Free advice line makes it easier to seek help from Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice Cheshire West is moving their services into local community venues.

Chief executive Jason Bishop said: “The Covid pandemic has changed the way clients access Citizens Advice support and we have seen a large increase in telephone and digital.

"As a result we have introduced a free telephone service and email advice to make it easier for clients to contact us.

Jason Bishop, chief executive Citizens Advice Cheshire West

"As a district with a large rural area, we see the provision of a telephone service as being an essential part of increasing accessibility to advice.

"However, we also recognise the difficulties that some clients have in accessing our service and the fact that some clients and issues just need to be seen face-to-face.”

Staff from the Northwich office are moving to community venues because their current location on Meadow Street isn’t suitable for social distancing.

An access point will be opened at the foodbank in Northwich when it is safe to do so.

Staff from the Northwich office on Meadow Street are moving to community venues

Jason added: “Dedicated Community Access Points (CoAPs) will be safe and confidential places where people can use our services in a variety of ways.

"This could be as simple as using a telephone at the venue to call our free adviceline, or it could be by having a pre-arranged face-to-face appointment with one of our staff or volunteers."

"CoAPs can enable people to have a video appointment and they will often be places that our clients already go to for other support (such as foodbanks or community centres, or schools).

Citizens Advice will offer a service from Mind  in Winsford

"Our ambition is to have an access point in every council ward in Cheshire West & Chester.”

Citizens Advice Cheshire West will retain Wyvern House in Winsford as their head office and will be keeping the interview room space they have there.

With agreement from the council, they will be able to offer a three day per week limited drop-in assessment service from this location when it is safe to do so.

Exactly how they deliver their services from the access points depends on a number of things.

Firstly, the government’s roadmap out of Covid. At present, the advice is that everyone should work from home if they can and this is not due to change until June 21.

At all times, they will take the safety of their staff, volunteers and clients into account, and carry out appropriate risk assessments before restarting in-person services.

Residents can contact staff at any time on a free adviceline on 0808 2787 806 or by visiting advicebyemail.org.uk

For more information about current Community Access Point venues visit citizensadvicecw.org.uk/news/community-access-points.