Developing Access To Advice

Developing Access to Advice is one of the 8 work streams of the Working Together for Advice (WTFA) project funded by Big Lottery Fund and includes representatives from Citizens Advice; AdviceUK and the Law Centres' Federation. Youth Access, Age Concern and the Advice Services Alliance are also represented on the Workstream Board which directs the work of the Access Workstream. The Access workstream has three aims:-

• to improve clients' initial contact with advice services
• to ensure that disadvantaged people can access advice services
• to improve referral arrangements between advice organisations

The Challenge

The information we have collated from research and the experience of advice services suggests that we may be able to improve clients' experience of using advice services by improving access routes (the ways in which clients contact advice services) and intake systems (the procedures advice use to assess clients' enquiries). Most advice agencies rely upon public funding (generally from local authorities, the Legal Services Commission (LSC), BERR) to deliver their services and now have to juggle the requirements of their funders with the demands of their clients.
 
The challenge now facing many advice services is how to manage access to advice services (their own and those of other local suppliers) within the limits imposed by existing resources. The Access workstream aims to devise and test models of access which will help advice agencies to make the most effective use of their resources and to offer the best possible service to their clients.

A Model Access System

Our research and consultations to date have helped to describe an ideal model of access for clients. The main features of this model system of access would be:-

• a variety of access routes to encourage take-up by groups of people who are not at present well served by advice services (such as young people, disabled people, many BMER communities)
• intake systems which can quickly assess the client's problem and identify what action needs to be taken and by whom
• methods of allocating work within the advice agency which make the best use of everyone's skills and knowledge

The Pilots

During 2010, we shall be testing three separate components of this ideal access model with approximately 10 advice agencies. The three models we wish to test are:-

• 1. Making Reception Work - ensuring that reception staff have the knowledge and resources they need to direct clients to the most appropriate source of help

Aim
 
We want to improve the client's experience of initial contact with the advice agency before the stage at which s/he receives advice. The focus will be on the role of reception staff in helping callers to obtain information and self-help materials and in directing them to the most appropriate source of help. Reception staff will be trained to understand the remit of the agency; how to identify urgent matters; how to make effective referrals to other sources of help.

• 2. Developing Community Partnerships - creating partnerships between advice agencies and community groups in order to improve access to advice by disadvantaged groups

Aim
 
We want to improve access to advice services for disadvantaged individuals and communities who do not generally use existing advice services. We know that many people approach organisations which serve their particular communities rather than traditional advice services when they have legal problems. This pilot will focus upon fostering a relationship between the advice agency and at least one local community organisation (called the partner agency) which is used by the group to be targeted.

• 3. Managing Demand - helping advice agencies to provide a clear definition of the services they offer and to manage the flow of work through the agency

Aim
 
We want to help advice agencies to manage the demand for advice and to deal effectively with clients' enquiries and cases. Many advice agencies report that they are overwhelmed by the demand for advice and that this often leads to long waiting times, delays in clients receiving advice and increased pressure on reception and advice staff. We realise that capacity to meet demand depends largely upon resources and funding, but we think that many agencies may benefit from a review of the ways in which they assess clients' enquiries, allocate work among advisers and manage referrals to other suppliers.
All advice agencies participating in this pilot must also undertake pilot 1. They may choose to undertake pilot 2 in addition.

What will you gain from taking part?

The aim of the pilot exercises is to test and refine methods of improving access to advice services. The pilots focus upon enhancing the efficiency of intake systems; managing the work generated by clients enquiries; devising workable referral systems. The access models developed as a result of the pilot exercises will ultimately benefit the entire not-for-profit advice sector and help to ensure the survival of advice agencies in an increasingly competitive procurement environment.
 
Staff from the Access workstream of WTFA will provide help and support you to:-

• Assess and review existing methods of promoting and publishing the service
• Refurbish your waiting area - to enhance opportunities for callers to obtain self-help information materials
• Audit the skills and experience of your staff - reception, administration, advice and management
• Establish a referral partnership with a local organisation in order to improve access to your services by a given client group

and will:

• identify any training needs
• Collate and analyse data about the take-up of your advice services
• Improve procedures for assessing clients' enquiries and managing the flow of work through the agency

In addition, your staff, paid and voluntary, will receive free training in areas such as:-

• Reception and client care skills
• How to recognise and deal with discrimination enquiries