How we work

Drop-In Sessions

We have four drop–in sessions a week where no appointments are necessary. We do not have a sit and wait your turn system as this can be long and stressful, especially for those with health problems or young children with them. Instead all callers are straight away given an appointment to return later on that same day. Thus we are seeing callers throughout the working day. We aim to deal with your enquiry on first contact, however if the matter is too complicated we may arrange a further appointment for you. We will always deal with very urgent or emergency needs on the same day. We advise that you come early as there are a limited number of appointments available each day and they get booked quickly.

Please note that as we are operating on a tight appointment schedule if you return late for your appointment you risk not being seen at all and will have to return another day.

As a result of the large demand for our service, we work as follows:

(a) We promote ‘self-help’ so that more clients are advised how to help themselves where applicable. .
(b) We do not do routine form filing unless there are exceptional reasons (we will help with all disability benefit forms and if there are language or literacy issues)
(c) Consumer enquires are referred to the consumer advice service provided by the local authority. Their contact number is 0208 4963000. Ask to speak to a consumer adviser.

Appointment Services

Appointments are made when callers have been seen by an adviser at a drop–in session.

WE CANNOT MAKE APPOINTMENTS AT THE FRONT DOOR WHEN WE ARE CLOSED. PLEASE DO NOT RING THE DOORBELL FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Except where there are mobility problems we are normally unable to make appointments over the telephone. This is because we have a limited number of appointments which are used up by the number of personal callers each day. Appointments take place within a fortnight of their arrangement. Staff have a range of language skills (including Punjabi and Urdu) and interpreters can sometimes be arranged.

Telephone Advice Sessions

Most telephone enquires are dealt with in a single call. The demand is very great so please try again if you cannot get through.
Alternatively those with touch-tone phones can opt for our automated telephone information service. *All telephone advice or information calls cost 8p per minute peak time or 4p per minute off peak (after 6:00 p.m. and weekends).

Letters and Home Visits

You can write to us with your query. We also offer home visits to those who are disabled or for other special reasons cannot visit us.

Electronic advice

At present the Bureau does not have the resources to give advice by email or fax. Besides accessing our automated telephone information service (see above), you can also visit our web site on www.walthamforestcab.org.uk. This web site gives further details of our service, plus links to other useful Internet advice services.

What are we doing when we are closed?

We are actually still open and working very hard!

1. We are busy seeing other clients.
As you will see from our opening times we have a large number of appointments running all day on most days. So if you cannot see an adviser immediately it is because they are often busy seeing callers who have pre- booked appointments.

2. We are doing the follow–up work
A large proportion of the people who come to see us have complicated problems that need detailed casework. We need time to actually do the work on your behalf that result in your problem being sorted out. i.e. do the research, speak to consultants, write the letters and make the phone calls. If we were open all the time we would not be able to do any of this work and our service would only be about telling you what to do yourself. Whilst we encourage self- help wherever possible, there are some problems that do need our specialist knowledge and intervention. All our client satisfaction surveys tell us that there is a preference for us to be able to provide detailed assistance where it is needed. Thus some non – caller contact time is necessary in order to deliver this important and valued part of our service.

3. Accurate record keeping.
For every interview, telephone call, letter, contact with a third party that happens a corresponding record needs to be made. Given the number of people that we help some time needs to be found for these records to be written. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can chose to do this simply by telling the adviser interviewing them.

Accreditation

Walthamstow CAB has been audited by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau and has met all it’s criteria to become a Citizen Advice Bureau. It also has a General Help Quality Mark and a Specialist Quality Mark in Welfare Benefits and Immigration from the Community Legal Service.

Your views

We are trying to develop our service. If you have any ideas or suggestions to improve the way we work, please let us know. We promise to take all suggestions into account when we next review our service provision.