Citizens Advice Gateshead

Citizens Advice Gateshead is a long-established and progressive charity which provides free, confidential and impartial advice to people who live and work in Gateshead. Since 1957 we have enabled Gateshead people to take control of their lives; through our charity, no matter what problem they are facing we have helped people to find a way forward. 60 years on, in 2017 alone we provided free advice and information services to almost people, resulting in tangible social and economic impacts, including over £7 million directly into the pockets of Gateshead people. The scope of our generalist and specialist advice, information and advocacy services is extensive, spanning- Welfare benefits including Universal Credit- Housing and homelessness- Money advice and financial capability- Support for people in crisis- Advice for parents and carers of children undergoing treatment for cancer- Advice and support for people experiencing dementia- GP outreach services- Support and advice for people experiencing mental health problems. As well as being supported by long-standing partners such as the Local Authority, NHS/CCG and Legal Aid to deliver services in Gateshead, over the past couple of years we have been contracted to deliver national digital/telephone-based information and advice services on behalf of BEIS and MOJ (through national Citizens Advice) for Consumer Service Helpline, Witness Service National Contact Centre and the National Citizens Advice Adviceline. This has broadened our experience and bolstered our confidence, so we are now ready to take our next step - to explore new opportunities in aligned sectors such as social housing, health, energy/utilities, financial, family, criminal justice. We are spear-heading this approach through our trading subsidiary which is currently undergoing an exciting transformation, to build on the success of our already highly acclaimed 'Job Law' employment law advice, casework and tribunals service.