RSLs etc, Manchester City Council have commissioned a new “Step Up” training delivery service focused on housing advice and relevant debt advice.
§ Manchester City Council staff are asked to refer residents to http://www.onestopadvice.org.uk/default.asp webpages which provide self help materials and on entering your post code lists providers clients may be able to access. Also, telephone advice at 5p a minute although clients can ask for an adviser to call them back.
Oldham
£507,000
§ Oldham is similar to Salford demographically with 220,000 people and 90,000 properties, but a higher BME community.
§ 2002: 17 staff in WRDA service providing telephone and drop-in; decision not to fill posts that became vacant over the next 3-4 years; Fairer Charging Assessments not part of WRDA
§ 2006: telephone service relocated to Contact Centre which would provide part-time basic advice line (8am-12pm).
§ Small WR team remains to deliver targeted advice sessions in community and to BME customers (face-to-face).
§ 2010: 2 WR officers remaining now targeted to assist customers with DLA applications and representation at Appeals and Tribunals. Call Centre service signposting to CAB and volumes to WRDA reduced. Last 2 WR posts became vacant and not filled. Council funded CAB and Law Centre.
§ March 2011: Council tendered for a single WR, DA and Law Advice service. CAB and Law Centre decided to bid separately, CAB won contract. Law Centre unsuccessfully challenged this and contract began July 2011.
§ New relationship between Council and CAB – emphasis on weekly CAB advice sessions in neighbourhoods within each of the 6 district partnerships (at 13 locations). CAB relocated face-to-face service to Council facilities (Access Oldham). Volumes have increased. Service moved away from general drop-in to targeted delivery. Triage by telephone and face-to-face, refers customers to the best provider and there is no competition between agencies.
§ May 2011: Change in political leadership: Increase in the Fairer Charging Assessors, the increased income generation by these new posts pay for themselves.
§ Also want to reinstate 2 WR posts to work in the community, as part of the Customer Services Division but these will not duplicate the CAB provision.
§ Other partners also fund the CAB to deliver services to target groups.
§ Future: A multi-agency income maximisation strategy will be developed with partners to identify gaps for the 2 new WR officers to fill and a casework system will be developed.
§ WR advice line in Call Centre will extend to full time. The Council website currently signposts to the CAB (to be reviewed).
§ CAB contract will continue and include Law Advice.
§ Single Customer accounts are planned for the future.
§ Debt Advice will continue to be delivered by the CAB.
Stockport
£1.4 million (including funding form Stockport Homes)
§ Operate from a main customer centre (Fred Perry House) with 10 local centres (mainly libraries).
§ In main centre ground floor divided into Customer Services, Stockport Direct, Debt Advice, Welfare Rights and CAB. Reception direct customers to the most appropriate service.
§ CAB and council’s WR Service have a good relationship and refer customers to each other. Initial security problems were overcome and CAB has retained its own brand. Senior and political support is strong. Other services (Shelter, Asylum Seeker Team, Client Finance Team, Credit Union) also use main customer centre so agencies know each other. Lots of good and available information. Council website is good with clear links to both council services and external agencies.
§ No significant budget restrictions this year.
§ Customer Services: CBT/HB and Corporate Contact Centre. Staff help customers to complete drop-in CBT/HB on-line claims with 2 processor staff on site. Customers with supporting documents for E-benefit claims fast tracked and payment made within 24 hours. Reception scan and index documents on receipt, very few paper claims. Some appointments (6 per day) with 1 processing officer; 80% attendance rate and claim paid on the same day. HB/CTB processors based at 6 out of 10 local centres.
§ Stockport Direct Advice Service: part of libraries and advice service – deliver from main hub and 10 local centres. Range of information and advice including benefit checks and claims, tax credits, money matters, appeals (but refer to specialist WR/CAB to submit appeals). Provide both drop-in and appointment system at all offices on a rota basis. Encourage on-line claims via self-serve. Scan and index benefit documents and refer customers to processing staff based in their office.
§ Debt Advice Service: assist customers with various debt issues including: budgeting, Council Tax arrears, charging orders, debt relief orders, utility arrears, rent arrears. Funded through Legal Services. Signpost customers to other debt advice agencies where appropriate (eg, National Debtline).
§ Welfare Rights Service: deal with social security benefit problems, tax credits including representation at appeals tribunals. Office based interviews and home visits. 1 WR officer at hospital, 2.5 WR officers deal with mental health clients. WR officers same grade as Advice Service officers.
§ CAB: deal with legal, money and other problems. Do not deal with debt advice – refer to council’s Debt Advice Service. Offer initial drop-in followed by appointments. Do not represent customers at appeals tribunal – refer to council’s WR Service.
§ Family Act Team: new team operating from main customer centre: brings together key partner agencies focussing on whole family. Specialises in employment support, health, housing, probation, police. Social care, welfare rights. Do have eligibility criteria to access services.
Tameside
£700,000
§ Council WRDA established 1985 as a response to increasing unemployment and a policy report on poverty.
§ Current focus is prevention of homelessness and supporting benefit claimants.
§ 21 fte staff (2 management; 11 WR; 6 DA; 2 Customer Services Assistants).
§ 100% Council funded ~ £700,000 per annum.
§ Benefits Advice Line (freephone); on-line referrals; mortgage problems freephone and text message; referrals (from Tameside Hospital Mental Health Unit and Council’s Housing Advice); drop-in (at MIND); casework for complex situations
§ Training provided by Council to staff and voluntary/third sector.
§ Only CAB funded (~£156,000 per annum). Council looking to relocate CAB to council offices to complement Customer Service function. CAB does not provide appeal tribunal or county court representation – referred to Council.
§ Linked to: Health & Wellbeing Strategy (supported by the Director of Public Health); Homelessness Prevention Strategy; Reducing Re-offending Strategy.
§ Developing a Personal Financial Resilience Strategy.
§ Part of Money Information Network Tameside (MINT) – the Financial Inclusion Partnership which also involves the 6 housing associations.
§ Has good political support.
§ Savings have so far been achieved through VS and VER, and a reconfiguration of an older people focus team.