Policy
17 January, 2006
Specialist Support Service contracts to end early
Legal Services Commission announce termination
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has announced the termination of the Specialist Support Service (SSS) contracts, with services to be withdrawn from 19 July 2006. SSP services had originally been contracted to run until mid-2007.
The decision follows a 'Top Slice Review' that the LSC state was necessary as part of ongoing management of fund expenditure. The LSC state that the review concentrated on the need to ensure current and committed expenditure continues to represent value for money. In particular, to allow for LSC commitments for acts of advice and assistance being delivered directly to clients, either face to face or via CLS Direct. We understand that hard copies of the 'Top Slice Review' will be available shortly from the LSC.
The LSC website states that there are currently nineteen organisations providing SSS services on topics such as welfare benefits, debt, housing and employment. SSS services are available to agencies with an LSC Quality Mark, and included one-off advice, ongoing casework support and training courses. The LSC state that they anticipate SSP services continuing as normal between now and 19 July, although they also acknowledge that this may not be viable for agencies holding SSS contracts. However, training courses will not be organised or funded beyond the end of March 2006.
A meeting for Specialist Support Contractors is being arranged for 6 February 2006, at the LSC Offices, 85 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8TX, 9am-12pm. To attend the meeting, contact Nadia Persaud on 020 7759 0305, or email Nadia.Persaud@legalservices.gov.uk
The SSS project followed on from a Specialist Support Pilot that commenced in 2000, and ran until 2004 when the current SSS were created. Interestingly, an evaluation of the pilot project, from 2003, found that these type of services increased client access to legal advice. Further, SSS services were found to have other positive impacts on clients, in terms of progressing cases more quickly and identifying other options for action. Additionally, the services were rated as providing a 'value-for-money' service. Sadly, it appears that this has not been sufficient to save these services from termination.
For a pdf copy of the pilot project evaluation, see the LSC website Methods of Delivery Specialist Support Pilot Evaluation Report October 2003
