Launch Of Western Isles Consumer Support Network |
28 July 2005 |
| Lesley Riddoch, writer and broadcaster, today launched Lìonra Taic Luchd-Ceannachd Nan h-Eilean Siar (the Western Isles Consumer Support Network) in the Woodlands Centre in Stornoway.
The Consumer Support Network has been launched in order to bring together Trading Standards, the local Citizens Advice Bureaux Services along with other advice and information providers in the Western Isles. The Consumer Support Network will compliment the work of Consumer Direct Scotland (a national call centre) based in Shawbost, providing face to face advice and will deal with referrals from Consumer Direct for more complex cases. Lesley, who is well known for championing consumer rights said, “Away from the central belt, people imagine that there are no cowboys, no sharp practices, no reasons for needing consumer protection. In fact, when shops are local and shopowners are neighbours and even friends it can be very hard to get straightforward trading problems raised let alone resolved. In close-knit communities like the Western Isles it can be very useful to have unbiased information and consumer support to hand.” A consumer survey was recently undertaken in the Western Isles to try to establish how well consumers were of their rights. 30% of the respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘fairly well’ informed with 70% saying they were ‘not very well informed’. As far as accessing advice or information only 40% of respondents said it was with ‘very easy’ or ‘fairly easy’ to do so, with the rest stating some degree of difficulty. At meetings to discuss the surveys the Comhairle’s Trading Standards Department and the 4 Citizens Advice Bureaux in the Western Isles agreed that the development of a Consumer Support Network would give significant improvement to the service delivery by providing a co-ordinated and targeted approach to the provision of consumer advice in the Western Isles. Consumer Direct set up last year, now offers the first port of call for consumer advice, and empowers Consumers to resolve issues for themselves. Consumer Direct will now act as a gateway for referrals to the Consumer Support Network. In order to become a member of the Consumer Support Network organisations must satisfy Quality Mark Scotland standards and must pass an audit to ensure that best practice systems are in place to ensure consistent high quality advice and assistance. Currently partner members of the Consumer Support Network include TIG(Tighean Innse Gail), TeaS(The energy Advisory Service), Western Isles Care and Repair, and Sgailean Foyer Project. Future plans for the Western Isles CSN is the development of the Western Isles Library Service to obtain Quality Mark. Nigel Scott Tel: 01851 709389 (Work) |
|