Citizens Advice Bureau - Annual Review 2025/26

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS As more advice is being sought on immigration matters, we have enrolled two staff members with the Immigration Advice Authority for specialist training in competence to level 2. The course covers much more complexity than level 1. When qualified these staff will provide more comprehensive advice to service users and support other staff on enquiries at that advanced level. We hope to upgrade our computer system in the coming year. In 2026/27 funding from the Glasgow City Council will be redesigned and overseen by a new company called Glasgow Advice Partnership somewhat replacing the less formal Glasgow Advice & Information Network. The CAB will be one of the advice providers. With additional funds from Glasgow Helping Heroes our outreach provision there will increase to full-time. The bureau’s Articles of Association will change to form a single-tier governance. VOLUNTEERING Volunteering is at the heart of the service. Although a challenging role, it is varied and rewarded by the satisfaction of improving lifestyles and realising achievements. It has vast learning opportunities, training, gaining or improving confidence, use of systems and improving employability. Mostly volunteers engage to become general advisers, but some prefer other duties such as reception, administration, IT and social policy. Prospective advisers, if accepted, follow a programme leading to advice giving or other preferences. In some cases, qualifications can be awarded. Some go on to become tutors, team leaders or specialists in certain subjects or case checkers, even a combination of these. Many past volunteers have succeeded to prominent positions in the city and elsewhere in the UK, for those who are retired or otherwise not seeking paid employment volunteering in the CAB provides an interest, camaraderie, expansion of knowledge base, further insight into the diversity of life and a great sense of purpose. 43% of the volunteer staff force who left had secured employment, resumed further education, retired or for personal matters. FACTS FROM CORE SERVICES WORKLOAD MEASURES 1. Signposting: 1.1% 2. Listening Ear: 1.3% 3. Information & Advice: 45.2% 4. Negotiations outside: 51.7% 5. Representation: 0.7% (Legal papers only) NEW AND ONGOING ISSUES Number of issues new clients brought to the bureau and its outreaches broken down as: Social Security Benefits: 7,831 Immigration, Nationality & Asylum: 1,218 Consumer Goods & Services: 175 Legal: 420 Debt: 998 Relationships: 141 Employment: 797 Tax: 1,317 Financial Products: 514 Utilities: 424 Housing: 994 Other (Health, Education & Travel): 1,055 Total: 15,884 ENGAGEMENT New clients 8,772 Cases 10,462 Total contacts 15,884 TOTAL CLIENT FINANCIAL GAINS (where known) £3,489,991.27 COUNCIL TAX DEBT ENGAGEMENT realised £111,902.56 TOTAL DEBT MANAGED £978,045.74 OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Experience from working in the bureau gives an excellent basis for training to enter or return to the workplace. Each year many students are recruited as volunteer advisers who later secure gainful employment after graduating. The face-to-face element supersedes any textbook. Other young people actively seeking work increase their prospects of employment from the benefit of volunteering in a wide-ranging and intense business. It often leads to prestigious and well-paid work in or out of this sector. In the last year three of our volunteers secured employment within the bureau itself. Four of our Outreach Workers (paid) left for employment with the Glasgow City Council. For law graduates working in the bureau often leads to traineeships with firms of solicitors. Many past young volunteers return to express their gratitude for the training and experience gained which helped them into their new employment and the start of their working life