Accessing social justice in disadvantaged communities: dilemmas for Law Centres in the context of public service modernization

A research report ‘Accessing social justice in disadvantaged communities: dilemmas for Law Centres in the context of public service modernization’ by Goldsmiths University was published recently. It explored questions about how have Law Centres been coping with decreased funding, and how have they been managing the pressures and tensions of meeting the requirements of funding regimes that don’t fit with their clients’ needs, whilst holding on to their ethos and values, providing access to justice for all.

The team was based at Goldsmiths, University of London and independently funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The researchers carried out a survey of 107 staff and volunteers from 25 different Law Centres in England. In addition 112 interviews were carried out – exploring the views of local authorities, advice agencies and other legal aid providers as well as the views of Law Centre staff and volunteers.

The research found that New Labour reforms were believed to have:
• Underfunded Law Centres’ work with clients
• Put additional pressures on management systems and management committees
• Reduced the scope for public legal education
• Reduced the time available for outreach and community work
• Undermined Law Centres’ wider preventative and policy work (including taking test cases)

For Law Centre staff, there have been tensions as a result, holding onto professional values and identities whilst operating effectively in this more ‘business-like’ context. The research highlighted the importance to staff of:
  • Giving each client the time they really needed whilst meeting targets for numbers of clients seen and cases closed
• Holding onto collaborative ways of working whilst managing competitive tendering processes effectively
• Working with increasing numbers of volunteers and students without exploiting unpaid labour

Law Centres have been developing strategies in response to current challenges and exploring ways of maintaining services. These include:
• Charging some clients (although very few clients would be likely to be able to contribute significantly, especially if they were on benefits)
• Setting up trading arms, to cross subside legal aid work (although it could be challenging to compete with private firms for business in the current economic climate)
• Undertaking ‘no win, no fee’ work (although this might become seen as ‘ambulance chasing’)

These types of responses were being considered although each had its potential problems and limitations.

Particularly promising responses included the development of collaborative rather than competitive approaches, working with other advice agencies in partnership, along with local authorities, to provide a seamless service for clients, across a particular area, including in some instances the use of telephone and web based advice systems.

Accessing social justice in disadvantaged communities: dilemmas for Law Centres in the context of public service modernization (full report)

Accessing social justice summary paper