Reforms laid down five years ago by the UK Government are fundamentally changing Scotland’s social security system. Once fully rolled out, the changes will reduce the Falkirk economy by an estimated £63m each year (from around 2020/21) increasing the number of people in need.

As a result, Falkirk Council began to re-think how it delivered services to its most vulnerable, and the Council of the Future ‘Advice Hubs & Spokes’ project was launched to devise a more holistic approach to service delivery, one that put those in most need at its heart.

Fairer Falkirk Manager, and ‘Advice Hubs & Spokes’ Project Manager, Sally Buchanan said: “Our One Stop model meant customers needing a range of assistance had to queue separately for each service they required. This left our adviser’s hands tied, as they weren’t empowered to ask if someone needed more help over and above the issue they presented.

“We knew that approach had to radically change, and began designing a face-to-face service that would provide staff with all the necessary tools and training to immediately identify when someone was in need and maximise the support offered at a single point in time.

“We also realised we had to free up our adviser’s time. That meant taking a lot of the low level enquiries traditionally received at One Stop Shops, such as reporting pot holes, online. We also had to look at other ways people could pay their bills without having to visit a Hub.

“The Post Office was already an option but, to make it even easier for people to pay, the decision was taken to fully utilise the PayPoint network, offering a secure way to pay bills, including Council Tax, rent and sundry account, at a wide range of local shops.

“Now, when people arrive at a Hub they are greeted to find out the purpose of their visit. If their enquiry can’t be taken online, or they aren’t able to visit a local shop to pay their bills, they join a single queue to speak with a multi-skilled adviser who is trained to deliver a variety of services in one go.

“Often those who have rent or Council Tax arrears are also struggling to pay other bills, and may not be accessing all the benefits they are entitled to. Our Hub advisers are trained to have a wider conversation with them to provide as much help as possible, including providing vital support to people in immediate crisis. 

“It takes courage for someone to ask for help when they are in financial difficulty. By making it easier to access the support they need quickly, we hope the Hubs will ease people’s financial worries before those worries begin to impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”