How Wales’ independent advice sector is preparing for multiple

challenges

Brave New World?

Fran TargettNovember 2013

People are being hit by:

• Government’s plans to reduce the deficit - cuts to public services

• Welfare reform

• Recession and increased costs

Our clients need us now more than ever

What’s happening to our clients?

Client need realities(Citizens Advice Cymru figures)

• Increase in the proportion of the enquiries relating to welfare benefits from 32% to 45% of total enquiries

• Debt enquiries 29% of the total enquiries

• Employment, housing and relationship enquiries

What’s happening to our services?Providers are being hit by:Government’s plans to reduce the deficit

• welfare system changes • cuts to public services• reduced resources for local authorities• Legal Aid reform and social welfare law funding

•Recession and increased costs• Increased competition • Volunteers

• New delivery partners • Welsh Government

•Potential for growth Advice Services Review

Funding realities(Independent Advice Providers Forum figures)

Figures for funding losses between 2012/13 and 2013/14

• Over £4,290,000 total funding losses identified from the advice sector

• Partially replaced on a one-off basis through funding this year

from Welsh Government of over £1,000,000 directly for advice provision

Clients are our focusWe need to:

• resolve clients’ problems as quickly as possible• enable clients to access our services in the way they

want• deliver high quality services• use our knowledge and insight to improve things for

our clients and others at a policy level• ensure consistency across advice services

Who are our clients and how do we target our help?

What is the breadth and depth of our advice offer?

What is the breadth and depth of our preventative, policy and campaigns offer?

What is the right shape of advice delivery channels?

One Service delivery model?

1

2 4

3

Who are our clients and how do we target our help?

we are here for everyone

we target our help by issue, wherever detriment is greatest

that means our help reaches those who need it most

Are our services attractive to all?

we don’t start with any bias towards any particular group(s)

1

Assisted digital provision makes our help seamlessand consistent across delivery channels and geography – sowe can reach clients more easily

What is the breadth of our advice offer?

Welfare Money Consumer Employment Discrimination Housing

We focus the breadth of our advice by issue, wherever detriment to individuals or society is greatest

2

Ensure our operating modelsresolve as many clients’ problems

at first point of contact as possible – a staged approach

Then we move to in-depth advice

if needed Caseworkwhen

needed

Stage 3 Stage 4

Referral between partners

Stage 2Stage 1

Problem solved

Problemsolved Problem

solved

What is the depth of our advice offer?32

Digital

Phone

Face-to-face

In-depth digital

In-depth phone

In depth face to face

Solved

Solved

SolvedCasework

SH

IFT B

ETW

EEN

CH

AN

NELS

Stage 1 What is the right shape of our advicedelivery channels?

First contact

3

Solved

Solved

Solved

Pre

venta

tive,

polic

y a

nd

cam

paig

ns

Influencing effectively and

earlier

4What is the breadth and depth of our policy and campaigns offer?

Independent Advice Providers Provider members who have contributed to the response to the Welsh Government Advice Services Review: Advice Services Alliance – www.asauk.org.ukAdviceUK - www.adviceuk.org.ukAge Connects Wales - http://www.ageconnectswales.org.uk Age Cymru - www.ageuk.org.uk/cymruCare and Repair - www.careandrepair.org.ukCitizens Advice Cymru – www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales Community Housing Cymru - www.chcymru.org.ukLaw Centres Federation - www.lawcentres.org.ukLaw Society in Wales - www.lawsociety.org.ukMacmillan - www.macmillan.org.ukLegal Aid Practitioners Group - www.lapg.co.ukRNIB - www.rnib.org.ukShelter Cymru - www.sheltercymru.org.ukSNAP Cymru - www.snapcymru.orgTy Arian – www.tyarian.co.ukWelfare Rights Advisers Cymru - www.nawra.org.ukWelsh Refugee Council - www.welshrefugeecouncil.org

The future –

Brave New World?

• Respond to austerity

• Work in collaboration

• Demonstrate our resilience

Deliver for our clients