What Are Regional Advice Networks?

Wales is served by a network of regional organisations working to make sure people who need advice can get it — wherever they live. These are the Regional Advice Networks, often referred to as RANs.

This article explains what they are, what they do, and which one covers your area.

What are Regional Advice Networks?

Regional Advice Networks are partnerships of organisations — advice providers, planners, funders, and other stakeholders — who come together at a regional level to coordinate and strengthen advice services across Wales.

They are part of the broader Advicelink Cymru infrastructure, which exists to make sure people across Wales can access the social welfare advice they need: help with benefits, housing, debt, and other issues that affect people’s lives and finances.

Each RAN brings together the main advice organisations in its region, alongside local authorities, health boards, and other relevant bodies. The networks meet regularly to share information, coordinate referrals, and develop a strategic approach to advice provision in their area.

What is their purpose?

The RANs exist to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing communities in Wales — poverty, financial hardship, and the barriers that stop people getting the help they need.

More specifically, they aim to:

• Coordinate advice services across the region so there are fewer gaps and less duplication
• Develop a strategic response to welfare reform and its impact on households
• Reduce long-term harms caused by unresolved debt, housing problems, and benefit issues
• Promote the financial and social wellbeing of people living in Wales

No single advice organisation can address all of this on its own. The RANs exist because a coordinated, regional approach is more effective than isolated services working separately.

How do they benefit partner organisations?

Organisations that work within a RAN gain access to shared resources, coordinated referral pathways, and a stronger collective voice when it comes to influencing policy and funding decisions.

Through the Advicelink Cymru Refernet system, partners can make and receive direct referrals, cross-refer clients to other services, and transfer information securely and confidentially between organisations. This means clients are less likely to fall through the cracks between services.

Being part of a RAN also means organisations are better placed to respond to emerging issues — such as changes to benefits or a rise in households struggling with energy costs — by working together rather than in isolation.

Which regions does Wales have?

Wales is covered by six Regional Advice Networks:

• North Wales — Denbighshire, Conwy, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Wrexham
• Mid and West Wales — Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Powys
• Swansea Neath Port Talbot — Neath Port Talbot, Swansea
• Cwm Taf Morgannwg — Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Cardiff and Vale — Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan
• Gwent — Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen

Each network reflects the geography and communities it serves, with organisations in that area coming together to coordinate advice provision for local residents.

Find out more

To learn more about Regional Advice Networks and the organisations involved in your region, visit the Regional Advice Networks page on the Advicelink Cymru website.