Agenda item

Annual update and presentation from Citizen’s Advice Service.

The Chair invited Ms Peta Mettam, Chief Officer, Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service, to present the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service annual update. Ms Mettam then gave a slide presentation.[1]

In response to questions by Members of the Committee, Ms Mettam provided the following information.

a)    There was no national league table of Citizens Advice Services as each service was an individual limited company and charity with the services provided by each service being determined by the resources available and the needs of the community.

Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service (“the Service”) provided a high level of face-to-face services. There was a rolling audit of the services provided by Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service which was compared with a national standard for Citizens Advice Services, as well as being marked on the quality of the advice provided (Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service having been given a Green rating for the last 12 months in a Red Amber Green (RAG) rolling rating system).

b)    Last year, Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service received funding of approximately £535,000 of which £300,000 was contributed by Three Rivers District Council. The second largest fund was a charitable contribution of £120,000 over a three-year period. With rent rebates, the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service received approximately £285,000 from Three Rivers District Council.

[Ms Mettam stated that she would provide a copy of the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service accounts to the Council].

c)    Since Covid, the way in which the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service managed its telephone advice service had changed and the service was now part of the Herts Advice Line. Statistics in relation to telephone calls to the Service were received from Herts Advice Line which included the number of telephone calls which the Service had not been able to answer.

[Ms Mettam then provided details on the operation of the telephone advice service, the services provided by Herts Advice Line, and the number of calls received by the Herts Advice Line and the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service].

d)    Language barriers were something that advice workers did encounter, and the Service was signed up with “Language Line” which could be used when clients used the Service’s drop-in service or when they telephoned the Service. Presently, several calls a month were made to “Language Line”. There was also a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter available who was hosted by Hatfield.

The Chair asked that the slides used by Ms Mettam in her presentation be posted on a Council webpage and that Members be notified where they could find the slide presentation on the Council website.

The Chair noted the difference that the Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service made to the lives of local residents. He asked Ms Mettam to convey the thanks of the Committee to the staff and members of three Rivers Citizens Advice Service.

In conclusion, the Chair noted that there had been a reduction in the number of volunteers at the Service. Accordingly, he proposed that Members of the Committee encourage any persons who might be suitable candidates for volunteering with Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service to put their names forward.

Ms Mettam stated that volunteers, because of the cost of training, and to be cost-effective, were requested to make a commitment of at least one day or two half days a week for a minimum of two years if they wished to volunteer for the Service.

NOTED