Advising in Austerity: Reflections on Challenging Times for Advice Agencies

by Samuel Kirwan (Editor)

Overview

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. In a world dominated by austerity politics and policies, Advising in austerity provides a lively and thought-provoking account of the conditions, consequences and challenges of advice work in the UK, presenting a rare and rich view of the world of advice giving. Based on original research it examines how advisors negotiate the private troubles of those who come to Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) and construct ways forward. Exploring how advisors are trained, the strong contributor team reflect on the challenges facing Citizens Advice Bureaux in the future, where austerity will ensure that the need for advice services increase, while funding for such services declines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447334149
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	01/01/2017
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Dr. Samuel Kirwan is a Research Associate working on the New Sites of Legal Consciousness Project at the University of Bristol. Dr Kirwan has strong links with Citizens Advice Bureaux across the United Kingdom, with other advice services in the Bristol area, and with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. He is a founding member of the Authority Research Network and regularly contributes to the blog at authorityresearch.net/blog. His publications include Space, Power and the Making of the Commons (Routledge, 2015).

Table of Contents

Notes on contributors v

List of acronyms ix

Introduction Samuel Kirwan John Clarke Morag McDermont Alison Kite 1

Part 1 Introduction John Clarke Samuel Kirwan 15

Case study 1 'Lucy': the barriers to accessing advice Jennifer Harris 17

A reflection on Case study one: the barriers to accessing advice Sue Evans 23

1 Citizens Advice in austere times Morag McDermont 29

2 The Advice Conundrum: How to satisfy the competing demands of clients and funders. An interview with Gail Bowen-Huggett Gail Bowen-Huggett Samuel Kirwan 43

3 The shift to digital advice and benefit services: implications for advice providers and their clients Jennifer Harris 53

Part 2 Introduction Morag McDermont 63

Case study 2 'Laura': the effect of fees upon the Employment Tribunal process Eleanor Kirk 65

A reflection on Case study two: Laura and the effect of fees Michael Ford QC 69

4 The costs of justice: barriers and challenges to accessing the employment tribunal system Nicole Busby 79

5 Justice and legal remedies in employment disputes: adviser and advisee perspectives Eleanor Kirk 91

6 Precarity and 'austerity': employment disputes and inequalities Adam Sales 105

Part 3 Introduction John Clarke Samuel Kirwan 113

Case study 3 'Brian': an unrepresented claimant Eleanor Kirk 115

A reflection on Case study three: 'Srian' Joe McGlade 119

7 Power and legality in benefits advice Alison Kite 127

8 Getting from the story of a dispute to the law Emily Rose 139

9 "Advice on the law but not legal advice so much": weaving law and life into debt advice Samuel Kirwan 147

10 Reflections on advising in austerity John Clarke 157

References 163

Index 169

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"An excellent, empirically-rich account of the key role played by advice agencies of different kinds in helping individuals to deal with the challenges of austerity." Rhys Jones, Aberystwyth University

"Bringing together vivid case studies and insightful commentary from 'front line' providers, Advising in Austerity is a very welcome addition to the literature on legal aid and advice." Sarah Moore, University of Bath

Editorial Reviews

"Citizens Advice Bureaux operate at the meeting point between private troubles and public issues. By considering the challenges faced by advisors and their clients, this unique book offers a chastening insight into the realities of austerity and recent social policy." David Skinner, Anglia Ruskin University

“...a short, informative read that I would recommend to all students of social policy and social work.” Social Policy & Administration, Wiley

From the Publisher

"Bringing together vivid case studies and insightful commentary from front-line providers, Advising in Austerity is a very welcome addition to the literature on legal aid and advice."

Sarah Moore

A short, informative read that I would recommend to all students of social policy and social work.

Social Policy and Administration

"An excellent, empirically rich account of the key role played by advice agencies of different kinds in helping individuals to deal with the challenges of austerity."

Rhys Jones

"Citizens Advice Bureaux operate at the meeting point between private troubles and public issues. By considering the challenges faced by advisors and their clients, this unique book offers a chastening insight into the realities of austerity and recent social policy."

David Skinner