Citizens Advice Cheshire West

Who we are

We are a locally focused charity with over 100 volunteers and employees covering the whole of the Cheshire West area.  We provide free, impartial advice and information on a confidential basis for wide range of issues to our local community and are the largest independent provider of generic advice within the district.

We provide advice and information on a range of issues including employment, benefits, housing and debt. We offer a comprehensive service of information, advice, advocacy and representation, as well as working actively for change in the policies and practices of organisations that impact on the lives of the people we work with. 

Through our daily interaction with residents from Cheshire West, we have an in-depth understanding of the issues local people are struggling with and we use our data and insight to tailor our services so that they help address the needs of local people. 

We recognise that problems don't just happen in isolation, but can have a severe effect on people's lives. Solving them helps to stop these situations escalating. The wider impact of advice (what we achieve as a result of solving problems and providing support) is just as important. Four out of every five people we work with said that our advice helped improve their lives. 

Having a problem can adversely affect a person's mental or physical health. 70% of the people we help say they feel less stressed and 46% say their physical health improved. This is also true for people with existing health conditions who require additional support from health services. 57% said they were better able to manage their condition after coming to us. 

Our culture and values

The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

The service aims:

• To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
• To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives

Our vision   

• To be THE go-to charity for advice & support in Cheshire West

Our mission

• We advise, support and empower people to improve their lives

• We are accessible and known to all for the best, impartial advice

• We influence policy for a more equal and inclusive society

Our values

• We care about what we do and the people we work with

• We champion justice, fairness and equality

• We adapt to keep pace with a changing world

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

Our aim is to provide “impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities”, irrespective of who they are and what background they are from. We encourage all staff and volunteers to welcome diversity, to respect the individuality of each person and value their contributions.

Everyone that uses or needs our service needs to know that we are free, impartial, confidential and independent. We want people to feel comfortable using our service, know that they can get advice when they need it and receive a good service that meets their needs.