About Us
Who are we?
Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West (CASSW) has been part of the local community since 1939. We provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone and campaign to improve the policies that affect people’s lives.
We’re an independent charity and part of the national Citizens Advice network.
This means that we are one of over 300 Local Citizens Advice Offices based in local communities around the country. In total, the Citizens Advice Service has helped 2.8 million people across the country in person, by phone or web chat. Together with our national association, Citizens Advice, we are the Citizens Advice Service.
We can all face problems that seem complicated or intimidating. At Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West, we believe no one should have to face these problems without good quality, independent advice. That’s why we’re here: to give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem.
We’re here to support the people of south and west Staffordshire which is why we have offices in Stafford, Cannock, Rugeley, Stone and Codsall. We also run outreach services in various locations across the county. We are currently working to extend our outreaches and establish increased access through our digital services.
Our services are delivered by 49 paid staff and over 30 dedicated volunteers, who collectively help us to deliver a wide range of services.
Our Funders and Partners
Partnerships are vital to the work that we do at Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West
We are proud to work with a variety of partners across different sectors who all provide invaluable support for the work that we do.
Click on our partner logos below to find out more about them and their work:
Stafford Borough Council are the local authority responsible for the county town of Stafford and surrounding areas.
Cannock Chase Council is a local authority in the south of Staffordshire serving over 100,000 residents living in the towns of Rugeley, Cannock and Hednesford, and the large communities of Brereton and Ravenhill, Bridgtown, Heath Hayes, Norton Canes and Rawnsley. It covers a significant part of the popular Cannock Chase National Landscape.
South Staffordshire District Council is a local authority which covers the south Staffordshire region encompassing areas such as Codsall, where their main office is located, and surrounding areas such as Bilbrook, Brewood, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Himley and Featherstone to name just a few.
The Money Advice & Pension service (MaPS) are an arm’s-length body, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, with a joint commitment to ensuring that people throughout the UK have guidance and access to the information they need to make effective financial decisions over their lifetime.
The Henry Smith Charity aims to bring about lasting change to people’s lives, helping them to benefit from and contribute to society. We achieve this by funding organisations that work with people to reduce social and economic disadvantage.
The Midlands Partership NHS Foundation Trust are a regional NHS trust with their main Headquarters based at the St George’s Hospital in Stafford. They offer a wide range of NHS services including physical and mental health services across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire; adult social care services and drug and alcohol support services to name just a few.
We give advice to millions of people
We’re part of a network of independent charities that offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.
When we say we’re for everyone, we mean it. People rely on us because we’re independent and totally impartial.
Last year, Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West helped 11,167 people through our mainstream services, dealing with 31,727 different issues.
See our Annual Review 2022-23 for more information.
We make a difference
Last year the Citizens Advice Service helped to solve the problems of 8 in 10 of the people who we gave advice to directly. 9 in 10 said that the Citizens Advice Service had helped them find a way forward and 9 in 10 would recommend us to a friend.
Our service saves society money. In 2018-19, advice the Citizens Advice Service delivered across the country saved the government and public services at least £435 million – that’s £2 for every £1 spent on the service.
We speak up for our clients
No one else sees so many people with so many different kinds of problems, and that gives us a unique insight into the challenges people are facing today.
With the right evidence, we can show big organisations – from companies right up to the government – how they can make things better for people.
We see how problems can be linked. By helping people with the underlying cause of their problems and making sure they don’t get worse, we save the government and public services hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
Equality & Diversity
Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West (CASSW) is committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture for:
- all those who need our services
- our volunteers
- our staff and
- other stakeholders
We recognise the positive value of diversity; promoting equality and fairness, and challenging discrimination.
We welcome our legal duties not to discriminate as a service provider and an employer. We aim to go beyond the narrow scope of legislative compliance and follow best practice – making equality, diversity and inclusion a fundamental part of all our activities.
We recognise that people with different backgrounds, skills, attitudes and experiences bring fresh ideas and perceptions, and we wish to encourage and harness these differences to make our services more relevant and accessible .