• About the CAB Local Information System
  • Introduction
  • About the technology
  • Utilities
  • Version history
• Desktop version
  • Features
  • Enquiry
  • Maintenance
  • Downloads
  • Get the system
• Intranet version
  • Features
  • Try it now
  • Intranet tools
  • Free install service
  • Get the system

The CITA Citizens Advice Bureau Local Information System

Welcome.

We are Andy and Margaret Henderson, the husband and wife team behind Constructive IT Advice.

Margaret has been a CAB adviser and a local information co-ordinator having worked at both Epsom & Ewell and Gosport bureaux.

We saw an opportunity to develop a simple local information system for Epsom & Ewell which proved to be very useful:

• Easy access for advisers
• Simple, but effective search facilities
• Replaces bulky filing systems
• Links directly through to relevant web sites (minimising the amount of information that needs to be kept up-to-date)
• Helps local information coordinators review and validate entries in the database

We therefore decided to develop a version that could be implemented and run at any CAB with the minimum of IT expertise. We have now provided the system to over 120 bureaux around the country.

We provide the system and support it free of charge. There is no cost to bureaux. The system runs under Microsoft Windows. All the software you need to run the local information system either comes with Windows or can be downloaded from Microsoft for free.

We fix errors as they are reported to us (there haven't been many). We also supply enhancements - mainly in response to suggestions from bureaux.

The other sections of this site:

• Introduce the objectives, features and benefits of the local information system
• Describe the original desktop version of the system
• Describe the web-based intranet version of the system
• Explain how you can get a copy of the system and the supporting documentation

We update the system from time to time - usually in response to suggestions from bureaux. If you want to keep up-to-date with developments, the two icons at the top left of this page give you the opportunity to subscribe to either a mail list; or an RSS feed.

We hope you find the system useful and that this site provides all the information you need. If you have a question or suggestion for improving the system, we'd like to hear from you.

Andy and Margaret Henderson

Mail list

Click this icon to subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, the Local Information System mailing list.

RSS News Feed

This icon points to a page containing the latest Local Information System news. Add the page to an RSS news reader to stay up-to-date.

Try it now

We've put a copy of the Local Information System online for you to play with. There's nothing to install, it's just another web site.

Constructive IT Advice

CITA is a small company providing advice and development services to a wide range of companies. We are not connected with Citizens Advice (CitA). The use of initials is coincidental. In our defence, we started using them first!