Managers View of the Future

With the installation of the new Temporary Accommodation, we will have more space and be able to recruit more advisers. The effect this will have will mean that the current advisers will not be under so much pressure to see more and more clients. We will also be able to expand our telephone advice service times, plus if funding is forthcoming we will be able to introduce e-mail support. The latter being an increasing medium for advice and support.

The temporary accommodation is also important from the point of view of providing advisers with the necessary space to write up clients case details, as before the introduction of CASE, all case sheets were hand written and therefore working space could be shared between two or more advisers. With the introduction of CASE a PC has to be used, and by definition needs more space.

The introduction of CASE means much more than the electronic recording of details, it opens up a whole new way of service delivery. This is something that we will explore over the forthcoming year. The sort of initiatives we are currently intend to explore are remote advice delivery, as with the use of a laptop and a telephone line, the full electronic services are on hand. Another initiative is the use of advisers working from home and delivering on-line advice using new medium. Even though this is possible and would make some in-roads in to the problem of social exclusion, we must be careful not to add digital exclusion to the list, therefore at all times we must keep asking ourselves the questions," What does the client want?"" What does the client need?"" How do the clients want to access our services?".

With not only Citizens Advice going through lots of changes, but other public bodies changing as well, there will be many opportunities to form partnerships to achieve common objectives. One such major change is the court services amalgamating to become body known as the Court Service. What I am keen to explore is the expansion of our County Court helpdesk project expanding to incorporate the magistrates court.

In summary even though the past year has been a year of change, and the forthcoming year will mean adapting to these changes, there will be new challenges and opportunities all of which must be fully explored, but, we must not get distracted from what we are here for ………………the client.

Annual Review 2003-4