Professionals /AFA
Advice First Aid (AFA)
"Advice First Aid" (AFA) is a project run by Citizens Advice to train individuals in local communities to identify and address basic advice needs, signposting to more in-depth support when necessary. These "Advice First Aiders" act as a crucial link connecting people with the help they need, particularly vulnerable groups.
About AFA
AFA is a training program designed to equip individuals (often called "Advice First Aiders") with the skills to offer initial support and guidance to others experiencing problems.
How it works
Trainees learn to identify common issues, access relevant information, and appropriately refer individuals to Citizens Advice or other relevant organizations for more complex or urgent advice needs.
Who benefits?
The project focuses on vulnerable groups, including the elderly, those with disabilities, and marginalized communities, ensuring they have access to necessary support.
Key aims
Beyond immediate assistance, AFA aims to address the root causes of problems by identifying patterns and trends through the data collected from AFA interactions. This allows for policy and advocacy work to be targeted effectively.
AFA Training
This free face-to-face training will give individuals and groups the skills to triage for advice, deliver initial guidance and refer to Citizens Advice when needed.
Our half-day training course will give you the knowledge to deliver ‘advice first aid’. You’ll learn how to navigate effectively through the information on the Citizens Advice website to support people who cannot do so for themselves. You’ll also learn how to recognise situations where more than advice first aid is needed and how to contact our service when needed.
We’ll stay in contact with you after the training so that you can give us any issues you’ve been getting, get help from us with any problems you’ve been facing and let us know if we can provide you with any further support.
Dates for our training courses will be announced here, when available.
