Organisation: Advice NI

Description:
Advice NI is a membership organisation whose mission is to develop an independent advice sector that provides the best possible advice to those who need it most. Advice NI exists to provide its members with the capacity and tools to ensure the delivery of effective advice services. This includes: advice and information management systems, funding and planning, quality assurance support, NVQs in advice and guidance, money advice and debt training, social policy co-ordination and ICT development.

Advice NI membership in Northern Ireland is made up of a wide range of organisations that provide a range of generalist or specialist advice and information services for clients. Typical examples of such organisations include resource centres, community development organisations, women’s centres, dedicated advice centres and specialist organisations that provide support for a range of social groups including people with disabilities, older people and lone parents.

All of these organisations provide a diverse range of frontline advice services, tackling poverty and social deprivation within a broad community development context. Indeed it is this diversity which makes the independent sector so effective in targeting need and addressing the concerns of disadvantaged or socially excluded individuals or communities.

Advice NI membership is normally for organisations that provide significant advice and information services to the public. Advice NI has over 70 member organisations operating throughout Northern Ireland, annually providing information and advocacy services to over 110,000 people. Over 213,000 enquiries are dealt with each year on an extensive range of matters including: social security, housing, debt, consumer and employment issues.

Contact name: Kevin Higgins

Address:
1 Rushfield Avenue
Belfast

Postcode: BT7 3FP

Tel: (028) 9064 5919

Fax: (028) 9049 2313

Email: kevin@adviceni.net

Website: www.adviceni.net

Sector (statutory, voluntary, community, other): Voluntary

Area of interest/expertise: Advice provision

Mission statement:
Our mission is to develop an independent advice sector that provides the best possible advice to those who need it most.