Every day, we hear about the unique challenges people face in their daily lives. By gathering and analyzing this information, we identify common themes that reveal larger, systemic issues, such as local housing problems. This data helps us create strong evidence for local policy campaigns and also contributes to national campaigns organised by Citizens Advice.
Why campaign?
As a service, we have valuable insights and data about the problems faced by our clients in Oxfordshire and their communities. We use this information to:
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Research Issues: Delve deeper into specific problems.
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Inform Decision-Makers: Show where decisions might have unexpected effects.
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Campaign for Change: Push for changes in policies and practices by policymakers.
The twin aims of the Citizens Advice service are:
→ To provide the advice people need for the problems they face.
→ To improve the policies and principles that affect people’s lives.
How is it done?
The evidence we collect comes from real client stories, compiled anonymously to protect privacy. This data is then analyzed nationally by Citizens Advice to spot recurring trends. These trends form a solid evidence base that is used to advocate for change. Because this evidence is based on real people and the issues they face due to poor practices or unfair decisions, it’s hard for policy and decision-makers to ignore.
We collaborate with local and national government, MPs, policymakers, regulators, and service providers to highlight these problems and suggest necessary changes.
What difference does it make?
Through effective campaigning, we can improve policies and practices and influence changes in laws based on real facts. This can make a big difference in people’s lives, benefiting not only those who use Citizens Advice services but everyone.
Some of our previous campaigns include:
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Participating in a National Campaign: We took part in a survey investigating whether clients are pressured not to claim legacy benefits. We identified five of our clients who agreed to share their experiences.
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Advocating for Long Covid: We recommended to the national Citizens Advice Research and Campaigns team that long Covid be recognized as a medical condition eligible for disability benefits.
Our current campaigns
Citizens Advice Oxfordshire is currently running several campaigns:
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Raising awareness of how the gap between Local Housing Allowance and market rents is affecting our clients, especially in Oxford City
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Campaigning to solve social housing issues such as properties where carpets and flooring have been removed.
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Working to tackle falling living standards.
More information on recent campaigns can be found here.
How can you help make a difference?
By supporting our campaigns
Some of our campaigns need your help! This might involve providing evidence, signing petitions, or filling out surveys about your experiences. We’ll share details on how you can get involved whenever these opportunities come up.
By volunteering
Join our Campaigns team as a volunteer! If you have experience or interest in any of the following, we would love to hear from you:
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researchers
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media trained
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social and policy research students
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lobbyists/campaigners
Find out more at Research & Campaigns role.