TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR SOUTHEND CONSUMER SUPPORT NETWORK
Vision:
"To develop well informed, confident consumers in Southend".
Purpose:
Southend Consumer Support Network aims to provide access to good quality, consistent consumer information and advice. This will be achieved through promoting networking and co-ordination and developing services by consumer advice organisations at a local level, with input from funders, policy makers, stakeholders and others.
Principles:
Southend CSN will co-ordinate the consumer information and advice services within the Borough by:
- Sharing of information and best practice
- Identifying the needs of the community for consumer information and advice
- Assessing the extent to which members, individually and as a network, meet these needs
- Working to achieve the most effective deployment of resources to meet identified needs
- Working to attract funding for sustainable consumer information and advice
- Achieving certification of individual organisations to their level of competence under recognised quality management schemes
- Encouraging inter-agency co-operation and working
- Striving to avoid duplication of service provision to help maximise the use of limited resources across the Borough
Initial membership; representatives from:
- Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Mrs Ann Holland
- Citizens Advice Bureaux
- Neighbourhood Watch
- Tourist Information Centre
- SBC Libraries
- Essex Police
- Southend Association of Voluntary Services
- Age Concern
- SBC Money Advice
- Business Link
- Local Residents Association
- SBC Trading Standards (Network co-ordinating body)
- SBC Voluntary Sectors Grants
Very close links will be made with other funders and providers of advice and information services, for example, Community Legal Service Partnerships, voluntary groups, local businesses and national funders. It will be the responsibility of the network co-ordinator, in this case SBC Trading Standards, to ensure that these links are made, developed and evaluated.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Trading Standards, Civic Centre,
Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ZG
Telephone: 08454 04 05 06 Fax: (01702) 215051
Internet World Wide Web http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/southend/
Electronic Mail: tradingstandards@southend.gov.uk
