Outside body

The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. The service aims:

• To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
• To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.

The main elements of our service are:

• general advice, provided in person in the city centre and a network of offices around the city, and through telephone advice and written enquiries
• specialist advice in five areas: benefits, debt, employment and housing and mental health - including advocacy and representation at benefit reviews and appeals, county court hearings and industrial tribunals
• referrals to other agencies when necessary, including Trading Standards, and free interviews with accountants and solicitors
• advice in some Asian languages as well as English
• a home visiting service for people with disabilities or others who are housebound
• services for people with mental health problems and travellers
• social policy work through regular local liaison with a range of agencies, participation in the Citizens' Advice Bureau service's national work and joint working with other relevant agencies

The Bureau are also open for telephone advice on Mondays to Fridays from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. (Telephone 0870 120 2450).