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The post war service
After the end of the war about 350
bureaux closed, but it became clear that many bureaux would have to remain open
to help with the problems caused by resettlement. There was a large housing
shortage, as a result of the bombing, and government plans for resettlement gave
CABx the explicit responsibility for providing information to those who had not
served in the armed forces.
A bureau, just after the war
New post war problems
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At the first national conference of CABx in
1945, the vice chair giving the keynote address said
” The type of job hitherto dealt with by
CABx has on the whole been negative in character – the giving of
information and advice to get out of difficulties, whereas tomorrow the
service should turn to the positive and set out to let people know what
the government was offering to the advantage of the citizen”. |
However, what the vice chair perhaps did not foresee was a
growth in new kinds of problem:
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The housing shortage and disrepair produced many
enquiries (from both landlords and tenants) to bureaux. In 1946 the new Rent
Act was introduced to control rents and home improvement grants were
introduced. After the 1957 Rent Act, housing became 25% of bureau enquiries.
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Steps were taken by the government to improve the economy
leading to problems about accessing re-training and employment.
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The new 'Welfare State' laws resulting from the 1942
Beveridge Report about health and social security were complicated and
confusing to many who needed help.
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In October 1956 there was ‘an influx’ of refugees from
Hungary after the uprising. These refugees had lost their homes and all
their possessions, having to take refuge in a strange country where many did
not speak the language.
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Bureaux provided them with advice and information about
housing employment and personal problems.
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Later that month, all British subjects were expelled from
Egypt after the Suez crisis. As with the Hungarians many had no experience
of Britain and required detailed information and advice.
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A 1950s Punch cartoon, showing the image of a CAB
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At the 1959 national conference of CABx, the
Home Secretary said:
” Whilst all of us in public work are there
because we are interested in the social improvement of our people, we
differ from you in that we have so little intimate knowledge of these
subjects”. |
This statement reflects many early examples of what we would
now call social policy work:
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The nature of marriage, families and the role of women
was greatly affected by the war causing many enquiries after the war was
over. Because of these changes, in 1953 the government set up a Royal
Commission on marriage which partly relied on evidence from the Citizens
Advice service. The rules on divorce, separation and custody were later
changed as a result.
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After the war trade practices began to change resulting
in many enquiries about buying goods and credit. In 1955 the Citizens Advice
service submitted recommendations about trade practices and Hire Purchase.
The service also produced a Booklet giving advice on Hire Purchase and
credit buying.
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One quote from a bureau where new homes were being let
was “There are never less than five or six representatives of Hire purchase
firms on the doorstep whenever we give out the keys on a Thursday”.
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In 1955 the Franks committee reviewed the workings of the
newly formed tribunals. The Citizens Advice service was the only lay
representative on the Franks committee.
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The deep freeze of the winter of 1963 caused enormous
hardship for elderly and disabled people who had to ‘sign on’ to get welfare
benefits, often at an office several miles away.
After CAB representations, this requirement was ceased, and
later replaced by a postal system.
Emergencies
There were several occasions where the
Citizens Advice service showed that they hadn’t lost their origins of providing
an emergency service.
For both the Lynmouth flood disaster and
extensive East coast floods of 1952, emergency bureaux were set up to advise and
offer personal support to people who were often too dazed to leave their homes.
Bureaux also provided information bulletins about emergency grants and how to
deal with valuers.
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The Queen Mother visits a London
Bureau
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Developments
in the Citizens Advice service
The National annual conferences
co-ordinated the overall direction of the service with a small team run by
the National Council of Social Service providing central and field support to
bureaux.
The aims
and principles that we still have are closely based on those drawn up in 1947.
At the beginning of 1950, the grant for central and regional support to bureaux
was withdrawn completely. This meant the end of the travelling officers who gave
support to bureaux management committees and threw bureaux, once again on to
their own devices. The result was the closure of many bureaux, from the war time
number of over 1000, by 1948 it had dropped to 570 and by 1960 to 415.
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One response was to form National Citizens Advice Bureau
Committee (which later became NACAB) with the ethos “It is upon you and not
us in London that the movement stands or falls”; still true today.
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In 1946 training for ‘intending CAB leaders’ and
experienced advisers was introduced. There was a continuing demand for
training lectures and workers meetings to keep advisers up to date as well
as discussing the principles of CAB work and the changing social conditions.
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Also in 1946, the national conference agreed the need for
a nationally co-ordinated training programme for new advisers. A national
syllabus was agreed to help bureaux set up training courses.
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In 1947, Citizens Advice Notes (known as CANs) was
formally adopted to provide national reliable information back-up for
advisers.
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In the late 1940s, many CABx used Poor man’s Lawyers,
where a solicitor or barrister would come into the bureau to offer
specialist advice. This became the solicitor rota scheme that still exists
today.
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Information Retrieval (now called social policy) was
adopted in 1949.
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In the mid 1950s, in recognition of the needs of ‘country
people’, the Citizens Advice service set up mobile centres that could serve
local villages.
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A mobile CAB for rural areas
The
growth of quality of service standards
During the post war period, the service had many discussions
and attempts to set standards of advice.
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In 1940 some standards were set out in the Signs of
Recognition.
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In 1947, these became the more sophisticated Recognition
Scheme.
These
standards have been developed since, now forming the present day membership
scheme.
Next:
1960s - 1980s - A time of change
Back to History
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