Why helping more people can be as simple as crossing the road

How the Witness Service in Coventry found relationships are what make collaboration work

Citizens Advice helps people find solutions to their problems. That means being there where and when people need us. It also means being inventive about how local services provide advice.

Giving evidence as a witness can be an intimidating experience. The process of going to court is often complicated and difficult to understand. That’s why the Witness Service provides practical information to witnesses as well as emotional support.

Citizens Advice started running the Witness Service in 2015. In Coventry, the Witness Service and the local Citizens Advice are on opposite sides of the same street.

We know that when people give evidence and are supported by the Witness Service, they often have other problems their local Citizens Advice can help with.

In 2016, Coventry Magistrates Court provided some space to Citizens Advice Coventry. They began to offer sessions on benefits, debt and other issues witnesses might have. But it soon became clear this was confusing for witnesses.

Witness Service volunteers support witnesses on trial day while they are preparing for court in the waiting room. This is when witnesses are busy reading the statements they are about to present as evidence.

Trial days can be stressful and often aren’t the best time for witnesses to get help with their other problems from Citizens Advice. The court building isn’t necessarily the best venue either.

Relationships gave our people the confidence to work together

David Gregory is Court Team Leader for the Witness Service at Coventry Magistrates Court. He worked for Citizens Advice Coventry for 17 years — moving over to the Witness Service in August 2016.

David always crossed the road at the end of his day and to visit Citizens Advice Coventry. He realised having an understanding of what each service does is essential for volunteers and staff. If they were aware of the experience someone would have ‘across the road’ they would be more likely to make referrals — helping more people fix their problems.

David worked with Joanne Adams — Head of Core Services at Citizens Advice Coventry — to put the right processes in place for collaboration. They learned that if you don’t build relationships across the service we offer to people, it simply won’t work — “If you actually know the people it makes things much smoother” Joanne says.

They also wanted Witness Service volunteers to have the confidence to make referrals to colleagues at Citizens Advice.

“The Witness Service doesn’t advise,” says David. “The volunteers are trained to listen but not necessarily to ask — whereas a Citizens Advice adviser has a duty to get to the bottom of that case. We had to empower our Witness Service volunteers to ‘put on their listening ears’ and question whether they could help find solutions.”

Is there anything else I can help you with?

It worked. Earlier this year the Witness Service worked with a prosecution witness testifying against their former partner. The volunteer working with them explained the Witness Service is part of Citizens Advice.

The witness revealed her partner was withdrawing child maintenance payments to pay his solicitor’s fees. She worried about managing her household on a reduced income.

The team referred her to Citizens Advice Coventry. There, advisers told her she could get child support and explained how she could receive it. They also gave her advice on saving money on energy and helped her apply for a discount on her water bill.

A client came to Citizens Advice Coventry who had dispute with a neighbour over anti-social behaviour. They were able to press charges and get support from the Witness Service when they came to court.

The Witness Service has now referred more than 35 people to Citizens Advice Coventry. That’s a small number — but it’s a big difference in people’s lives.

Witness Service teams and local Citizens Advice across England and Wales are thinking about how they can work more closely. If you want to know more about this work, email gina.perkins@citizensadvice.org.uk