Who are Advice Extra?

Advice Extra is a social enterprise owned by Citizens Advice Bureau, a charity and company limited by guarantee. All profits from the social enterprise go back into tackling poverty by the provision of advice, information and support to the most vulnerable people in our community.

How long has Advice Extra been in business?

Citizens Advice Bureau has been delivering advice for over 70 years. The Citizens Advice Information System is used by a vast number of Employee Assistance schemes as a basis for advising their customers, however these information lines tend to be manned by call centre staff, who may not have experience and expertise in advice provision. Advice Extra offers something better than that, by using a staff team with over 50 years of experience between them in helping and resolving people's problems.

Where is Advice Extra based?

Advice Extra is based in Calderdale, and has worked primarily with organisations based in Yorkshire. We are now looking to expand our work area, and provide this service on a national basis, through support from bureau franchises, and Citizens Advice Bureau nationally.

How long is the contract for?

One year. There is an automatic 'break clause' after 11months where you would decide whether to renew or give Advice Extra one month's notice to quit.

How involved do I need to be?

Taking up Advice Extra is an easy process for your organisation. We will establish contact with one nominated individual with whom we will make arrangements. Advice Extra will provide you with the promotional materials you need to get the information out to your staff. We strive to do anything that we can do to ease the process of integrating this into your organisation.

Can more staff be added once the contract is up and running?

Yes, additional staff can be added, through an addendum to the original contract. This should be on a one-off basis, say to include a new site, rather than to add new individuals.

What am I buying?

Expert support for your employees that will help them resolve their problems, feel happier and become more productive at work. Advice Extra offers solution focused support; if your employee is having problems meeting their mortgage payments then they will be offered a solution to that problem. If the problem is struggling to care for a relative, then we can help with that too. It's not about just listening, we're interested in solving problems for your staff. This will save you time, and make your workforce more effective.

How much will it cost me?

That depends on how many people you employ and the Advice Extra package you are looking for. We offer 3 packages of support. The Advice Extra essentials package provides limitless access to Citizens Advice Bureau information, advice and support. It also includes additional assistance for people experiencing emotional distress through our telephone counselling service, available through our partner provider, Leeds Counselling. Our access package provides limitless access to that same high quality CAB advice, and to our telephone counselling service, but offers face-to-face counselling on a pay-as-you-go basis. Our inclusive package again provides CAB advice and telephone counselling as standard, but with face-to-face counselling sessions included as part of your premium. All our packages include promotional materials to distribute to managers and other staff, a launch event, after care and support by our sales team, and login in to our Employee Zone on our website. We are confident that we offer the best value scheme around. To find out more about how our service can help your organisation, request a callback or quote using the links above.

Why is Advice Extra cheaper than any other EAP provider?

Advice Extra is a 'not for profit' social enterprise. We don't have shareholders and don't pay out dividends. All income generated goes back to support the CAB service.

Why should I pay for a service I can get 'free' from the regular CAB?

You cannot get this type of service from your local CAB, as we are offering instant access to expert advice. To get this level of advice from the standard CAB service, an employee would have to attend a drop-in session, wait to be seen for an initial assessment, arrange an appointment at a later date, and may require more appointments to resolve the issue. In this case, the employee would have to take time off work on more than one occasion, however a single phone call to Advice Extra in a lunch break, or before or after the start of a shift may help them to resolve an issue, and would reduce the amount of time absent from work. 

What's different about Advice Extra?

Advice Extra only charges you for what you need, we can provide a service that is easily accessed yet at modest cost. We offer expert assistance and advice from first contact, to resolve problems more quickly and more efficiently.

How is the Advice Extra service accessed?

An employee has limitless access to the expert advisers through our online 'Employee Zone' on our interactive website, www.adviceextra.co.uk. This zone holds all necessary contact information for employees, including the telephone number, email advice form and our advice guide site.

The Advice Extra service can also be accessed by the immediate family of the employee, who will also be able to use the website login and telephone number to gain advice and support.

What sort of an enquiry will you accept?

Anything that is affecting or could affect an employee's wellbeing at work. This varies enormously - anything from health issues in the family, money problems and benefits advice, to problems such as noisy neighbours or landlord disputes.

What about intensive counselling?

It is possible that one of your employees may need intensive counselling as part of offering appropriate support for their needs. If the advisors believe this is the case, they would discuss the option of a telephone meeting with a registered counsellor with the employee, and if all parties agree that it's appropriate, then we would organise a set of up to 6 sessions of intensive telephone counselling with a registered, experienced counsellor at Leeds Counselling. These sessions are included in the initial payment for the service. It is possible to refer the employee for face-to-face counselling sessions, which can be arranged by Advice Extra after discussion with you as an employer. In this case, the sessions will cost in the region of £35 per hour, depending upon where and when you want them.

What statistics will I be able to get access to?

Advice Extra provides confidential advice to employees, and it is our duty to uphold this promise. As such, we are limited as to the amount of information about calls we can give to employers. We provide an Advice Extra newsletter that highlights the key issues impacting all Advice Extra users, with information about the problem and how to resolve it. We can provide regular updates regarding headline issues, if a certain number of your employees call about a certain issue. For larger employers, it may be possible to provide further information, but this needs to be discussed directly with Advice Extra.

Better skilled advisors, cheaper contracts and any profits go back into the community – that's what Advice Extra is all about.