Issue - meetings

The Board received a presentation from Mr Hitash Patel, from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), regarding activities that the Organisation was delivering in Halton.

He introduced CAB as an independent organisation set up as a Charity in 1949.  They specialised in providing information and advice to assist people with legal matters, benefits, debt, consumer matters, immigration, housing and homelessness, employment and employment training, budgeting and child protection.  He tabled a leaflet for Members information that gave a summary of the services and provided some key statistics in relation to their clients.

            It was noted that the CAB was a free, confidential and impartial service that was delivered primarily by highly trained volunteers, many of who went on to paid work either with CAB or in the wider community. 

Mr Patel discussed the most requested services and gave examples of how a person often presents with one problem that might lead to another.  He also discussed the excellent partnerships CAB had with Halton Borough Council, Halton People into Jobs, the CCG and the Food and Hygiene Banks.  Mr Patel had also highlighted that the CAB was fortunate to have received European Social Funding in the past, and more recently Covid winter grants from the Council, which had helped enormously.

Further to Members questions, the following information was also noted:

·         The service was always oversubscribed which led to a wait time for staff to reply to clients;

·         The phone line was a Freephone Service;

·         CAB had identified office space in Runcorn so that this office could reopen in the future; and

·         Approximately 40 staff in total currently worked at the Bureau.

On behalf of the Board the Chair commended the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau in the Borough.

 RESOLVED:  That the Board notes the presentation and action points.