The public writer, a “valuable speaker in guaranteeing access to rights” at the Bagnols House of Justice and Law

Franck Danger tient une permanence les mardis à la MJD de Bagnols-sur-Cèze. Midi Libre – Chloé Lopez

Franck Danger intervient en tant qu'écrivain public à la MJD de Bagnols. Il reçoit toutes les personnes qui ont besoin d'un accompagnement pour accéder à leurs droits.

Public writer Franck Danger has worked since 2008 at the House of Justice and Law in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. "It's an excellent initiative to have put this permanence in this place which is a temple of rights. People have less difficulty coming here to see a public writer because it respects more of a form of anonymity", explains this former journalist.

Its role ? Allow those who encounter difficulties to access their rights. "The public writer is a valuable contributor in the context of social work. It re-establishes a form of equality , specifies Franck Danger. We support people in their dematerialized procedures. If they are really in difficulty, we will do it for them. What concerns us initially is to guarantee access to everyone's rights. The public writer is not intended only for the illiterate and illiterate."

Four types of requests

It also does not replace the role of a social worker. There is no long-term follow-up. "We are here to respond to a one-off request and try to resolve issues of access to the law." There are four types of requests: editorial assistance, administrative assistance, reorientation and ;nbsp;information. "At first I thought my job was to make files and letters. I quickly realized that there is a dimension of information that is vital." 

A free service for the population

In 2023, Franck Danger received 612 people from 46 different municipalities during its three offices (at the MJD in Bagnols, at the CCAS in Pont-Saint-Esprit and at the France Services space in Roquemaure). "People no longer have interlocutors. They can no longer be received in almost any public service or it is very difficult to get an appointment quickly. We therefore become first-level receptionists." Interventions are free for people. The activity of public writer is financed by the communities, the departmental council and the agglomeration of Rhone Gard.

Last year, between 130 and 150 different topics were covered. Some themes come up more often than others."The subject of retirements represented 30% of my annual activity. Often, elderly people are not comfortable requesting their file via the internet. You must have a France Connect identifier and there they are already lost. Then there is the fear of making mistakes and doing things wrong."

"I never let a person go without a response"

Issues concerning residence permits also come up regularly in requests. "People come to see me because they make a timely request to renew their residence permit and three months later they still haven't received anything. This is a huge problem. The new immigration law has made the procedures more dense and complex." Franck Danger, who is also a public writer trainer, sometimes finds himself in "powerlessness" and cannot provide an immediate solution. "I'try to redirect to the right person. In any case, I never let a person go without a response." 

For example, if a person asks for help in writing a one-month notice to leave accommodation, they are initially redirected to the Departmental Housing Agency. #39;information on accommodation (Adil). If the initial conditions are respected, he can then help in drafting the letter.

A new era with dematerialization and AI

The profession of public writer has seen an evolution from 2016 with the dematerialization of procedures."Before I had a sheet paper and a pen to work with. It was necessary to introduce a computer, we entered a new era. In addition to being in difficulty in their administrative procedures, people find themselves in difficulty in everything digital."

"We will experience another evolution with the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) , indicates the former journalist. But compared to AI we have a huge advantage, which is that we are human. Listening is vital in our profession and an AI or a machine can never replace that. I hope that in the long term there will be some form of recognition for this profession."

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