Projects

Glasgow Advice and Information Network (GAIN) - 0808 801 1011

www.gain4u.org.uk

Citizens Advice Direct have been awarded the contract for the Glasgow Advice and Information Network (GAIN) helpline, to provide free impartial, confidential advice on money and associated legislation, welfare rights, housing and employment, until 2012.  The service is available from 12pm til 8pm Monday-Friday and 10am til 2pm on a Saturday.

Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS) – 0845 231 1010

In December 2006 Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS and Citizens Advice Bureaux launched the Independent Advice & Support Service (IASS).

CABx in this area assumed a new role in providing advice and support to the public including support for patients and carers with complaints and/or concerns about the NHS service and provide independent health related advice.

The public can access the service through a central telephone line where they can obtain information about the service, and if necessary an appointment can be made for them to be seen at their local bureau.

Bureaux staff delivers information, advice and support with specialist caseworkers undertaking those cases where ongoing negotiation/in depth casework is required.  The consortium presently has three part time caseworkers.  The caseworkers are based in a bureaux located in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde and operate a peripatetic service throughout the designated area. 

Kinship – 0808 800 0006 

The Kinship Care project is in collaboration between Citizens Advice Bureaux, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) and the Scottish Government (SG). The aim of the project is to deliver advice and information to Kinship Carers (kinship carers are family and non family member who look after children either on an official basis or unofficial social work placement) on Local Authority payments and assistance on how these payments affect current benefit claims as well as a benefits checks.

 

The public can access the service through a central telephone line where they can obtain information about the service, and if necessary get further assistance from their local bureau.

EST

The package is a joint project between the Scottish Government (SG), the Energy Savings Trust (EST) and Citizens Advice Direct, and is designed to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland. Clients contact EST regarding home insulation, free central heating etc and once they have gone through the process, EST will check against a Citizens Advice Direct set criteria to see if the clients need a benefits check. If so, the client’s details will be submitted to Citizens Advice Direct for an advisor to contact them, for a benefit check. For more information go to www.energyassistancepackage.com

 

Comic Relief

This project is a network of 13 established, Scottish helplines. Each helpline invited to joint this network has been carefully selected based on the specialist information and support they can provide which directly relates to the most common types of abuses experienced by older people.

The aim of this project is to

·        Increase the awareness of what constitutes the abuse of an elderly person, amongst our helpline staff/volunteers.

·        Enhance and build on the capacity of these existing helplines to deal with and provide information on elder abuse.

·        To improve partnership working, information sharing, signposting, referrals and interagency training.

One Directory

Redress/Thompson Solicitors – Providing a generalist advice service to the clients who have had a personal injury claim and require further assistance.