Natasha Parker on working together, nationwide

As a charity with 59 bureaux across Scotland, we’re often asked if each Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) gives the same advice.

For example, if you have a problem with your rent, would you get the same advice in Dumbarton and Dalkeith? What about in Edinburgh or Ellon? Simply put, the answer is yes.

Each CAB is an independent charity, run by a local board and staffed by local people. This means that each CAB has its own character, its own friendly faces, and lots of local knowledge.

This insight into challenges at a community level allows advice to be tailored to the people in each town or city in Scotland - an immense strength of our network. The information gained from these interactions also helps to inform Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), using the information as evidence to advocate for change.

None of this could be done without our team of experts working to ensure that the information our advisers use is up-to-date, accurate and targeted towards finding the best possible outcomes for people. By having this knowledge to hand, local CABs can deliver this often life-changing advice and really help people across our communities.

One of the tools we use to provide this information to all CABs is an online resource called Advisernet. Updated daily, CABs can access information on everything from benefits and housing to fuel poverty and debt, helping them to provide the highest quality advice to anyone walking through their doors.  

Creating and maintaining this resource is an enormous challenge. I’m proud to be part of the team that works to provide this resource at such a high level of detail and accuracy. The Digital Advice Content team constantly monitors legislation, and policy changes and updates the advice as needed. We also work closely with colleagues in Citizens Advice England and Wales to make sure that any UK-wide advice is correct for Scotland. 

Unfortunately, the number of cases our CABs receive continues to rise with thousands of people coming to us in crisis. The issues are complex and rarely fall under one category. That’s why our teams work tirelessly to write information for each advice topic in a way that’s clear, accessible and meets the needs of advisers and people across Scotland.

From turning legal language into information that’s easy to understand, to making sense of complex benefits, our CAB network wouldn’t be the same without the consistent delivery of accurate and clear advice.

Thanks to the efforts of CAS and local CABs, advice is delivered across Scotland to the same high standard, no matter your postcode.

Hopefully by giving a small glimpse into how the network works, I’ve shown that there’s more to giving advice than simply giving advice. And to be part of the network doesn’t mean you need to have a background in law or understand the benefits system inside out.

It’s about a networked approach where our expert writers and researchers, our advisers and volunteers work together as a team to provide life-changing advice for thousands of people each year. And who knows, maybe this will inspire you to contact your local CAB and find out how you too can get involved and help in your community.

Natasha Parker is digital advice content team manager at Citizens Advice Scotland.

This column was first published in the Herald www.theherald.co.uk