Activities

ACFA is represented on a variety of Forums:

• The Voluntary Sector Advisory Forum
• The Debt and Benefits Liaison Forum
• Bristol City Council’s Advice Centre’s Review Working Group
• The Benefits Liaison Meeting
• VOSCUR (Voluntary Organisations’ Standing Conference on Urban Regeneration)
• SWAT (South West Advice Training)

ACFA has produced leaflets publicising important changes to the benefits system and have set up sub groups challenging social policy and trying to improve local practice.

ACFA is keen to promote affordable local training courses, below are examples of some of the courses we have organised:

• Benefit Updates
• Employment Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Writing submissions for your clients’ tribunal
• Social Security Fraud Act
• Developing services from a disability equality perspective
• Social Security Act 1998
• Benefits Updater 1999
• Deaf Awareness

Through networking with the South West Advice Training, ACFA plays a key role in organising an annual conference for advisers. We have held four annual conferences offering a range of workshops and social activities, members come from across the whole of the South West and the annual conferences are becoming extremely popular.