What service do we offer to our clients?
KCABS deals with an average of 104 clients per week. The main enquiry areas are Debts (30%), Welfare benefits (25%), Housing (13%) and Employment (8%). Other areas for enquiries are legal matters, immigration, family and relationship issues, health and related matters.
Our volunteer advisers work an average of two days per week and it takes about 12 months for them to be fully trained to the exacting standard which is required. We support clients in a range of ways, from listening and giving information through to representing them in courts and tribunals.
During the year we have made good progress on our targets for service delivery which include:
* Develop further and maintain our Information Centre to provide self help materials for clients.
* Continuing to develop our Advice Support Worker role to maximise our use of volunteer time spent helping clients.
* Developing and running an in-house training programme from information gathered at annual appraisals with all staff, so that our staff team is always up to date and equipped to do their work.
* Keeping our quality assurance standards – so that clients can be reassured that the service they receive is the best it can possibly be.
Working towards safeguarding the future of our service to clients, we have also:
* Continued to develop our partnership and local liaison work, including the referrals network, the Advisers Forum and the newly formed Kingston Information and Advice Alliance (Kiaa) which will provide better services for clients through working together, increasing funding opportunities through partnership working and give a stronger voice for campaigning locally by raising concerns together.
*Our “placement scheme” with a variety of local schools whereby 16 year old students come and work in the office for up to two weeks, to see what is involved in running our charity.
* We have worked in schools and in community groups on Financial Capability – helping people to understand basic budgeting and other financial matters, so that they do not fall into debt, or if they are in debt, they can resolve their problems
* Furthermore we have established a Housing Clinic for clients to see specialist housing caseworkers, which has been really important in the current economic climate where many more people’s face or fear facing losing their homes.
To do this, we have made sure that we have a sound understanding of the wider operating environment both for the advice sector and the voluntary sector generally and have worked to ensure that all development work for KCABS is in the context of the changing environment, safeguarding the future of our service to clients.
Download our KCABS summary 2011