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[our aims] [foreward by the chair] [the national picture] [an overview of thurrock citizens advice bureau]
[staff & volunteers 2007/2008] [volunteering and the citizens advice] [the schedule]
[debt advice] [welfare benefits and tax credits advice] [advice on housing issues] [advice on employment issues]
Annual Report 2007/2008:
An Overview of Thurrock Citizens Advice Bureau
Location and Resources
Since 1975, Thurrock CAB has been located in Grays, one of the UK's twenty-five most deprived boroughs.5 The bureau has one main site and seven outreaches, which operate regularly from two GP's surgeries, Surestart, two libraries and a community centre.
We are funded primarily by Thurrock council, but also have contracts with the Legal Services Commission and Financial Inclusion Fund, which pay for three specialist money advisers in our main office plus welfare benefits and housing advice caseworkers. 18 volunteers and 14 paid staff deliver our service. We estimate the total economic value of the unpaid work of our volunteers, including the trustee board to be £97,775 per year.6
Helping our clients and serving the community
Thurrock CAB advised 4,089 clients in 2007/08, of which 95% came from Thurrock borough. The bureau advised more than 3% of the population of Thurrock in the year.
Clients presented over 20,000 issues, of which 63% concerned debt and / or benefits. Of the clients we surveyed that had benefited financially following advice, the average gain was £3,200 six months after advice was given (either in debt written off or benefits gained). Many clients reported outcomes beyond the financial benefits including better health, less stress and even improvements in their relationships.
We carefully monitor our clients' satisfaction with our service; the feedback we receive is vital to our planning process. In 2007/08, 95% of clients were satisfied with the service they received. 92% said they would use us again and 98% said they would recommend the bureau to a friend. Key stakeholders are also surveyed annually. Data from April 2007 suggest that the majority of local services questioned (for example, Jobcentre plus and key Local Authority services) felt that Thurrock CAB reduced their administrative burden.
5 Ranked by the Audit Commission in the lowest quartile for population that is unemployed, population that is income
deprived and ranked in the top 25 employment deprivation. Data drawn from: http://www.areaprofiles.auditcommission.gov.uk/
6 Calculated using salaries of equivalent roles from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2006. Available at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE_2006/tab2_5a.xls
Thurrock CAB Annual Report 2007/2008
 Download the full annual report 2007/2008 (PDF 274kB)
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