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1 ADVICE ACCOLADE FOR GOSPORT CAB
Volunteers and staff at Gosport Citizens’ Advice Bureau have been awarded a rare accolade for the quality of their problem solving advice.
The parent organisation, Citizens’ Advice, audits the quality of advice every three years, and the Gosport bureau has received the unique distinction of three outright passes in a row.
The confidential audit process involves a random independent check of the bureau’s case records, and pinpoints the accuracy and thoroughness of the advice given to the bureau’s clients.
An outright quality of advice pass covering a period of nine years puts Gosport in the top ten per cent of CAB’s throughout the country.
Bureau manager, Phil Carter, said:
“This is a fantastic result and has been achieved thanks to the ongoing hard work of our volunteers and staff, coupled with their untiring commitment to helping the people of Gosport.
The result is even more remarkable when you consider that we are now seeing almost a third more clients than this time last year. This was made possible following the introduction of a fast track advice service, known as ‘Gateway’, and a new telephone advice line which operates in conjunction with Fareham bureau.
We appear to have achieved quality and quantity at a time when more people are requiring our help as a consequence of the ‘credit crunch’.”
2 NEW BUREAU MANAGER
The following appeared in the March 2008 issue of Gosport Borough Council’s ‘Coastline’:
“Under new management
After 15 years at the helm, Sara Pennells has handed over the reins of Gosport Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) to new manager Phil Carter.
His management experience in both the private and voluntary sectors saw Phil managing the CAB in Carlisle before returning here to his local roots. To unwind he enjoys listening to music and practising his cooking skills - greatly appreciated by his wife, Sarah!
CAB, which provides free and confidential help and advice on debt, council tax, family breakdown, employment, housing and immigration, currently requires volunteer trustees to join their Trustee Board. Trustees ensure the bureau is adequately staffed and resourced, maintain financial controls and use their expertise to assist the management in delivering an efficient service. They also contribute to the governance of the bureau, so typically should be good organisers with business, committee or management experience.
In return they can expect to play a role in setting bureau policy, overseeing operations and monitoring the effectiveness of the service.
For information or an informal chat contact Chair of Trustees Richard Thomson at Gosport CAB, Martin Shape House, Pavilion Way, Gosport.Tel: (023) 9252 01 12 or email gosportcab@lineone.net.”
For further details see Sara Pennells and Phil Carter (Word documents - or if you prefer these are also available as Adobe Reader portable document files at Sara and Phil). An attached press release was also issued in November 2007 and an article appeared in The News (Portsmouth) on Sat 10 November.
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