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Threat to citizens’ advice services we have enjoyed for 35 years
• THE chair of Camden CAB Trustees, Benet Brandreth, has stated (Letters, November 5) that he has “no idea where the figure of ‘50 per cent cuts in both management and paid staff’ comes from” and that trustees are “not aware of and have never promoted or discussed” such a plan.
At present at Kilburn CAB, there are seven experienced paid staff working with approximately 20 adviser volunteers to see the 9,000 people who call at the bureau each year.
The trustees have informed us that the restructure will reduce this to 3.5 paid staff to work with an increasing number of trainee volunteer advisers.
This plan will mean casting aside a huge proportion of the rich experience which paid professional staff bring to the volunteer/paid mixture and which is so productive in meeting clients’ needs.
It seems the main consequence will be to abandon the approach whereby CAB workers tenaciously challenge public and other bodies in order to solve callers’ problems.
When the proportion of experienced staff to new trainees is so reduced, the most likely outcome will be a CAB service which provides, in practice, little more than signposting, referrals to other agencies or self-help.
We feel that this proposed plan fails to offer a sufficient degree of service to the public.
It appears to have ignored the view of experienced staff and volunteers who are hands-on at work within the bureau on a daily basis.
The arrangement has been structured with accountability to no one, be it staff, volunteers and most importantly, the public, who have had no involvement or input into what would be a drastic change to an institution that has been on Camden’s high streets for 35 years.
VALERIE ADAMS
VALDETTE PALMER
HASSAN ADEN
VERA PECK
KEVIN BARTLEY
SUSHILA SNELL
SALLY CHERUBINI
CATHERINE UTLEY
CAROLYN GOLDHILL
CHARLOTTE WISEMAN
LINDA LEW
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