Medway Consumer Support Network

Organisations within Medway have now formed a Consumer Support Network (CSN).

The aim of CSNs is to improve consumer access to expert, accurate and timely consumer advice. The CSN and Community Legal Service (CLS) are complimentary initiatives with the CLS Quality Mark helping to provide essential quality assurance for advice agencies joined within the CSNs.

Agencies giving consumer advice within the network all have the community Legal Service Quality Mark to guarantee their competence. Members of the CSN will work closely together to ensure people needing advice are referred to the correct advice provider.

The CSN has developed a Network plan to ensure that good quality consumer advice is accessible to the whole community. Please see Our terms of reference. First research has shown that less than half of Medway residents feel well informed about their consumer rights and, again, less than half feel it is easy to access consumer advice.

As a specific project, Medway CSN intends to introduce a mobile advice and education unit to visit rural communities. It is planned that the advice and education unit will be operational by April 2004. Extra visits targeted at other communities will be programmed after further research by CSN partners.

For further information on CSNs nationwide, please visit the national site.

Medway Council, Trading Standards Team,
Compass Centre, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4YH

Telephone: 01634 333555    Fax: 01634 333182   
Electronic Mail: consumer.protection@medway.gov.uk
Internet Website: