Devolution: Our Response, Our Readiness, and the Road Ahead
Citizens Advice Essex, the consortium of local Citizens Advice serving Essex, Southend and Thurrock, has recently submitted our formal response to the Government's consultation on the proposed formation of a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Essex, Southend-on-Sea, and Thurrock.
We are proud to have contributed a collective voice on behalf of the nine local Citizens Advice offices. We represent a voice grounded in local insight, day-to-day experience, and a relentless commitment to those most affected by public policy changes.
At Citizens Advice Essex, we're not just observers of the system. We're part of it. We support nearly 75,000 residents each year with over 270,000 issues, from fuel poverty and benefit delays to housing crises and employment rights. Our work doesn't just solve problems. It also prevents them. It eases pressure on statutory services, improves wellbeing, and unlocks economic and social value. In 2023/24 alone, the public value we generated exceeded £169.4 million in wider economic and social benefits whilst, figures now available for 2024/25, show directly attributable financial outcomes for clients have grown by 435% from £8.7m to £47.1m over the last five years.
We welcome the spirit of devolution, but not unconditionally.
We support what works. We champion what's needed. And we challenge what risks leaving people behind.
Our key message? Devolution in Greater Essex must be locally accountable, inclusive of the voluntary sector, and transparent. The changes must preserve what already works: face-to-face advice, community trust, and local knowledge while enabling strategic collaboration and efficiency at scale.
We're already delivering on that vision. Our infrastructure spans all three local authority areas. Our data offers real-time insights into people's lives. Our model blends embedded local presence with proven countywide coordination.
But we've also highlighted the risks: without meaningful roles for voluntary and community sector (VCSE) partners, devolution may not hear the very voices it aims to empower.
We urged the Government to ensure reform results in:
The inclusion of VCSE leaders in governance and scrutiny
Co-design with communities, not just consult them
Full utilisation of our real-time insight to shape policy and commissioning
The preservation of our local provision, which communities rely on, alongside greater opportunities for us to collaborate and deliver at scale
This consultation is just the beginning. As further developments unfold, including local government reorganisation, we stand ready to play a strategic, civic role in shaping a fairer, more responsive Greater Essex.
#Devolution #PublicServices #CivicVoice #VoluntarySector #CitizensAdvice #Essex #CommunityMatters #LocalGovernment #BetterTogether #SocialImpact