COMMUNITY HELP AND ADVICE INITIATIVE (CHAI)
Most advice provision has moved to telephone only and most staff are working from home. We maintain a core office staff at Riverside House and retain capacity to see some clients face to face where phone advice is not an option (usually if an interpreter is required, or if it is a complex form). Support via Maximise! for Care Experience families and in 19 partners schools. Contact info below for more information:
TEL: 0131 442 1009 (Advice Service)
EMAIL: chai@chaiedinburgh.org.uk
What to Claim Coronavirus Factsheet March 20
GRANTON INFORMATION CENTRE (GIC)
As from 18 March this office is closed to the public. For appointments that are already booked clients will be offered a telephone appointment. There are a few clients that have to come in and as long as they answer a few questions then GIC are still seeing them.
All outreaches are closed (triage only) and these centres have been asked to pass on the GIC number or take a client contact number and pass it on – GIC will continue to maintain a telephone advice service for anyone seeking help. All staff will be used to dealing with telephone calls, cover for any sickness, deal with mail, essential papers that require signatures etc. and ongoing work. As GIC want to maintain a skeleton staff in the centre to deal with the afore mentioned they will be splitting the staff into teams between home working and centre based on a rota basis (in the hope that if one person becomes ill then there are others that will not have had contact with them). GIC will update any changes to the above.
Telephone 0131 551 2459 / 0131 552 0458
Email: info@gic.org.uk
CITIZENS ADVICE EDINBURGH
Citizens Advice Edinburgh are implementing similar strategies, but with multiple sites it is being managed in a staged process. Most booked appointments are transferring to phone and future appointments are being offered/booked as phone only. Drop in services are still operating from Muirhouse and Dundas, but as of yesterday Leith was closed due.
Further updates available by the end of the week.
Phone advice by advice.scot: 0808 800 9060
Appointments/CAE info: 0131 510 5510
Email: Contact@caed.org.uk
CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL ADVICE SHOP
The Advice Shop is moving to telephone only advice. They are seeking to honour existing appointments but will be contacting clients by phone to check they will attend and will offer advice by phone where possible. Their Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre provision has been stopped as the centre is now closed. There will be further updates very soon.
If other services are faced with clients in need they cannot cater for then the Advice Shop remains an option.
TEL: 0131 200 2360 (Advice Line)
E-mail: advice.shop@edinburgh.gov.uk
Website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/adviceshop
Please note information updated and correct as of 17 March 2020. Please contact relevant agencies for ongoing updates.
