Policy
13 July, 2006
Specialist Support review begins
Legal Services Commission looking at supplier support projects
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has announced details of a review of specialist support projects funded as part of the Community Legal Service (CLS). This includes the Specialist Support projects that were previously informed that funding was to be ended in July 2006, before that decision was revoked. The review is intended to assess whether any of the projects currently funded should continue to be, and on what terms.
The review is to be carried out by the CLS Policy Team, with a consultation paper available from September 2006. A final set of recommendations will be drawn up following a six-week consultation period, with a decision expected from the LSC by December 2006. The projects subject to the review include:
- grants to Pro Bono Law Works, CAB Royal Courts of Justice, Advice Services Alliance, and Law Centres Federation;
- Specialist Support projects;
- payments for Civil Accreditation Panel;
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation; and
- Training Support Grants (which were recently subject to approximately £3million worth of funding).
Further, the projects under review are:
- experimental in nature, for example, pilots of new ways of supporting the delivery of legal services;
- unable to be funded via the mainstream general civil contract because they do not provide face-to-face services to eligible clients;
- provide infrastructure for suppliers, such as network body funding, accreditation subsidies, training contracts or supplier development projects.
For more information on the review, contact Nick Hodgkinson nick.hodgkinson@legalservices.gov.uk 0207 759 1442 (Mon/Tues) or 0113 390 7406 (Weds/Thurs/Fri).
For a pdf copy of the terms of reference of the review, see the LSC website Review of Supplier Support Projects.
See also related rightsnet policy news stories:
- LSC revokes termination of funding for specialist support services, 23 March, 2006
- 'Major flaws' in LSC approach to policy making: Constitutional Affairs Committee recommends reconsideration of decision to end Specialist Support (14 March, 2006)
- Specialist Support evidence published (22 February 2006)
- Constitutional Affairs Select Committee to scrutinise end of funding for specialist support services (13 February, 2006)
- An astonishing and disappointing decision of great significance to the most vulnerable people in society: Parliamentary debate on the LSCs termination of Specialist Support funding (03 February, 2006)
- MPs urged to attend parliamentary debate on termination of Specialist Support Service contracts (31 January, 2006)
- Specialist Support Service fight back: Questions in Parliament (30 January, 2006)
- Specialist Support Service contracts to end early: Legal Services Commission announce termination (17 January, 2006)
