Babergh residents will now have greater access to services – after the official opening of a new Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) kiosk at a local council.
Babergh District Council will host the kiosk in the reception area of its Hadleigh offices which has been funded through a £5,000 grant to the CAB through its Community Grants scheme.
The new public-access, interactive advice kiosk, which is a result of strong partnership working between Sudbury and District Citizens Advice Bureau and Babergh, will be officially launched by Cllr Jennie Jenkins, Babergh’s chairman, later today (24 Nov).
Residents who want advice and information on a variety of matters – from debt to housing and employment issues – will be able to use kiosk instead of travelling to a local CAB surgery or talking over the phone.
Cllr Jennie Jenkins, Babergh’s Chairman, said: “The kiosk will be a great asset to the local community. Giving access to Citizens Advice information, as well as all public services, it will filter out straightforward enquiries and free up valuable time to deal with more complicated issues. Staff will be on hand to assist people if they need help to use the kiosk.”
Ann Furlonger, Sudbury and District Citizens Advice Bureau manager, said: "There's a real need for Hadleigh residents to access helpful information.
“Our clients sometimes have to wait to see a volunteer adviser, or seek advice when the drop-in sessions are closed. The kiosk will certainly fill this gap.
“It will also be very useful for people wanting to 'bid' for housing in connection with Babergh’s Choice Based Lettings scheme too. “
The kiosk will allow access to the touch screen for wheelchair users as well as providing enough room for Babergh staff to assist a client or for two people to use the advice kiosk together - but not enough for curious onlookers to see what a client is accessing.
Jeremy Osborne, Chairman of the Sudbury and District Citizens Advice Bureau, added: “The kiosk will enable users to access information on matters such as legal advice, welfare benefits, debt, housing, health, employment issues, consumer rights and family matters.
“It provides a free online service to complement the experienced face-to-face advisers at the CAB's Newton Road bureau in Sudbury.”
The touch screen with its large buttons meets accessibility guidelines and provides a portal to many and various information based websites. A printer is connected to the advice Kiosk allowing clients to print out information as they wish. ENDS
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