Full Description
Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.
In a world dominated by austerity politics and policies, Advising in austerity provides a lively and thought-provoking account of the conditions, consequences and challenges of advice work in the UK, presenting a rare and rich view of the world of advice giving. Based on original research it examines how advisors negotiate the private troubles of those who come to Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) and construct ways forward. Exploring how advisors are trained, the strong contributor team reflect on the challenges facing Citizens Advice Bureaux in the future, where austerity will ensure that the need for advice services increase, while funding for such services declines.
Contents
Introduction ‾ Samuel Kirwan, John Clarke, Morag McDermont and Alison Kite;
Part 1;
Case study one: 'Lucy': the barriers to accessing advice ‾ Jennifer Harris;
A reflection on Case study one: the barriers to accessing advice - reflections on Lucy's story ‾ Sue Evans;
Citizens Advice in austere times ‾ Morag McDermont;
The Advice Conundrum: How to satisfy the competing demands of clients and funders. An interview with Gail Bowen-Huggett;
The shift to digital advice and benefit services: implications for advice providers and their clients ‾ Jennifer Harris;
Part 2;
Case study two: 'Laura': the effect of fees upon the Employment Tribunal process ‾ Eleanor Kirk;
A reflection on Case study two: Laura and the effect of fees ‾ Michael Ford QC;
The costs of justice: barriers and challenges to accessing the employment tribunal system ‾ Nicole Busby;
Justice and legal remedies in employment disputes: adviser and advisee perspectives ‾ Eleanor Kirk;
Precarity and 'austerity': employment disputes and inequalities ‾ Adam Sales;
Part 3;
Case study three: 'Brian': an unrepresented claimant ‾ Eleanor Kirk;
A reflection on Case study three: 'Brian' ‾ Joe McGlade;
Power and legality in benefits advice ‾ Alison Kite;
Getting from the story of a dispute to the law ‾ Emily Rose;
"Advice on the law but not legal advice so much": weaving law and life into debt advice ‾ Samuel Kirwan;
Reflections on advising in austerity ‾ John Clarke.
