Norfolk Community Advice Network (NCAN) first took shape in the late 1990s but despite commitment from members had no dedicated staff or resources to achieve its aims or meet the aspirations of its member organisations.
In September 2008 the Network received funding from the Big Lottery Fund Advice Plus Programme so the Norfolk Community Advice Network Project was able to commence a year later. The project has created the opportunity to revive and strengthen the Network and to improve partnership working that will help to focus the work and resources of local legal and more general advice agencies to meet the needs of Norfolk residents, particularly those most disadvantaged by a lack of high quality, timely advice.
The Network consists of approximately 40 agencies across Norfolk from the voluntary, public and private sectors covering the full range of social welfare law subjects.
They are led by a Steering Group, referred to formally as ‘the Partnership’. The organisations represented on the Steering Group are
Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS)
Shelter Eastern Counties
Age UK Norwich
Norwich & West Norfolk CAB
Diss and Thetford CAB
Yare Valley CAB
North Norfolk CAB
NCLS as the lead partner is the recipient of the funding, and is responsible to the Lottery for the management and delivery of the Project in the terms of the Partnership Agreement and the Business Plan.
Aims and Outcomes of the project
The Three Outcomes are:
Outcome 1 By working together to improve referrals across the network, train together and share best practice, the ratio of successful outcomes to legal matters started each year by the partner agencies for clients who would otherwise face real disadvantage will improve by 10% by the end of the project based on baseline figures collected in Year one.
Outcome 2 By the end of the project research carried out by NCAN will inform the planning for, and delivery of, legal and other advice services in Norfolk by at least one commissioner, six funders and 20 providers so that those services are adequate, appropriate and accessible to the people who most need advice to deal with their problems and improve their lives
Outcome 3 Over the life of the project Norfolk Community Advice Network will engage with a minimum of 3 beneficiary groups, identified through research as being particularly disadvantaged, to ensure they receive timely and effective legal and other advice to enable them to deal with their problems and improve their lives.
The Four Aims of the Network are
Aim 1 - Build a strong, effective and inclusive network of advice agencies in Norfolk
Aim 2 - Improve the planning and resourcing of social welfare advice, information, advocacy and representation to meet the needs of Norfolk residents particularly those who would otherwise face real disadvantage.
Aim 3 – Improve and maintain the quality of the social welfare advice, information, advocacy and representation delivered in Norfolk
Aim 4 – Enhance the contribution made by advice agencies to strategic objectives both locally and nationally in the areas of social inclusion, tackling poverty and other disadvantage.
The Four aims are underpinned by specific measurable Objectives and Activities. Please see the rest of the website for more about these.