Impact Report 2024-25

Our vision

Everyone can face problems or challenges at some point. Good advice and effective advocacy are empowering. They help to give people agency and control over their own lives. We recognise that some people, because of their circumstances or the impact of the problem or the discrimination they face, need more help to achieve the best outcome.

By providing free, confidential and independent advice and advocacy services we aim to help individuals, families and communities have the knowledge, expert support and confidence to solve their problems. And we are particularly driven to ensure the most marginalised people in Sheffield can access our services.

We are committed to supporting and enabling a strong infrastructure around advice and advocacy and aspire to a city where, no matter where someone seeks support, they receive accurate information and guidance and, if needed, a seamless referral to our expert advice or advocacy.

We have defined four overarching objectives to enable us to deliver our vision:

Make advice and advocacy accessible to those who need it the most – working flexibly, with a range of partners, and with a focus on ending disparities in access for marginalised groups.

Put the voice of those with lived experience at the heart of everything we do – including and valuing the views and expertise of those who use our services.

Use and strengthen our influence to help shape wider services and support for the most vulnerable people in our city and campaign for change locally and nationally.

Continue to build our position and reputation as the lead local provider of quality independent and impactful advice and advocacy, trusted by the people of Sheffield.

Introduction from our Chair and Chief Executive

Welcome to our 2024/25 Impact Report. As ever it provides an important opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the work that Citizens Advice Sheffield does in our city.

Life can be unpredictable and any one of us might find ourselves in need of advice or advocacy. A sudden change of circumstances due to job loss or family breakdown. A serious illness or health condition which in turn impacts your income or your ability to work. When these things happen we’re here to help you navigate your way through uncertainty and, all too often, complexity. We’re an independent and impartial organisation and aim to provide an inclusive service that is welcoming to everyone who needs our help and expertise.

Advice and advocacy don’t often make the headlines. Usually our staff and volunteers are supporting people behind the scenes, the work they do is rarely high profile. But by empowering people to tackle their problems it can be genuinely life-changing. You’ll read several stories in this report of individual people we have supported with information, expert advice, in-depth casework and advocacy to ensure their views are taken into account. It can only ever be a snapshot given the many thousands of people we work with every year but it serves to demonstrate just what a difference our staff and volunteers make. We hope you enjoy it.

With best wishes,

Debbie Mathews

Chair

Sylvia Ward

CEO

In the rest of this report

We've gathered together individual stories and data from across our advice services. Select a topic to find out more about our work and the difference it makes

Introduction to Advocacy Services

In late spring, 2024, we were proud to be awarded the contract for statutory advocacy in Sheffield, along with our partners, Cloverleaf Advocacy, SACMHA and Disability Sheffield. The new contract ensures that we are able to continue to develop statutory advocacy and Generic Learning Disability advocacy in Sheffield and also allows us to embark on some exciting new ventures. For the first time, we were able to deliver both generic advocacy for d/Deaf people and also parenting advocacy for people with substantial difficulties who are involved with Children’s Social Care in Sheffield. In addition, we committed to increasing the profile of the service and starting some exciting new initiatives, including Self and Peer Advocacy Networks.

After nine years with the Sheffield Advocacy Hub, I am thrilled to see us growing the capacity to launch the innovative projects we have envisioned for so long. The new contract allows us to transition toward a more proactive outreach model. This ensures our advocacy is truly inclusive, reaching deeper into Sheffield’s diverse communities to support individuals who may have previously been unaware of their entitlement to advocacy. Our Self and Peer Advocacy Networks are so exciting to us because they can provide a forum for people with shared lived experience, to come together and campaign for issues they care about. We’re able to support by teaching self and peer advocacy skills, empowering clients to advocate for themselves and others.

Throughout this report, we share case studies that demonstrate the profound impact of advocacy on people’s lives. These examples highlight how individuals have been empowered to make their voices heard and become central to the life-changing decisions affecting them. In several instances, you will find testimonials where clients speak in their own words about the difference our support has made. By sharing these stories, we hope to showcase both the vital role of advocacy and the powerful impact of a person’s voice being heard.

Danielle Atherton
Head of Advocacy and Influence

Statutory Advocacy

Generic Advocacy

Parenting Advocacy

Self and Peer Advocacy Networks

Full Stats

Demographics

Statutory Advocacy

Marcus’s story

Marcus was initially referred to the advocacy hub when he was sectioned under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act. Before this, Marcus had not been known to services. His physical health had deteriorated recently, leading him to leave his long-term job and he subsequently began to experience mental health issues. Marcus did not have a lot of support, and found himself in crisis and admitted to the general hospital where he was eventually transported to an inpatient mental health unit.

Marcus was entitled to an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA). Under this role, we went out to visit Marcus in the hospital. Marcus was initially very unwell and unable to engage. We checked that Marcus had had his rights read to him and arranged to visit again. We continued to visit Marcus until he was well enough to engage. Marcus was given medication and became more aware of why he had been sectioned. We explained his rights, including his right to appeal but Marcus wanted to stay on the Mental Health ward to ensure he was able to get better.

Marcus did well on the mental health ward and quickly improved, but it became clear that he would need further support in the community, both for his mental and increased physical health needs. We were able to advocate for Marcus to approach Adult Social Care and request a needs assessment under the Care Act. The same advocate was able to stay on as Marcus’s Care Act advocate.

Marcus was eventually discharged from the mental health unit with a package of support. We stayed involved throughout the Care Act assessment, making sure that Marcus understood and was able to contribute as much as possible. Marcus was able to return to living independently and had support in place from Adult Social Care including care calls at home to ensure his physical needs were met.

In this case, Marcus had a variety of decisions and processes being made about his care and treatment. When this happens, we try to ensure that one advocate is able to advocate throughout. Marcus is one client who benefited from this approach.

This year, we received 1680 referrals for statutory advocacy issues. Our statutory advocates make sure people are listened to when decisions are made about their health and care. We are there to protect their rights and ensure they are treated fairly, especially when they cannot speak for themselves. Statutory advocacy is a legal right for people in many situations. Some examples include:

Patients who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act are entitled to an Independent Mental Health Advocate to help them to fully understand their rights, including the right to appeal

People whose needs are being assessed under the Care Act may be entitled to a Care Act Advocate to make sure they are involved in the process and all their needs are explored by the assessor

Anyone who wants to make a complaint about the NHS can be supported by an NHS Complaints advocate who can help with compiling the complaint and understanding the complaints process

People who are deprived of their liberty, for instance in a residential care home, but are unable to consent, are entitled to Relevant Persons Representative who is independent from anyone making decisions about the person's care. They are able to make sure that the care provider upholds any legal responsibilities and to ensure that the person has all their rights upheld.

People who do not have capacity to make their own decisions about key things, such as where they will live or a serious medical treatment, may have the right to an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate to represent them in decision making. This advocate will try to understand and express what the person would want if they could give their views, as well as make sure that their rights are upheld throughout the process.

Feedback

‘I really appreciate the support you gave me. I think it’s amazing that advocacy exists’

‘I felt really listened to, and felt like my advocate was on my side a lot. There was one meeting where I was able to get over my insecurities around meetings, and I was advocating for myself, but I forgot one point, and my advocate helped with that, which I really appreciated’

‘Thank you very much for being there and for how you were in the meeting, you were brilliant. It wouldn’t have gone like that if you were not in there and if you hadn’t been there last week too and raising the points from last week’

Generic Advocacy

Generic Mental Health

Melissa’s story

Melissa is in her early twenties, is autistic and has mental health issues. When she self-referred, she was struggling to cope with everyday life and was self- harming and using emergency services regularly. Melissa wanted support but was finding it difficult to articulate the support that she needed.

We supported Melissa with appointments with her GP. Before the appointments, we talked through what type of support she might find helpful, including what had worked for her in the past and what hadn’t worked. We then attended two GP appointments with her, with a GP and a mental health practitioner at the practice. We supported Melissa to put forward her difficulties and ask for the help that she wanted. In preparation for these appointments, we encouraged Melissa to write her own prompts of what she wanted to discuss and encouraged her to advocate for herself, acting as a prompt and emphasising points to ensure that her views were heard clearly. After the appointments we went through what had been discussed, what the GP practice had agreed to do and what was to happen next. As a result, the GP and mental health practitioner identified that Melissa would benefit from support to help her to develop strategies to cope with day to day living with autism, which would help to prevent her mental health from deteriorating. She was referred to a Social Prescriber, who looks at non-medical ways to improve someone’s health and wellbeing and a referral was made for a social care assessment of her needs. A short-term plan was put in place whilst Melissa waited for these services, with clear guidance given about who to approach when in crisis.

Generic Deaf Advocacy

Sabina’s story

Sabina was referred to us through our Deaf Advice Team. Sabina wished to make an appeal because she did not get her first choice for the secondary school she wished for her child to go to. We arranged a meeting with Sabina and she explained the reasons she wanted this particular school and that she was waiting to hear back from the appeals board.

A Group appeal date was set where all the people that wanted to appeal their decision had to attend via an online event. Prior to this we called the appeals board on Sabina’s behalf and asked them to provide a BSL interpreter at both the group appeal and the individual appeal so that Sabina would have the same information given at the time as all the hearing people attending. We attended the online meeting with Sabina and took notes so that we could go through the information with Sabina again after. This allowed us to prepare Sabina for the individual appeal. Together, we went through the points that Sabina wanted to make in the appeal. Although Sabina did not ultimately get the outcome she wished for, advocacy ensured that she was fully involved in the process and that a BSL interpreter was provided for all meetings.

At Citizens Advice Sheffield, we are fortunate to be able to provide generic advocacy in three areas:

Learning Disability
d/Deaf
Mental Health

Generic Advocacy means that we are able to advocate for clients on a range of issues, in addition to statutory decisions and processes. For people with mental health issues, we are able to support them to access mental health services, which can support clients to have earlier interventions and navigate systems which can be complex.

For d/Deaf clients and people with Learning Disabilities, we are able to support with a wider range of issues and decisions.

Some examples this year include:

We supported a person with a Learning Disability to challenge their housing provider when they did not provide necessary repairs
We supported a d/Deaf person with interviews with the police
We supported a person with Learning Disabilities to attend hospital appointments and understand their new diagnosis

Deaf Generic Advocacy is a new area of advocacy we are able to offer this year. With our existing Deaf Advice Team, we celebrate the fact that we are able to better ensure that d/Deaf people in Sheffield are able to have their rights upheld and be involved in all decision making.

Feedback

‘I can’t thank you enough for your help and kindness. I really appreciate you.’

‘I understand you may not make the outcomes, but you have guided me and answered questions on how to get support, and given me information about how things work’

‘I have really enjoyed the stability you have given me. You have been so solid’

‘She was very encouraging and it was easy to get in touch with her. Was down to earth and made me feel comfortable.’

Parenting Advocacy

Our parenting advocacy is primarily delivered by our partner, Cloverleaf Advocacy.

Frankie’s story

Frankie was referred to us by his solicitor following the removal of his children under an Emergency Protection Order. There were concerns raised around a deterioration in Frankie’s mental health and he had withdrawn from support provided by Adult Social Care and was not engaging with Children’s Social Care to complete parent assessments. At this point suspending contact with his children was being considered due to inconsistent attendance at contact visits. The advocate spent time with Frankie, listening to his views and what support he felt he needed and a plan was agreed.

The advocate facilitated contact with his children’s social worker and supported Frankie to engage with the parent assessment. They arranged a meeting with Frankie`s support provider at his request and a more person centred approach was agreed to better meet his needs. Contact with his children was re-established and Frankie started buying small gifts to take to family time.

Frankie was supported to meet with his solicitor and attend court hearings which were extremely challenging for him. The advocate supported him to write a letter to his children which the Court agreed to include in the papers.

Despite a placement order being agreed in court Frankie felt positive that he had continued to see his children whilst he could. He has felt more able to make plans for the future and is glad that he was able to spend time and prepare a letter for his children so that they will know how much he cared and was involved for as long as the court would allow.

This year, the Advocacy Hub launched a much-needed service providing advocacy for parents facing substantial difficulties during Child Protection and Care Proceedings. For many years, we have highlighted the gap in this area, having seen firsthand how many parents required support navigating the systems and being fully involved. By collaborating with our partner, Cloverleaf Advocacy, whose extensive experience supporting parents with learning disabilities provided a strong foundation, we have been able to extend this vital service to more families across Sheffield.
Ultimately, this service ensures that parents can fully participate in complex legal systems with confidence. By providing a clear voice for families during life-changing proceedings, we ensure that the process is truly inclusive and that parents’ views are expressed throughout.

Feedback from Solicitor :

‘I also wanted to thank you for your considerable help on this case. The Judge is rarely impressed by much but she was so complimentary about your input at court. I have also found your input invaluable. I hope to work together soon.’

Solicitor for a parent

‘Social Services often didn’t appreciate my needs, wishes or preferences, leaving me feeling unheard and unsupported. It was a frustrating and disheartening experience, and I struggled to get the care I truly needed. However, everything changed when I met my advocate. She listened to me, understood my situation and fought tirelessly on my behalf. With her help, I finally got the support and services I desperately needed for so long. Having my advocate has changed my life for the better, and I’m now living a life that reflects my needs and desires. I am deeply grateful for her support and commitment.’

Client accessing Parenting Advocacy

SPANS

Self and Peer Advocacy Networks

Client feedback: ‘This is good, feels like we are getting somewhere’ (in response to looking at the restraint policy for the mental health wards.)

In a Self and Peer Advocacy Network (SPAN), people with shared lived experience in a certain area are able to come together to learn how to advocate for themselves and their peers. They are able to stand up for their rights, and work together to influence change and decisions made by those in power. This year, we had the opportunity to start up Self and Peer Advocacy Networks in the Sheffield Advocacy Service.

We speak with clients regularly in our advocacy work, and hear feedback from clients on which areas of shared lived experience they would like to see Self and Peer Advocacy Networks in. Advocates help to start up the SPANs, but the members are in charge of all the details – from the frequency through to what the SPANs should focus on at any given time. Currently there are 3 SPANs, with the following themes:

Lived experience of using mental health services
Carers
Brain Injury

We are in the process of developing a SPAN for d/Deaf people.

With the support of our partner agency, Cloverleaf Advocacy, members of SPANs have had the opportunity to receive self and peer advocacy skills training. This will be repeated regularly.

One exciting initiative our Mental Health SPAN is currently working on is the development of a documentary on experiencing treatment on the mental health wards. Members of the SPAN wish to utilise their existing skills in journalism and documentary making to create this.

Self and peer advocacy networks are invaluable because they transform lived experience into a powerful tool for change, allowing individuals to find the confidence to speak up for their rights. By moving from passive recipients of support to active leaders, participants ensure that their voices are not only heard but are used to shape their own futures and influence the services they use.

If you, or someone close to you, is interested in how to get involved in a current or future SPAN, please contact selfandpeeradvocacy@citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk or phone us on 0114 2261674.

Our Impact in 2024-2025

Advocacy Services: Our Impact in 2024-2025

Between 1 April 2024 and 31st March 2025, we received a total of 2288 referrals across all types of advocacy. Care Act referrals reflected the highest number of referrals- this is primarily where a person with eligible needs is being assessed by Social Care to receive support.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Relevant Persons Representative (DOLS RPR) referrals were also high. People who have their liberty restricted are eligible for an RPR to ensure that their rights are protected and that the conditions of their Deprivation of Liberty are upheld. The majority of the people in this situation are in care homes and unable to consent, due to a cognitive impairment, such as dementia.

Independent Mental Health Advocates are another statutory right for people who have been detained under a section of the Mental Health Act. This can be either in an inpatient unit or in the community, under a Community Treatment Order or Guardianship Order.

Generic Mental Health Advocacy offers support to people in Sheffield who are seeking mental health support. A Generic Mental Health Advocate can support a person to negotiate mental health services and access assessments.

New areas of advocacy, d/Deaf Advocacy and Parenting Advocacy began accepting referrals in 24-25.

We believe that no one should face complex systems alone. Our goal is to make advocacy accessible to everyone in Sheffield, particularly those navigating processes where they have a legal right to support. Through constant evaluation of who is (and isn’t) reaching us, we work to dismantle barriers to access. This year’s referrals demonstrate our success in supporting a range of people with unique lived experiences.

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Introduction to Advice Services

As Head of Advice, I am incredibly proud of our staff and volunteers who have navigated this surge in demand with unwavering empathy. We haven’t just ‘dealt with cases’; we have provided a lifeline. Whether it was identifying life-changing benefit under-claims or negotiating with energy suppliers, we have proven that good advice is the most effective tool we have to fight poverty in Sheffield.

This year, we supported 20,021 individuals—but the true scale of the challenge is reflected in the 98,273 advice issues we managed. Each person who turned to us brought an average of nearly five distinct issues, ranging from energy arrears and housing instability to food poverty and debt.

The results of our team’s dedication are life-changing. We have empowered our clients to gain over £19 million in income and facilitated the write-off of more than £2.2 million in unmanageable debt. In a climate where every penny counts, this financial redress isn’t just a statistic; it is the difference between a family keeping their home or falling into crisis. This report stands as a testament to the resilience of our clients and the vital expertise of our staff and volunteers.”

Joanne Abdulla

Head of Advice

Hospital Projects

Jimmy’s story

Jimmy had been admitted to the Children’s Hospital Major Trauma Department following a road traffic accident. Jimmy’s family was struggling financially. His father, Grant, was self-employed and had to leave work due to his new caring responsibilities. His mother, Sally, was struggling with her employer, who had ignored her requests for flexible working. A referral was made by the Children’s Hospital for us to see Grant and Sally in the hospital as they didn’t feel able to leave Jimmy’s bedside for long.

When we visited, Grant explained he also had debt issues and so a debt appointment was arranged for him. We helped the family to get fuel vouchers and help from a food bank too and we were able to support them to get some charitable funding for medical equipment for Jimmy.

Sally spoke with a specialist Employment Adviser and was able to obtain flexible working from her employer, which meant that she was able to remain in work despite her increased caring responsibilities.

We checked Grant and Sally’s Universal Credit and noticed errors on their housing element and childcare costs, which meant they were not receiving all they were entitled to. We were able to help them to get this put into place. Additionally, we were able to give advice on Disability Living Allowance and support with a claim. The family are still awaiting the claim outcome, but this should substantially support them with meeting Jimmy’s ongoing needs.

Grant and Sally felt that their property was no longer suitable for Jimmy because of his new medical needs and we assisted with an application for re-housing through the Council.

We were able to help Jimmy and his family at a particularly stressful time following the road traffic accident. The family not only received help with their benefits but help with an employment issue, debt advice, food bank help, assistance with energy costs, childcare help and charitable assistance. This support allowed the family to concentrate more fully on Jimmy’s recovery.

This is only one example of how we have helped families in Sheffield hospitals this year. We have a number of teams based in various departments of hospitals across Sheffield, including the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and the Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

We are currently delivering advice in

Cancer Support: Weston Park Cancer Centre
Cystic Fibrosis: Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Spinal Injuries: Princess Royal Spinal Centre
Haematology: Northern General Hospital
Excessive Weight Management: Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Major Trauma: Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Haematology Department: Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Inpatient Mental Health Wards: Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

By embedding our services directly within the hospitals, we remove the barriers to support for patients and families during their time receiving care, ensuring help is available exactly when and where it is needed most.

This year, we helped 1,392 people within our hospitals. We provided essential support to patients facing life-altering medical procedures who were often navigating multiple complex challenges. For example, on the Adult Haematology Ward, we assisted 82 individuals with 223 concerns, offering expert guidance on housing, employment, benefits, and debt management.

Hospital staff understand that issues such as low income, poor housing and debt can further impact their patients’ health. By providing support on hospital wards, we free up health professionals so they can spend more time helping clients recover from health issues while we address the wider issues. The partnership bridges the gap between health and social wellbeing, ensuring a more robust path to discharge and beyond.

Patients who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act are entitled to an Independent Mental Health Advocate to help them to fully understand their rights, including the right to appeal

People whose needs are being assessed under the Care Act may be entitled to a Care Act Advocate to make sure they are involved in the process and all their needs are explored by the assessor

Anyone who wants to make a complaint about the NHS can be supported by an NHS Complaints advocate who can help with compiling the complaint and understanding the complaints process

People who are deprived of their liberty, for instance in a residential care home, but are unable to consent, are entitled to Relevant Persons Representative who is independent from anyone making decisions about the person's care. They are able to make sure that the care provider upholds any legal responsibilities and to ensure that the person has all their rights upheld.

People who do not have capacity to make their own decisions about key things, such as where they will live or a serious medical treatment, may have the right to an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate to represent them in decision making. This advocate will try to understand and express what the person would want if they could give their views, as well as make sure that their rights are upheld throughout the process.

Deaf Advice

Lucy’s story

Lucy is profoundly Deaf and uses British Sign Language. She has no clear speech and poor literacy skills. She first came to see us for advice about her Universal Credit as she had received a notice that she had to migrate over from legacy benefits. We assisted her to make a claim.

While waiting for her first payment, Lucy realised she couldn’t find her payment details and asked us to contact Universal Credit to check that everything was in place for her first payment. Unfortunately, this needed to be referred to a case manager at the DWP for oversight, which led to Lucy’s payment being delayed. There was then a further delay while her rent was verified. In addition, some key information had not been included in her original claim. We supported Lucy throughout this process, ensuring that she was able to keep up to date with all the requirements set forth by the DWP. We met with Lucy face to face, communicating with British Sign Language. This was really important for Lucy and supported her to be able to fully understand what was going on and what she was required to do. Lucy finally received her first correct Universal Credit payment four months after we submitted the claim.

Our Deaf Advice Service has been running for over thirty years. There are currently nine staff who use British Sign Language, for five of whom it is their first language. In 2024-2025, the service supported 109 clients to navigate 659 issues. Many are like Lucy, whose first language is British Sign Language and who have limited literacy. Lucy’s story shows how services are not always adapted to support deaf clients and how needed the Deaf Advice Service is.

The expertise and value of the Deaf Advice team was recognised through funding provided by Northern Power Grid and Northern Gas Networks, which allowed the Deaf Advice Team to work with other organisations to provide advice to their BSL-using clients. These include:

Leeds Citizens Advice
Hull Citizens Advice
Bradford Citizens Advice
Northallerton Citizens Advice*
Cumbria: Copeland Citizens Advice*
South Lakes Citizens Advice*
Allerdale and Barrow Citizens Advice*
Carlisle and Eden Citizens Advice*

*in progress

We have received excellent feedback from our partners around the support we have provided. Some examples are:

We are extremely proud of our partnership with Sheffield to offer a BSL Energy Advice service. Not only has this opened up a new accessible service for clients in the region, but our team have been upskilled and inspired. Being able to offer this service has challenged the way we think about advice, the way we promote the project and how we can do better, and we have received brilliant training and support from our colleagues in Sheffield. We look forward to continuing this partnership and watching it grow.

-Victoria Smith, Service Delivery Manager, Citizens Advice Hull and East Riding

he training provided by Citizens Advice Sheffield was fantastic. I would highly recommend it to all organisations who work within communities and want to learn more about the barriers people face in accessing advice and how they can be overcome Prior to xx joining, I spent so much of my time doing CAB/ housing/ benefits related work. It’s so nice that I can spend more of my time doing clinical work again!’ Clinical Associate Psychologist

-Shelley Hewitson, Chief Officer, Citizens Advice Copeland

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Digital Project

Fatima’s story

Fatima was referred to the digital course through her local job centre. She was keen to build up her digital skills in order to broaden her employment opportunities. Fatima had a smart phone but she was only able to use it for calls as she did not have the skills to use the internet or other features. During the course, we introduced Fatima to the NHS app which she now uses on her phone. She found it helpful learning to use emails and understanding how to respond and organise her inbox.

During the course, all attendees were taught to use the internet safely for researching various things. As part of this, Fatima learned how to compare prices and was able to reduce her utility bills. Fatima says she also feels safer online after completing the course. She feels confident spotting phishing scams and is aware of the importance of not clicking suspicious or unsolicited links.

Fatima received a tablet when she accessed the course. She mostly uses her tablet for job searching and finds the larger screen easier than on her phone. She feels the course gave her the confidence to build up digital skills. Since completion, she has found another digital course on marketing strategy which she says she is planning to do soon.

In 2024-2025, our Digital Service delivered courses to 247 clients. 98% of people who attended the course went on to complete all the sessions. The course is aimed at clients who may find themselves excluded in an increasingly digital world and covers a range of topics, including internet safety, and using vital applications such as the NHS.

This project was commissioned by South Yorkshire ICB and we are pleased to work alongside Citizens Advice Doncaster to deliver it. By equipping people with these essential skills, we are not just teaching digital literacy, we are ensuring that people are able to safely navigate essential systems and access the full range of support and services they are entitled to.

Feedback from attendees:

‘Very useful, and it came at the right time for me. Everything is digital nowadays’

‘The tutor was fantastic and very helpful. The group was fantastic as well -we were close and would help each other out.’

Improving Lives Through Advice (ILTA)

Zohra’s story

Zohra approached us for advice in relation to an extension of leave application. Due to a lack of affordable legal advice her leave had expired so when she became unwell and had to have hospital treatment, she was subjected to NHS charges. Zohra’s husband Mounir, was originally a refugee from Algeria who had fled his country due to being persecuted for his religious beliefs. He found sanctuary in the UK and eventually became a British Citizen. Mounir then sponsored Zohra, who is also from Algeria to join him in the UK under the spouse rules. These rules mean that Zohra does not have recourse to public funds, but as her leave had expired, she would also be subject to NHS charges for any hospital treatment she receives.

Citizens Advice Sheffield were able to provide advice and casework to Zohra and Mounir, so that an application for further leave could be made.. This advice was provided and assistance was given to make the application. The extension of leave application was successful and Zohra was granted access to public funds, which meant that she could receive the medical support she so needed. This was a huge relief for the family, as this went some way to alleviate the financial pressures, and allowed the family to focus on Zohra’s health and recovery during this difficult time.

Since its launch in April 2024, the ILTA funding has significantly expanded our capacity to provide tailored, accessible immigration advice to the Deaf community and individuals living with mental health conditions.

We have been able to allocate a dedicated worker within our specialist Deaf Advice and Mental Health Advice teams to directly support 41 clients with immigration advice. We have been able to upskill specialist advisors in these teams, which has ensured that particularly vulnerable clients are able to access immigration advice from advisers they are already working with who know and understand any specific needs they may have. This has been a great opportunity to increase learning in our organisation, while allowing us to support more people with immigration advice.

Energy Advice

Viola’s story

Viola had contacted us in December 2024 as they had had their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) stopped. They had been discharged from the hospital the day previously, only to return home to find their private rental home had no energy supply. Viola was not due any further benefit payments for nearly a month and therefore was unable to top up their prepayment meter. In addition, they were in debt to the energy supplier so any top ups were going towards repayment.

Viola was still unwell and had a range of challenges, including type 1 diabetes. They had a toe amputated in hospital and were recovering from the procedure. They also had Cardio-obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which was exacerbated by cold weather. The changes to their income through loss of PIP meant that they didn’t have money to buy food.

We advised Viola how to get back on energy supply and about the support available for people in debt to energy suppliers. We received consent from Viola to share their health information through the Extra Help Unit who were able to support them to get energy back into their home. They were also signposted to the Trussell Trust for help with a food parcel and their local council who help with short term crisis payments.

Viola is an example of a client who found themselves in need of urgent support following a period of hospitalisation, which left them more vulnerable. Many of our clients are facing complex situations such as these.

Although many people come to us initially for one off support, for example with an energy concern, we often find that, as in Tomas’s case there are multiple issues that need to be addressed.

Tomas’s story

Tomas lives alone in council rented accommodation. He is digitally excluded and is vulnerable due to ongoing health conditions so required extra support. When Tomas contacted us, he was claiming Universal Credit and Council Tax Support.

He was struggling with energy costs, particularly as he had to be home more regularly due to his health – he found that energy costs had increased substantially. We gave energy advice and sent energy information via post as Tomas does not have access to the internet. Tomas had not received the Warm Home Discount which he was entitled to. We also supported Tomas by contacting the Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline. Tomas was able to receive £150 in support, which greatly increased his ability to pay for heat over the winter.

We completed a benefit check with Tomas and explored a possible claim for Personal Independent Payment (PIP). We went through the descriptors with him but he confirmed he did not meet the relevant thresholds and therefore didn’t need this support at this time – if his needs increase in future, he will know to apply.

We also supported Tomas to make applications for Council Tax Support and the Household Support Fund.

Finally we supported Tomas to understand an employment issue relating to his previous job. He hopes to get back into work again in the near future.

Since receiving our support Tomas is less stressed and he has made progress with his debts, and increased his income via benefits and via the Household Support Fund grant awards. He has a better understanding of energy efficiency and has more financial support via the Warm Home Discount Scheme. Overall Tomas is now in a more financially stable position and can make changes to energy usage to save money.

The cost of living crisis in the UK, including fuel costs, has significantly impacted households in 2024-25, with high inflation and rising energy prices contributing to increased expenses. While inflation has fallen from its peak, many individuals still report increased costs for essentials like food and energy. In England, during 2024, there were an estimated 2.73 million households in fuel poverty. This represents 11% of all households.

The Energy Team is funded by British Gas Energy Trust (BGET), Northern Powergrid (NPG) and this year we have also received funding from National Energy Action (NEA) Warm Homes, Healthy futures. This has increased our capacity to deal with fuel related enquiries. The team specialises in Debt , Benefits and Energy advice. We also received funding this year from NPG and Northern Gas Networks so that our Deaf Advice Team can give comprehensive energy advice to the Deaf community. The outcomes for the Energy Projects as a whole have been fantastic with £2,430.25 in income gained, by way of benefit applications and £382,510 debt written off. In addition 1100 fuel vouchers were issued in 2024-2025.

People contacted Citizens Advice for a variety of reasons regarding their energy suppliers, including setting up payment plans for outstanding energy debt, billing errors, and being swapped to another provider without notification. Many people calling have urgent need for support, and may be in homes with people who require energy to meet medical needs, or have communication needs and require additional support to resolve their energy issues.

We also have access to fuel providers’ trusts and grants and also the BGET white goods Portal. We issue Fuel vouchers through the Fuel Bank and the average help per client of £63

We work closely with the Communities Services team and other energy services,
such as Leap, The Green Doctor, NEA retrofit and Sheffield Warm Homes and have
strengthened these relationships by cross referrals and sharing knowledge. With energy costs remaining a key challenge for many, this specialised advice provides critical support that helps households manage their commitments and avoid the escalation of debt. Through the support of our funding partners, we empower residents to take control of their energy use, ensuring that more people can maintain a warm, sustainable home.

Our Impact in 2024-2025

Advice Services: Our Impact in 2024-2025

Between 1 April 2024 and 31st March 2025, we worked with 20,021 people to support them with 98,273 advice issues. We supported people to gain £19,051,506 income and write off £2,277,428 in debts. These figures represent more than just statistics, they signify thousands of households gaining the financial breathing room necessary to move from a state of crisis toward long-term stability and peace of mind.

We are committed to providing support for everyone who needs it. Our data this year reflects a broad demographic reach that mirrors the vibrant diversity of the communities we serve. We are constantly reviewing this data to ensure that we are improving access for those who may benefit from our services but are not currently accessing them. This year, we supported people from a range of backgrounds demonstrated in our data below.

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Community Trainers

Our Community Trainers empower local organisations to deliver frontline, low-level advice, creating a wider network of support across the city. By training local workers and volunteers on common advice queries, we ensure that people can access initial help within familiar settings where they already have existing relationships. This collaborative model allows our specialist advisers to focus on the most complex cases, ensuring our expertise is directed where it is needed most.

This year, we delivered 79 sessions to 98 organisations in Sheffield. 484 people attended this free training. A range of organisations attended including Community Centres and groups, Sheffield City Council, Foodbanks, Welcome Places, Sheffield Museums, Libraries, Talking Therapies, Education Providers, Local Area Committees, Community Development Services, Family Hubs, Youth Organisations, Housing Services and Church groups.

Aims of the community trainers:
Community training aims to support people in non-advice roles
to:

Gather information and spot advice issues
Use online tools and information resources
Provide information and signposting
Know when and how to refer for advice
Find relevant local and national services

In 2024/25 we offered these sessions:

What Citizens Advice does and how to access help and
support (2
hours)
Helping People with Budgeting (2.5 hours)
Basic Welfare Benefit overview (3 hours)
Helping people with Fuel Poverty (2 hours)
Helping older people (2.5 hours)

If you think your organisation would benefit from a session with the community trainers, please contact us on community.trainers@citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk

Testimonials:

The sessions were excellent, so well delivered with plenty of opportunity for engagement and with superb resources.

A group of our volunteers attended your Introduction to Benefits training session and found it and your style of training very informative, helpful and accessible.

Really great session, I learnt loads and feel confident to put it into practice with clients

I think both the session delivery and content was great! I really appreciated all the opportunities to feedback and discuss. Also really like that I am walking away with an information pack full of resources and material.

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Social Policy and Campaigns

Citizens Advice Sheffield has a commitment to campaigning for social policy issues that impact our clients. Our Social Policy work in 2024-25 navigated a General Election and subsequent government transition. Highlights of this work include proactive engagement with parliamentary candidates, a Pension Credit campaign, and targeted focus on issues such as the increase in National Insurance contributions for charities.

Over several weeks our adviser:

Election Engagement

The 2024 General Election was announced in May 2024. This became a large focus of work for the 6 week campaign period. Citizens Advice provided resources for this which they branded a ‘living standards election’. Every candidate was contacted with information regarding our locally developed ‘manifesto’ and given bespoke data on the constituencies they were standing in, including their ‘red index’ data which measures the number of households in negative budgets.

MP engagement

After the General Elections we contacted all new MPs and have had ongoing communication with some of them about multiple issues. We met with MPs and discussed many issues important to our clients, including immigration. We then attended an immigration roundtable organised by Abtisam Mohammed.

Government consultations

The new government ran several consultations which we responded to in detail. One of these was a consultation on Personal Independent Payment. With the information we hold, we were able to evidence the human cost of the proposed changes.

Pension Credit

This campaign was timebound due to the Government’s announcement in Summer 2024 that the winter fuel allowance would be scrapped for all except pensioners in receipt of pension credit. Pension Credit take up was low, and so we took a multifaceted approach to how we ran this.

We worked closely with Sheffield City Council, through connections made at the Welfare Housing and Poverty Network (a regular meeting of professionals interested in sharing news, best practice and collaboratively working on welfare, housing and poverty issues) to send a letter to all households who claimed Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit, urging them to check if they were eligible
We appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield to discuss this topic, aimed at both pensioners and their younger relatives
We distributed leaflets and posters in community spaces and libraries

We saw an increase of 136% in the number of clients seeking advice on the Winter Fuel Allowance compared to the previous year.

Over the year, we had regular appearances on local and national TV about a variety of social policy areas, from benefit cuts, benefit entitlements, debt, energy price caps, Awaab’s Law and other changes in legislation. In March, we appeared on BBC Breakfast prior to the Spring Budget announcement, discussing the Cost of Living crisis and what we wanted to see from the budget.

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Our People

Profiles of our staff and volunteers:

Carol Sudbery- Volunteer

I started my life in advice 30 years ago as a volunteer in a small local advice centre in Foxhill. I had no idea about what advice centres did but soon found out they were friendly welcoming places trying to help people with an astonishing variety of queries and making a real difference to these people’s lives. It was somewhere I felt at home after trying various jobs where I felt like a fish out of water. I went on to gain confidence and eventually paid work in various roles in the advice sector ending up as a volunteer co-ordinator.

After retiring 10 years ago it took me about 6 months to realise I was missing colleagues and clients in the advice world and I decided to come back as a volunteer. My current role is advising clients face to face in two venues which provide support for vulnerable people; a Trussell Trust food bank and a community pantry. I love meeting the clients and feeling I’ve helped them a little to negotiate the complexities of life in today’s world. And the problem solving aspect of the work keeps my ageing brain ticking over and that must be good. In many ways it’s very different to the days when all the reference material was in huge paper files which needed updating regularly and we laboriously handwrote all our case notes, but the people, and the aims of, and need for, the work remain the same and I can’t see that changing.

Matt Seargent – Advocacy Team Manager

I started working for the service back in January 2022. I came into the Advocacy Hub from a managerial role in a retail service and joined the organisation as the Assessment and Support Worker – the primary elements of this role were to handle referrals, queries and support the Hub’s advocates in their day to day roles. I had a keen interest in the role of advocates and advocacy and was well supported by the organisation which led to me interviewing for and achieving the role of Independent Advocate in February 2023. I was then supported and encouraged to work towards and attain the role of Advocacy Team Manager in April 2025. Working for Sheffield Advocacy Hub and Citizens Advice Sheffield for the last 3 and a half years has been and continues to be a highly rewarding and fulfilling experience. One of the most enjoyable elements of working for an organisation like this is its positive working culture and supportive nature for all its employees. A major positive of working for the Advocacy Hub and Citizens Advice has and continues to be its positive attitude to clients and its person centred approach to this which allows us to help our clients meet their goals in a manner that is enriching for clients and staff.

Kate Bushen- Advice Service Manager

I started my job on 1st April 1993 at what was then the stand alone organisation, Deaf Advice Service Sheffield. Although I have continuous employment on my HR record, my role has changed several times but my passion hasn’t!
I am the Service Manager who is lucky enough to work with the outreach teams (i.e Foodbanks) and the targeted services including SPRING, Deaf Advice Team, Hospital and GP services, to name a few. As you know, Citizens Advice Sheffield is committed to providing services to the most vulnerable and excluded in the community. We care about providing accessible, relevant and holistic advice and advocacy and all our data strongly evidences this- don’t just look at the number of individuals served in any given period but take a look at the number of ‘activities’ (things that have been done with or on behalf of a client). Without the diverse range of services we provide this case work would not be possible. My whole career has been embedded in this principle of working with communities and people with lived experience and challenging the barriers society creates so I’m clearly in the right place! I see on a daily basis the difference the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers makes and I mean the real value of our services where lives are changed. That makes me proud. Other things I love: British Sign Language, alligators and crocodiles, sleeping, the odd social engagement and talking (usually with my hands)!

Ronny DSilva- Advice Worker

My first role with Citizens Advice Sheffield was as a volunteer in 2017. Since then I have worked as an adviser for the Consumer Service, Adviceline and presently as an advice worker for the SPRING project which supports refugees with various issues.

Citizens Advice Sheffield is a diverse organisation, our staff and clients come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds which makes the day to day work very interesting and enjoyable. The organisation encourages and supports their staff especially with regards to training and development. I am certain that by working for such an organisation I am contributing towards a better society.

Isabelle Sampson- Admin

I’ve worked at Citizens Advice Sheffield for just over 2 years, and started as a business admin apprentice. After completing my apprenticeship in March 2025 and being successful in a recent interviewing process, my new role is Admin Team Manager, specialising in Facilities Management. I’m also training to become Health and Safety qualified. CAS continuously offers training and development opportunities, and I cannot fault the support I’ve received from managers and colleagues. Citizens Advice Sheffield is an amazing organisation to work within!

Mark Nicholson- Volunteer

I have been working for Citizens Advice for 19 years. During this time I have been a volunteer (mainly to guarantee financial stability). I started as an admin volunteer and after 3 years I became a volunteer adviser mainly dealing with welfare benefits. I have now been working on research and campaigns which I’m really enjoying, especially as I did a sociology degree (albeit 25 years ago). I love that Citizens Advice Sheffield accepts the contribution of everybody. There are few (if any) other organisations that will treat volunteers as valuable members of staff. I have really appreciated the support that I have received from various people which has encouraged and challenged me to reach my potential.

Our People:

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Financial overview

I’m very pleased to introduce the financial overview for 2024-25. This year we once again achieved an income over £6 million, and 85% of that income was used to pay our staff. The people directly providing high quality, reliable advice and advocacy are our most important asset so it’s vital we pay our staff a fair wage and our volunteers are properly supported. The rest was used to provide the infrastructure that supports this work. Headline figures are below and you can view the full detail on the Charity Commission website.

We are deeply grateful to our funders, commissioners, and supporters. It is your shared commitment to our mission that allows us to provide a lifeline to those who need it most.

We are an independent charity set up to serve the people of Sheffield.
> Every penny we receive goes towards that effort. If you’d like to make a donation you can find out how here

Peter Brown
Head of Resources and Development

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Contact us

You can contact us to ask a question about our service, about advocacy, to get information or to put in a referral.

Make a referral

Referrals

If you need an advocate for yourself, friends or family

Email us

We will aim to respond within 3 working days. You can also request a call back.

Speak to us

Call us

You can speak to us to put in a referral or ask a question

Access points

At the moment, we can only only accept referrals by phone or email. We are developing access points which we hope will increase access to our services. This space will be updated when they are available.