Universal Information and Advice Service

The Provider will offer a free to access, financially related, Universal Information and Advice service that is available to all residents of Cheshire East. The service will be accessible through a number of channels including face to face, telephone, email and online. As residents are regularly presenting with complex needs that cover multiple issues, there will be a clear single pathway to access the service to ensure that residents needs are assessed appropriately. Following initial contact, the Provider will assess the resident’s issue(s) and if the issue is straightforward and can be dealt with during the initial contact they should do so, if not they will then offer further appointments to provide more time to resolve the resident’s issue(s). Referrals received from referring partners will need to be triaged and prioritised to support those in greatest need first. The universal information and advice service will: “Provide timely, impartial and high quality support to residents in Cheshire East that require independent, financially related advice and information.” Overall aims and purpose of the service • Cheshire East Council is committed to building financial resilience and inclusion by supporting some of the most vulnerable residents in the borough, and the wider challenges that they may be encountering. • The Provider will provide a financially related Universal Information and Advice service to all residents of Cheshire East. The service will be accessible via a single point of access to ensure residents needs are assessed appropriately. The information and advice service should be: o free o independent o confidential o impartial o problem-solving o accessible through a variety of channels including face to face, telephone and online. • The service will help those accessing the service to clearly understand information, secure their rights and support them to make informed decisions about any financially related issues that they may have. • The service must be available and accessible to those in greatest need and appropriate for people with a physical disability, mental health problems or a learning disability. The service should prioritise residents with the highest level of needs. This will include residents that have been referred by the Council’s adult social care team, benefits and housing teams. • The service should locate its main provision in the two main towns of Crewe and Macclesfield, with outreach delivery in the eight care community areas and make use of the Connected Community Social Franchise centres, libraries and relevant partner locations