Joint working praised at the Senedd

A ground-breaking partnership between the Council and Citizens Advice Denbighshire has been hailed as an example of good working practice during a session at the Welsh Assembly Senedd.

Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Denbighshire, Lesley Powell addressed the Senedd to mark the launch of Fairness For All, a national report which looks at the relationship with local authorities and partner agencies.

Five years ago, Citizen Advice Denbighshire and the Council forged a closer working relationship and arranged regular meetings  to discuss council tax debt collection, with the aim of producing more positive outcomes for clients.

Since that time, the organisations have put a referral system in place for those needing money advice.

Lesley Powell said: “I was delighted to be given an opportunity to address the Senedd about the good work going on between Citizens Advice and Denbighshire County Council.

“Five years ago, Citizen Advice Denbighshire started a series of on-going meetings with the Council to discuss council tax debt collection.

“The Council’s team recognises the vulnerability of some clients at an early stage in the process and withholds action to recover unpaid council tax. The benefit of this way of working is that the team is more aware of local issues and has a better working relationship with existing debtors.

“The Council is also prepared to introduce payment options which provide clients with a greater opportunity to manage their money better, one example being a weekly payment option. This is a great help and provides some peace of mind for those individuals worried about how they are going to meet the next payment.

“I’m delighted that our joint working has resulted in such a positive outcome”.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “Over recent years we have really strengthened our working relationship with Citizens Advice in Denbighshire, with the aim of supporting clients who may find difficulty in paying their Council tax.

“From the outset, we have worked to remove barriers, gain a greater understanding  of how both organisations operate and develop a closer working relationship. Key to its success was the fact it had been initiated and led by senior management in both organisations.

“Having recognition at a national level is a testament to the great amount of work that has gone on to help residents”.