About Us
Aims and Principles
Citizens Advice North Somerset offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information. Our service is for people living and/or working in North Somerset. If you live outside of North Somerset, you can find your nearest branch here.
We are one of the country’s most progressive and dynamic advice services. Operating from drop in advice centre, dedicated telephone advice and a range of outreach locations, employing approximately 55 paid staff supported by 43 volunteers.
We are a member of the Citizens Advice network which provides an extensive online information system used to advise clients and also sets the standards of advice, training and equal opportunities for our offices. Citizens Advice also helps people at national level by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers.
The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination.
Our twin aims are to:
- provide the advice people need for the problems they face
- improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives
Complaints and Feedback
Details of our complaints policy and how to complain about a service you have received us.
Quality Assurance
We provide a quality service for everyone:
- our clients and their communities
- our staff (paid and voluntary)
- our partners and funders.
We deliver this through our advice services, our research and campaign work, our equality and diversity work and our training provision.
The Advice Quality Standard demonstrates that our organisation is easily accessible, effectively managed and employs staff with the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of our clients. The Specialist Quality Mark demonstrates that our organisation is well run and able to offer excellent client care. It is also a requirement of our Legal Aid Contract.
Trustees
All Citizens Advice local offices are independent charities, governed by their own board of trustees, who are ultimately responsible for leading the organisation and deciding how it is run.
Day-to-day control is delegated to the Chief Officer. Trustees are responsible for:
- Setting the overall direction and supporting development
- Ensuring CANS meets the needs of the local community and the Citizens Advice membership standards
- Employing staff and controlling finances
- Earning and retaining the respect of important and influential people and organisations in the community, including funding bodies
- Ensuring the office complies with relevant laws.
Our History
We were delighted to be awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2019 which enabled us to research the history of Citizens Advice in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset.
This resulted in an community exhibition at Weston Museum showcasing our 80 years since 1939. Our findings will be kept at the Somerset Archives in Taunton and will be accessible to the researchers of the future.
Our Annual Reports
We are proud of the difference we are making to the lives of people in North Somerset. Please take a look at our Impact Reports which are shared annually in our AGM.