Your Norfolk Advice Network case studies

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Your Norfolk Advice Network case studies

Case study 1

Adam was directed to Your Norfolk Advice Network by the Norfolk Police. He wanted advice about getting a restraining order as he was being harassed by someone. He also asked if he would be able to access legal aid if he needed it. The call handler referred him to Mancroft Advice Project (MAP), a charity that supports young people, who contacted him a few days later and booked a face to face appointment to guide him through the process of getting a restraining order.

Case study 2

Claire suffers from a range of physical and mental health conditions as the result of a brain injury. She contacted Your Norfolk Advice Network to ask for help managing her finances, claiming benefits and support with a debt relief order. She was also seeking advice about changing jobs. The call handler put her in touch with Headway Norfolk and Waveney. Headway made contact with her the following day advising her about Headway peer support groups, supported housing options and sent her health fact sheets to help her manage her health conditions. Claire now has a support network to help her manage her finances and housing. She also has ongoing contact with Headway so she can ask for more help and support when she needs it.

Case study 3

Susan works for The Citizens Service and contacted Your Norfolk Advice Network about a client, Matt, with several issues including financial worries, mental health concerns and issues with alcohol and drugs. The triage officer on the phone checked Matt's age and advised that MAP would be the best organisation to help with these issues. They also discussed the Norfolk Community Advice Network and the Norfolk Community Directory so Susan had a range of options to help support Matt with his concerns.

Norfolk Advocacy Partnership case studies

Case study 1

90-year-old Elsie was cold called by an energy provider representative who knocked at her door in the early evening. He was very persuasive and without realising what she was doing, she signed up to switch over suppliers. The energy provider also asked if he could use her telephone. She lives in sheltered accommodation but doesn't get to speak to the warden very regularly. When she contacted Age UK Norwich, she was very worried about her bills and wanted to return to her original supplier. She felt very upset by the experience.   

Our advocate explained Elsie's options to her. It was agreed that they would contact the two energy companies on Elsie's behalf. They were arranged for her account to be transferred back to the original company, with no penalty costs charged. They also talked about the possibility of helping Elsie to make a complaint regarding the switching procedures, however Elsie didn't want to pursue this as she was just pleased that the issue had been resolved.  

Our advocate discussed safety techniques with Elsie, making sure that she remembered not to open her door at night if she wasn't expecting a visitor and to be careful with any telephone calls. They also suggested that the next time she saw the warden she should explain what had happened. Our advocate gave her some 'no cold calling' stickers for her door and gave her the Age UK Information Guide, 'Avoiding Scams' so that she had something she could refer back to.

Case study 2

Chloe has a learning disability and was referred to Equal Lives by her children's social worker because her children were on a child protection plan. The process was really difficult for Chloe to understand - long written reports and long meetings were difficult for her to follow, and she found that calls from professionals made her anxiety worse. An Equal Lives advocate was able to support Chloe at meetings and give her space before and afterwards to prepare and debrief. The advocate went through documents with Chloe to make sure she understood Children's Services' concerns and advocated for Chloe's own needs. For example, she helped her to get a social care assessment. With the advocate's support, Chloe was able to make the changes Children's Services wanted to see and the case was closed to them completely. Chloe is a brilliant mum and now lives a settled life with her daughters.

Contact Your Norfolk Advice Network or Norfolk Advocacy Partnership