The bureau can provide training sessions for staff working with mental health groups so that they can help their clients to develop their skills and confidence and hence, avoid financial crises.

We can provide free sessions designed to suit a particular organisation and deliver it at the premises. The session can be as long or as short as you like but we recommend 3 hours.

Essential financial and budgeting skills

Sheffield Mental Health Citizens Advice Bureau has developed ‘MoneyActive’ sessions for mental health frontline workers. These sessions take account of the particular problems faced by people with mental health difficulties.

The training sessions focus on understanding the issues associated with financial exclusion for those on benefits or very low income.

It also looks at the essential elements of financial management and budgeting including:

• Dealing with bills –what must be paid now and what can wait to be paid.
• Sources of credit –what can be affordable and what should be avoided.
• Savings.
• Tips on optimising income and reducing expenditure.
• Working out a personal budget.
• Where and when to go for advice.

In addition, we can also offer training to service users which can be tailored to their needs.

Do you want to make it easier for your money to last from one week to the next? Could any of the following help you?

• Better Budgeting
• Increasing my income and reducing what I spend
• Best energy deal
• Can I put away Savings?
• Affordable credit
• Paying bills and dealing with debt
• Why have a Bank Account

Local volunteer awarded top honour

At afternoon tea hosted by Princess Anne, David Miles who has volunteered at Sheffield Mental Health CAB since 2003 was awarded a highly commended certificate in the MoneyActive Volunteer category, in recognition of his work on the MoneyActive project over the last 3 years. Follow this link  to read more. (Item added 21.02.2012)  To view other press releases, articles etc - visit our Press releases.  You can also see photos from the event on Flickr. 

(this project is funded jointly by Citizens Advice and Nationwide)