CAS services to bureaux
When funders agree to support a local citizens advice bureau, they're helping local communities access a wealth of services and resources delivered through CAS.
Here are just some of the things that CAS does for bureaux. You may be surprised by just how much there is!
Expert help for bureau advisers
CAS provides a range of expert back-up services for bureaux that need help with particularly complex cases. For example:
- We provide legal support in a number of ways, using our own personnel and support provided by the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Faculty of Advocates
- The MATRICS team provide assistance to bureau money advisers in terms of both training and consultancy support
- The Scottish Housing Advisory Service (SHAS) is a joint project with Shelter Scotland to provide training to bureau housing advisers
Information for advice-giving
We work with Citizens Advice in England and Wales to write and publish AdviserNet, our web-based information system.
AdviserNet is the source of the advice given by citizens advice bureaux to their clients. For more information, download a factsheet AdviserNet here.
We also provide Scottish content for Adviceguide, the public information website for the whole of the UK. Follow this link to Adviceguide.
Information and Communications Technology
CAS is leading the way in the voluntary sector when it comes to using new technology.
All bureaux in Scotland were networked with a server and a fast internet connection in 2004. The benefits this brings include:
- CAS can provide a remote IT support service to our members
- It is easier for bureaux to update the AdviserNet
- It enables people to share resources such as files, printers and Internet access
- It enables the bureau to automate the back-up of all of its files
- All bureau workers can access Caslink, the Scottish CAB service intranet
Membership standards
The CAS Quality Assurance team makes sure that Scottish bureaux meet our 6 conditions of membership.
We audit bureaux regularly to make sure that they are meeting the high standards necessary, in both advice-giving and organisational management, to be called a CAB and access the services CAS offers. We also help bureaux meet those standards.
You can download our membership conditions here.
Promoting the Scottish CAB Service
We're working hard to raise the profile of the CAB Service in Scotland, so that:
- we can make a difference to more peoples lives through both our advice and social policy work
- we can recruit more volunteers to continue our work
- existing and future funders recognise how valuable bureaux are, and give bureaux more money to help more people
Social policy work
All Scottish bureaux provide CAS with statistics and case evidence about the clients that they see and the problems they have. This evidence is always anonymised to make it impossible for individuals to be identified from it.
CAS uses this evidence to work with politicians, civil servants and the private sector to change the way that rules and regulations work and improve the lives of Scottish people.
Find out more about our social policy work.
Supporting bureau management
Each bureau is an independent and autonomous charity responsible for its own management, development and funding.
Our Field Services team work with bureau managers and management committees to provide guidance and good practice models to make sure that the business of giving advice runs smoothly. This includes help in the critical areas of volunteer recruitment and fundraising.
Training
CAS provides a training programme for bureau staff that is renowned in the voluntary sector and beyond. We cover all sorts of topics related to the delivery of advice and the management of bureaux.
From training in employment tribunal representation to an introduction to computing, we've got it covered.
Quality of advice is crucial. Our competency-based Adviser Training Programme helps set standards of advice-giving by supporting and developing our volunteers to become competent advisers through a staged, flexible process. Throughout their time in the CAB, advisers deliver the level of service that theyre qualified to.
We are a SVQ Award Centre too, and support bureaux in the delivery of SVQs locally for bureau workers seeking this external accreditation.
Around 35% of the volunteers that leave the CAB Service go on to paid work or full time education. We know that the knowledge, skills and confidence our volunteers gain through their training in the CAB are key factors in making this possible.
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