Who are we and what do we do
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The Citizens Advice service acts both as a first point of contact and a last resort for people. There would be a greater call on Government and other services for assistance without it, and those who need help to negotiate their way through the complex systems and processes of modern life would be at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion.
The Citizens Advice service helps people to resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing information and advice, and by influencing policy makers.
Citizens Advice is an independent charity and membership organisation with offices in the regions and in Wales. There are 462 Citizens Advice Bureaux across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all of which are also independent registered charities and members of Citizens Advice. Together, we are the Citizens Advice service, delivering information and advice through face-to-face, telephone and email services, and online via adviceguide.org.uk. We use clients’ experiences as evidence to inform policymakers and service providers about the impact of their policies both locally and nationally.
Citizens Advice provides support to member bureaux to ensure their continued presence in local communities, access to the necessary training and information to provide consistently high quality advice, and the IT infrastructure and systems they need to record client case details and to collect evidence of clients’ problems.
The objects of Citizens Advice are to promote any charitable purpose for the advancement of education, the protection and preservation of health and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress. In carrying out these objects and in all aspects of our work we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, to preventing prejudice and discrimination, to ensuring equal access to and promoting good relations between all sections of the community.
The role of Citizens Advice is to:
- develop, support, represent and lead the Citizens Advice service
- set maintain and monitor standards for the service
- ensure that the voice of Citizens Advice Bureau clients and the service is heard
- provide quality services and products to bureau and the public.
The aims of the Citizens Advice service are:
- to ensure that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities or of the services available to them, or through an inability to express their needs effectively
- to exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policies and services both locally and nationally.
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