Welfare and Debt Advice & Information Service

The provision of an effective, high quality, value for money Welfare benefits and debt Information and Advice Service that is responsive to the needs of the Wigan borough population. Our preferred model will be for a lead organisation to develop a consortia/collaborative approach to delivery. The successful Service Provider must have the capacity to deal with upwards of 15 500 enquiries per year, predominantly via telephone and face to face contact but also have the ability to utilise other techniques such as(website, joint booking system, email, skype). All elements of the service must be delivered in line with nationally accredited quality standards where appropriate e.g. Advice Quality Standard (AQS) and Citizens Advice membership. The Service Provider must be able to demonstrate they have a minimum of 5 years' experience of providing a comprehensive advice service covering, as a minimum, welfare benefits, housing and debt, within a large Local Authority area. Any Service Provider who is unable to demonstrate this experience will not be considered further. The Service Provider must deliver a service that is flexible and able to adapt to changing demand caused by legislative and policy changes as well as demographics and level of need. The Service Provider must deliver an effective and efficient service to manage demand and to improve the customer experience, dealing with enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible, ensuring the need to refer to other organisations is minimised. The Service Provider should have the capability to assist clients with digital inclusion - helping them to get on-line including applying for benefits. The Service Provider must ensure systems are in place to ensure the provision of the service during periods of staff absence due to sickness, holiday or other reasons. The service should be delivered by a team of experienced advice workers with 70 % of paid staff having at least2 years' experience.