We’re pleased to share that Citizen’s Advice Reading (CAR) have recently reviewed their Safe and Sound Good Governance Award and successfully attained a certificate for a further three years! Well done to the whole team. In this article we took the opportunity to interview Tina Stevenson (CEO) and Ian Curtis-Nye (Chair of Trustees) on their experience and what the charity has gained from this accreditation.

Tell us a little about the charity and what inspired you to get involved with the charity

CAR is part of the wider Citizens Advice network but remains a local independent charity. We’ve been in Reading for 85 years. We helped over 7,500 local people last year and the type of advice we provide is high quality and holistic including benefits, debt, housing, energy and employment.

Ian – I got involved with Citizens Advice Reading to support an organisation that helped local and often vulnerable people with advice. I wanted to learn some new skills, work with new people outside of my field and feel like I was making a difference. All of which I have been able to do in spades!

Tina – I joined Citizens Advice many years ago as a volunteer; I was a graduate struggling to find my place in the world and paid work. I loved it because it was varied, interesting,  challenging and really made a difference for people. After a varied career I came back into Citizens Advice as a CEO some 10 years ago, again finding my happy place in a service which offers great advice and help for people who come to us. It’s tough, but worthwhile  and a privilege to work with the amazing Citizens Advice Reading team. 

What encouraged you to apply for Safe and Sound?

Having external validation for what we are doing provides comfort for partners, both current and future. It was also a chance to learn something new, which is also welcome, and we did, thanks to Herjeet’s diligence and collaborative approach.

What did the process involve for the team?

We were sent a checklist and asked to provide a fair bit of information on processes, policies, training etc and shared this for Herjeet to look at and advise on. It’s a lot to find, but a good way to check that it’s all there and relevant.

What benefits can you see for your charity from going through Safe and Sound?

Governance is a key part of running a successful charity. Whilst there was comfort in what we were doing was working well, we were also able to learn some new things along the way. For example, the importance of language in policies and the need to be very explicit for processes and procedures we are using. It was also a very timely opportunity to overhaul our Safeguarding policies which are now far more comprehensive.

What were the highlights for you this year? Are there any future plans or events for the charity that  you’d like to tell us about?

Our Christmas Office General Meeting was a great opportunity to come together and review 2024 and look ahead to 2025. Some highlights from this were that we celebrated the relaunch of our generalist advice services and drop in. We were also really pleased with the success of our focus on outreach drop ins and the fact that all of this has enabled us to help even more local people year on year.

(Photo: Herjeet Vass presenting the Safe and Sound Good Governance Award certificate to Vic Latchford, CAR Head of Services, at the Reading Advice Network Forum)

Further information

• If this article has inspired your organisation to consider Safe and Sound Good Governance accreditation, take a look at our resources here. These are free of charge for local charities delivering services in Reading, kindly funded by The Earley Charity.
• Did you know that the revised Safe and Sound materials now include Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) as cross-cutting themes? Ensuring that Reading’s charities maintain a good standard of EDI in how we work and the services we deliver and we have found that this is extremely helpful when evidencing your commitment to EDI in funding applications as well as to various other stakeholders.
• If you are looking for a stepping stone approach, why not consider First Steps towards Safe and Sound. You can find out more here. Specifically designed with smaller charities and community groups in mind.
• You can find out more about our Advice Service here – a free, confidential advice service on a wide range of legal and governance topics for those running charities and community groups in Reading.
• If you have any questions, contact Herjeet Vass, RVA Advice Manager, at herjeet.vass@rva.org.uk.