How to use our service
Routes to advice
We all have our preferred methods of communication. To make sure that we’re accessible to anyone and everyone, we’ve made sure that there are a number of ways people can access our services.
Accessing information online
For some, the thought of speaking to a stranger face-to-face about our issues can be quite daunting, or perhaps coming into one of our local offices isn’t a viable option. Whatever your reason, we’ve made sure that that there are plenty of ways to access our service without having meet someone in person.
The Citizens Advice Website
If you prefer to tackle things on your own, the Citizens Advice website has a wealth of in-depth information on anything and everything and is available 24/7 for you to go through in your own time. This website is maintained and updated daily by trusted experts so you can rest assured that the information is accurate and reliable.
We are big believers in empowering individuals to make there own choices and take issues into their own hands, but if you ever need help finding information on something specific, understanding the information that is on the website or if you have any questions, there’s a helpful webchat available that will put you in contact with an available adviser.
Emailing us
If you don’t have the time to trawl through our massive online advice database for the information you need, don’t fret - just send us an email! Our email advice service is fantastic way of getting tailored advice for almost any query. Our response time is up to 5 days (maybe longer during busier periods) and we recommend including as much detail about your situation as possible. The more information we receive, the more accurate and reliable our advice will be. You can even send us pictures, videos, and scanned documents.
This is a really effective way of getting precise information and guidance on most issues, but if your situation is more complex or an emergency, we may recommend you use our Adviceline or come into one of our offices.
Adviceline
Our Adviceline is available between 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays) and our advisers will be there to listen to your query, offering advice on your next steps. Our number is free from mobiles and landlines and is usually busiest at the beginning and end of the day and during busy periods you may have to wait up to an hour.
If you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say using Relay UK: 18001 then the Adviceline number. You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone and there’s no extra charge to us it. Find out how to use it here.
Talking to us in person
We have 8 offices and numerous outreaches across the whole of Norfolk so that we are accessible to as much of the county as possible. You can find out where and when your local office is operating on this page. If you prefer to speak to someone face-to-face or you have been asked to come in for an appointment, here is what you can expect.
Triage - Drop ins
All our offices have a time where anyone is welcome to drop in for assistance without an appointment. Our receptionists are trained to provide assisted information and advice at the front desk for most queries so don’t feel that your issue has to be urgent or ‘serious enough’ to come into an office.
However, if your issue is urgent or does require more attention, our receptionists will refer you to an available volunteer adviser who will be able to provide more in-depth support and guidance and may schedule follow-up appointments if necessary.
Speaking to an adviser
All of our volunteers are local community-conscious people trained in giving impartial and confidential advice. In helping you work through your issue, we aim to give you all the facts and possible outcomes of the different options available to you.
After we’ve worked through your issue and you’ve decided what you want to do next, we will offer help and support in taking your next steps. This could involve a referral to one of our internal departments for casework or specialist advice (see below), a referral to an external organisation (such as Age UK, Shleter, NCLS, etc), help in filling out forms such as PIP, or even speaking on your behalf (advocacy).
We want to empower our clients to take their next steps themselves, but if you feel unable to do so on your own for any reason, we will support you.
Our generalist advisers can help with the following issues:
Benefits
Health
Debt and Money
Consumer
Family
Relationship
Housing
Law and Courts
Employment
Immigration
You may be referred to one of our internal departments who can help with the following:
For people experiencing many, urgent and compounding issues which heavily effect their quality of living
A holistic approach to issues affecting health and well-being - only available in Norwich
For help dealing with debt and reestablishing financial security
For help with dealing with energy and fuel issues
Making a complaint
If anything about your experience with our service upset you and you would like to make a complaint, you can ask anyone at our office for a complaints procedure leaflet and it will have information on how to make a formal complaint. Alternatively, you can find a link to this leaflet at the bottom of this page under Information and Policies.
