Data Explained

Notes to support and explain our report data

Information Assurance

Citizens Advice Gateshead is committed to ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all our sensitive data assets which are maintained to a level that is consistent with the requirements of our clients, our funders, and our strategic partners.

Citizens Advice Membership

Citizens Advice Gateshead is an independent local charity which is proud to have been providing free independent and impartial advice, information, and guidance for over 60 years. We have grown to be one of the biggest providers of Citizens Advice services nationally, with annual turnover approaching £5.1m and employing almost 200 staff and 30 volunteers.

Over the past 5 years we have extended our face to face and digital services regionally, and digital services are now also well-established nationally delivering almost half a million digital contacts a year in addition to supporting over 19,000 people annually in Gateshead, handling almost 82,000 local advice issues; our skilled and dedicated team is committed to helping people to know and understand their rights and responsibilities across the full expanse of social welfare issues including housing, money and debt, welfare benefits, employment, family and health.

We actively campaign on concerns facing the local population such as fuel and food poverty, and we provide specialist support in response to clients’ individual needs and circumstances including mental health and long-term illness such as dementia and cancer. Our impact has been significant, improving people’s lives often in immeasurable ways, but also tangibly delivering hard cash.

We highly value our long-established affiliated membership of the Citizens Advice network, as one of almost 267 independent charities across the UK. The Citizens Advice service is the UK’s largest provider of free advice for members of the public. We have an absolute commitment to the people we exist to support, and to the staff, volunteers and partners who are devoted to achieving our vision of a fair society for all, with lives well lived.

To ask questions about this report or to find out more about the service please contact:

Judith Wood-Archer, Service Delivery Director - judithw@citizensadvicegateshead.org.uk

Data Reporting
A welfare benefits enquiry can range from advising on eligibility for a particular benefit to assisting a client to make a claim or challenge a Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) decision. We have enclosed reports from our case management system, giving a detailed breakdown of statistics for this reporting period. The activities show the number of actions recorded on behalf of all clients during the reporting period and issues show the range of advice topics we have provided advice on. We have also provided statistics showing financial outcomes for the service. Citizens Advice Gateshead is committed to ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all our sensitive data assets which are maintained to a level that is consistent with the requirements of our clients, our funders, and our strategic partners.

How we record income gains

• Any lump sums received, e.g. from a specific grant or a successful backdating request; and
• The total amount payable of any benefits gained on behalf of our clients, limited to the money due in the first year of the award alone.

For example, a client paid a backdated payment of £575 followed by weekly payments of £50 would be reported as ‘benefits gained’ in the sum of £3,175 (£50 a week for 52 weeks, and the backdated payment of £575)

Quality Assurance

• Cases are checked in line with the AQS Advice Quality Standard. The AQS Advice Quality Standard is awarded by an independent group of experts focused on quality within the advice sector. By receiving this award, we have demonstrated that we reach the highest standards of organisation, information, knowledge, and experience.
• ISO 9001 Quality Mark registered. Our ISO 9001 award evidences our commitment to improving our processes, our time management, and our communications, reducing errors, and delivering a high-quality, customer-focused service.
• ISO 27001 Quality Mark registered. ISO 27001 is the internationally recognised Standard for Information Security. Achieving this certification demonstrates that we have appropriate systems and security controls in place to protect information and data, whether this is online or offline.
• We use a bespoke case recording system called Casebook. Casebook includes several safety features, which improve the security of client records and produce high-quality management information.