Coventry CAB was one of the first bureaux in the country to be set up at the outbreak of war in 1940. Today, the bureau helps around 8,000 people deal with more than 18,000 issues a year. Primarily, the role of the bureau is to advise people on their rights – this can include employment, consumer, housing or relationship, but in the current climate, is largely dominated by debt and benefits-related enquiries.

An equally important area of our work is social policy, whereby we use evidence gathered to lobby for changes in policy in order to benefit the wider community. Regulations regarding doorstep selling and the introduction of free ATM machines in deprived areas are just two of the way in which Citizens Advice has used evidence to campaign for change.

The service given is free, impartial and confidential, and maintains the highest standards of breadth, depth and accuracy.  Volunteers undergo a comprehensive training programme with the aim of providing the necessary skills to perform the advice role as well as other voluntary roles within the bureau.

Salaried “Caseworkers” provide advice in the specialist areas mainly through the service at the City Centre Bureau. Coventry CAB currently employ 8 Debt Caseworkers and 1 specialist Welfare Benefits Caseworker. The service also has 5 paid advisers who deliver a dedicated outreach service.

The Trustee Board is made up of independent volunteers who have overall responsibility for the governance of the Bureau, which is a company limited by guarantee as well as a charity.  The Trustee Board meets at least once every two months; the various sub-committees appointed by it meet monthly. The day-to-day management of the Bureau is delegated to the Chief Executive.

Coventry City Council core-funds the Bureau, but in total the bureau is funded by around 10 different streams of income including the Legal Services Commission, Central Government and Coventry Primary Care Trust. The acceptance of funding from organisations does not influence our independence in being able to act on behalf of a client “against” that organisation.

Like all Bureaux, Coventry is a member of Citizens Advice, the national body.  The Bureau has considerable autonomy, but to remain a member of Citizens Advice, it must adhere to the quality standards and policies and principles of that body.