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SWF Support: Achieving Consistency and Responsiveness in Citizens Advice Services

This resource focuses on improving the responsiveness and consistency of Citizens Advice Services when working with the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF). It explores key decision-making processes, adherence to processing times, handling missed deadlines, and considerations of national consistency versus local policy. Additionally, it delves into issues of applicant-focused decision-making, access to bank accounts, vulnerabilities, supervised spending, human rights reviews, and support for applicants seeking review. The document also suggests training for the third sector and the importance of independent second-tier reviews.

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SWF Support: Achieving Consistency and Responsiveness in Citizens Advice Services

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  1. Working with the SWF Donald Proctor Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service

  2. Responsiveness • Crisis? What Crisis? 2 day decision time for CGs • LAs prioritising very urgent cases? • Processing times in Regs or Guidance? • Key that times are adhered to and applicants not left without support • Prompt remedy for missed deadlines

  3. Discretion • National Consistency v Local Policy • Fettering: DMs following Guidance or Local Policy in an “unquestioning way” • Investigation of application v Local Policy • Guidance 7.4 “each application should be considered on its own merits” • Decisions applicant focused

  4. Payment • Access to Bank Accounts • Applicant demographic – financial exclusion • Vulnerabilities counting against applicant – Substance/Alcohol Abuse • Supervised Spend v Human Rights

  5. Review • 3rd Sector support for applicants seeking review to increase numbers • Training for 3rd Sector (by 3rd Sector?) • Sample letters/templates • 2nd tier Review: Independent and Perceived to be so • IRS RIP

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