Adult social care strategies, plans and policies

Slough Advice Partnership Forum

Working together to improve information and advice services in Slough

Slough Borough Council has established the Advice Partnership Forum to help improve how social, welfare and legal advice services are developed and delivered across Slough.

The Forum brings together organisations from the voluntary, community and public sectors to share knowledge, identify local needs and strengthen support for residents.

What the Forum does

The Partnership Forum provides a space for organisations to work together to:

  • share insight, learning and feedback from local communities
  • identify emerging challenges and resident needs
  • improve collaboration between services and sectors
  • strengthen signposting and referral pathways
  • support the future development of information and advice services in Slough

Who is involved

The Forum includes representatives from:

  • voluntary and community organisations
  • advice and support providers
  • council services
  • health and community partners, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
  • other organisations supporting residents across the borough

Current review of advice services

The Forum is supporting an ongoing review of information and advice services in Slough.

The review is looking at:

  • residents’ experiences of accessing advice and support
  • current and future demand for advice services
  • different types of support needed across the borough
  • opportunities to improve partnership working and collaboration between organisations

The review is engagement-led and continues to involve residents, community organisations and partner agencies throughout the process.

Emerging themes

Key themes identified so far include:

  • making services easier to access
  • the importance of face-to-face and community-based support
  • digital inclusion and barriers to accessing online services
  • increasing complexity of resident needs
  • prevention and early intervention
  • supporting community organisations and local capacity

Ongoing partnership working

The Partnership Forum will continue to meet regularly to support the review and strengthen collaboration between organisations providing information and advice services in Slough.

The Forum also aims to support wider partnership working, shared learning and improved outcomes for residents across the borough.