Family Issues

What We Do

All our members provide free, independent, confidential advice and support to any member of the public. The advice services provided range from generalist advice, self help information packs and advice helplines, case workers who can support you and provide short-term assistance for ongoing issues or specialist advice and representation for more complex and legal issues.

What advice can I get?

We can advise you on all aspects regarding the family, including:

I have a problem and want to speak to someone

Our members have experienced advisers who will listen to your problem to see how we can help you.

The adviser may be able to help you resolve the problem straight away, or if your problem is complex, you may be referred to a specialist legal adviser.

All the advisers will always try to help you resolve your problems as quickly as possible

Find your nearest free, independent and confidential advice centre or alternatively you can select the Citizens Advice basic information and advice site, Adviceguide.

What happens during an interview with an adviser?

Advice will be given in a private and confidential room at the centre or if you chose to call, over the telephone.

The adviser will gather information from you to identify your problems, taking notes. Please take along with you any relevant paperwork, such as court papers or letters you have received from the benefits office or creditors, as this will help the adviser to be clear about your circumstances.

A typical advice session

The adviser will identify possible solutions and/or options which you can choose to pursue. Our service is about empowering people and providing guidance and information on action you can take.

The adviser will explain to you the implications of each solution identified and they may recommend you see a specialist adviser (sometimes known as a caseworker) as your situation may be quite complex. If this is the case, the adviser may book an appointment for you or refer you to a specialist advice provider. Please be aware that specialist advice services provided by our partnership members are also free and appointments get booked up very quickly so please let your specialist adviser know in advance if you are unable to attend and wish to re-book.

All of your personal details are kept on a strictly confidential database and this allows us to continue advising you in the future should you return. Please understand that your information will only be seen by other advisers and specialist case workers (if a referral is made) who are relevant to your case or a case supervisor who may review your record to ensure you received all of the correct information. If you wish you can make an anonymous enquiry – you will be treated in exactly the same way, the advice and options will not be any different.

All of our partnership members retain statistical information for training and monitoring purposes and this information will also help to assist each Centre apply for future funding which will allow for the continuation of free advice services to the community.

Self Help Links

If you need advice urgently and these services are not available right now, there is a range of advice available from other national and local agencies on the internet.