Irlam and Cadishead's Citizens' Advice Bureau 1981

Cadishead and Irlam Guardian 1981

 

 

IT'S FIRST YEAR

 

 

Irlam and Cadishead's Citizens' Advice Bureau has dealt with more than 2,400 inquiries since it opened a year ago. Bureau organiser, Mrs Marian Snook, now heads a team of 10 which includes deputy Mrs Norah Johnson and nine voluntary part-time workers.

 

 

During the year, Mrs Snook has been made only too aware of Irlam and Cadishead's ever growing unemployment problem. She and her team of advisers have tackled many of the problems which have arisen through redundancy particularly the problems of those involved in the Gardner's dispute.

 

 

"A large percentage of our clients are unemployed. We have dealt with family and personal problems which arise when a person, who has been made redundant, is around the house all day or because of a shortage of cash. We have had many inquiries about job release and early retirement schemes and from disabled people who have been made redundant," said Mrs Snook.

 

 

SATISFIED

 

 

Recently the bureau started visiting disabled and hous-bound people at their homes to give them advice. They also meet members of the disabled group at Preston Hall, Irlam, to check they are receiving benefits they are entitled to. Mrs Snook intends to visit occupants of the town's sheltered housing in the near future.

 

 

Mrs Snook said "I am well satisfied with the way the bureau is operating. Each day's work reinforces my belief that there is a great need for a Citizens' Advice Bureau in an urban area like Irlam and Cadishead.

 

 

"At first the inquiries received were of a superficial nature and it seemed that perhaps local residents were not plagued with the deep-rooted long term problems that I come across in other areas.

 

 

The way we work, within strict bounds of confidentiality, does not seem to inspire trust, and as the year has progressed we have found that as well as the employment supplementary benefit, consumer, housing and other matters, we are being approached more and more on very personal and monetary matters."

 

 

Where necessary and with a client's permission, the CAB liases with statutory bodies such as social service, social security, housing, probation, police, courts and local Councillors and claims to have "an excellent relationship with them all.

 

 

Workers at the branch are trying not to limit the dervice to straightforward advice-giving or signposting, but will draft letters for clients, make phone calls and from this month, refer suitable cases to a free rota solicitor scheme.

 

 

TRAINING

 

 

"Our voluntary workers have had a heavy workload over the year and each has undergone a lot of ongoing training to keep them up to date with the copious amounts of legislation which has been passed throughout the period," said Mrs Snook.

 

 

"Often clients will say 'I don't know if you deal with this, or, I don't know if I come to the right place'. Our answer is that we always try and help or advise on any subject. Many people seem to feel better after talking the problem over with a worker, even if there is no action or solution to be found. After all a trouble shared is a trouble halved, so they say."

 

 

It is Mrs Snook's ambition for the future to install ramps at the CAB office at 604 Liverpool Road, Irlam, for disabled people in wheelchairs who encounter difficulties getting into the office.

 

 

Although a shortage of funds restricts this idea at present, Mrs Snook hopes to get temporary ramps in the near future.

Done