ADVICE
Overall Purpose:
The Advice Thematic Group serves as a collaborative platform for various advice and information agencies within the VSCE assembly. Our primary objective is to facilitate the sharing of best practices, resources, and knowledge among member organisations. We aim to enhance the quality and reach of advice services across Northamptonshire, focusing on a wide array of topics including but not limited to Debt, Housing, Homelessness, Benefits, Immigration, Student Advice, Energy/fuel poverty and Equalities.
Key Priorities:
Knowledge Sharing: Regularly convene to exchange expertise news and updates both on the local and national scale.
Wellbeing: Conduct wellbeing check-ins to support members, especially as the current cost of living crisis takes its toll on all of our services. This reinforces the notion that as a member, you are not alone.
Resource Pooling and Collaboration: Identify opportunities for sharing resources like training materials, research, and working together on more significant projects.
Influencing: Collaborate to identify trends and advice needs locally and give a unified voice to influence policy changes and/or funding.
Recent Highlights - Monitoring of statistics around housing possession proceedings in light of the Renters Reform Bill, recognising the high demand for housing advice but being reassured locally we are not seeing a significant increase in no-fault evictions. It will be monitored.
Forward Agenda
Matters Arising from Previous Meeting
Wellbeing Check In
Organisation Update
Themes/Trends
Links –
https://www.communitylawservice.org.uk/
https://www.accommodationconcern.co.uk/
https://www.restorenorthampton.org.uk/
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/northamptonshire/
https://www.nctrust.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.adviceuk.org.uk/
Contacts
Sarah Hayle s.hayle@communitylawservice.org.uk
Pat Coomber-Wood pat.coomber-wood@cawnac.org.uk