Representatives of Sevenoaks & Swanley CAB and Edenbridge & Westerham CAB

The Chairman welcomed Martin Wells and Angela Newey, Chairman and Manager at Sevenoaks & Swanley Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), and Mike Musgrove and Jill Eyre, Director and Manager at Edenbridge & Westerham CAB. Martin Wells gave a presentation on behalf of both bureaux. He emphasised that the two bureaux worked closely together and with Gravesham and Tonbridge and Malling bureaux to reduce costs. As they provided a wide range of services the CABx could provide holistic solutions to customers for any underlying problems they faced. He believed that the CABx provided a £500,000 yearly return to the District from the investment the Council put in. The CABx had a 90% success rate in cases they took to tribunals.

The representatives of the CABx responded to Members questions.

The Vice-Chairman enquired whether they had relationships with local law faculties to bring law students in as volunteers and whether the increase in fees for employment tribunals had a significant impact on the number of cases taken forward. Angela Newey considered that a link with law students would be very helpful but most sought experience in east London or other perceived-challenging areas. The number of employment tribunal cases had fallen as the CABx could provide advice but not the fees.

A Member asked what trends the CABx noticed in their work and whether outreach offices stretched their resources. Jill Eyre advised there was an increase in work around medical assessments for the Employment and Support Allowance. Outreach offices were principally set up using Big Lottery funding but the CABx hoped to make the offices sustainable by eventually using only volunteer staff in them.

Another Member asked whether the move of the Swanley office to the Swanley Gateway would remove some pressures as voluntary groups would be acting together. Martin Wells advised that the existing building was shared by the DWP and the Swanley Foodbank, but this move would create further opportunities. Almost all customers were given a telephone appointment before meeting with an advisor and so also this reduced pressures on the first contact meeting.

Martin Wells had calculated as £23 the cost of the CABx per customer, excluding any monies spent on capital expenditure.

Some Members asked about comparisons between their service and the Council’s HERO project. Martin Wells thought there were some overlaps between the services but they continued to work closely with the HERO project. The representatives added that the CAB trained advisors for six to nine months and the CABx were audited every three years to ensure they met national CAB standards.

A Member asked what joint working the Swanley office did with the Dartford CAB. Martin Wells saw the benefits of Gravesham, Dartford and Swanley offices working closely and the improved performance of the Gravesham branch allowed them to contribute more to the customers in Swanley.

The representatives commented that if grants or donations were reduced then this would negatively impact service. However closure was not an option but there would need to be changes to staff structures including a reduction in staffing numbers which would result in fewer services being delivered. The service could apply for specific project funding but the core funding, as provided by the Council, was essential.

A Member asked what the criteria were when deciding where and when to deliver new outreach sites. Cost and locations based on need were always a priority and the availability of suitable community venues. Recently the CABx had been offered the library in Hartley on Mondays and had been in discussions with Westerham Town Council to move back to the town later in the year.

Martin Wells clarified the benefits from the CABx joining the national umbrella, including the brand, the IT systems and regular advice updates. Occasionally the national organisation failed to meet expectations, such as the Advice Line telephone service, which the bureaux replaced by using the same system as the Tonbridge branch.

The Vice-Chairman asked whether solicitors provided pro-bono assistance to the CABx. He was advised that Sevenoaks had relationships with firms who rotated every two weeks across the year.

The Chairman thanked the CAB representatives for attending the Committee.