Research
January 2010 Interim Report of the Nottingham Systems Thinking Pilot
A pilot of a new approach to advice provision, in which Nottingham Law Centre has played a pivotal role, has found that over 40 per cent of the capacity of advice agencies is spent dealing with work generated by the failure of external organisations. The pilot is applying a “systems thinking” approach to advice provision. It will now start to investigate ways to remove waste from the system so that more resources are available for helping clients.
Read the interim report:
Nottingham Systems Thinking Pilot-Interim Report.pdf
January 2010 Time Well Spent
The Council on Social Action (CoSA) has published a report that examines the importance of the one-to-one relationship between advice workers and their clients. The report, Time Well Spent, was based on research with Law Centres and found that one-to-one relationships lead to better outcomes and value for money.
Read the report: Time Well Spent.pdf
October 2009 International comparison of publicly funded legal services & justice systems
International comparison of publicly funded legal services & justice systems by Roger Bowles and Amanda Perry, Centre for Criminal Justice Economics and Psychology, University of York was published by the Ministry of Justice in October 2009.
The research investigated legal aid as it operates in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden as well as England and Wales. The data used in covered the period 2000/01 to 2006/07. In conclusion the authors suggested that there might be some scope to address cost issues. These include:
The research: Comparison of Publicly Funded Legal Services MOJ October 2009.pdf
Link to :Ministry of Justice
October 2009 Outreach Advice for Debt Problems
‘Outreach Advice for Debt Problems: Research and Evaluation of Outreach Services for Financially Excluded People ‘ by Alexy Buck, Laurie Day, Sharon Collard, Marisol Smith and Ash Patel from the Legal Services Research Centre published the research in October 2009.
The research found that outreach services were very successful in reaching socially and financially excluded people who had not sought advice before, building new partnerships, and delivering advice at new locations. Overall, less than 10 per cent of clients reported having previously sought advice in relation to a debt problem The advice led to a range of positive outcomes for clients, including payment plans, crisis avoidance, averting the loss of a home or utilities disconnection and gaining nearly £1.9 million as income for clients in a one-year period. The advice also achieved ‘softer’ outcomes such as reduced stress and, importantly, changed attitudes to advice seeking. Most clients said they were optimistic about avoiding future debts, although this was often thought to be challenging to achieve given their difficult life circumstances.
The research highlighted how outreach needs to be moulded to specific challenges ‘on the ground’: different types of outreach locations serve different users and a range of different barriers need to be overcome to achieve effective outreach advice in a given location. For example, there are significant logistical and cultural challenges to delivering advice to prisoners, a highly financially excluded group.
LSRC Research: Outreach Advice for Debt Problems.pdf
Article in LSC Focus magazine: LSRC Focus Research October 2009.doc
Link to: Legal Services Research Centre Publications
September 2009 Backing the Future: why investing in children is good for us all
‘Backing the Future: why investing in children is good for us all’ was published by the New Economics Foundation in September 2009. It provides the economic and social case for transforming the way we invest in the future of society through our children. To achieve lasting change, Backing the Future demonstrates why it is essential to address the impact of the structural factors affecting the circumstances of children’s lives, such as poverty and inequality, together with psychological and social dimensions of their well-being.
The paper highlighted the need to:
The report was produced in partnership with Action for Children
The Report: NEF Backing the Future 09.09.pdf
Link to: New Economics Foundation
September 2009 Supervision in legal aid firms
Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) published the findings of a survey on supervision of caseworkers in legal aid firms in September 2009. The survey was completed by 78 respondents between December 2008 and July 2009. YLAL propose the following possible solutions to ensure good-quality legal services in the future. They say that the LSC should:
where the supervisor is not qualified or has less than ten years’ experience in the relevant area of law; or
where the caseworker is not qualified and has less than five years’ experience in the relevant area of law; or
where the area of law is complex;
Copy of an article in LAG bulletin September 2009 edition: Supervison Ratios Research.pdf
Links: Legal Action Group and Young Legal Aid Lawyers
September 2009 The importance of being connected: Why, how and when referrals are made by community groups
New Advice Services Alliance research explores why, how and when community groups refer their users to advice agencies, solicitors and other organisations for support.
Summary by ASA: Importance of being connected ASA Summary.doc
The Report: Importance of being connected ASA 09.09pdf.pdf
July 2009 Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions
Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions was published by the Cabinet Office in July. The evidence also suggests that the law remains one of the most socially exclusive profession. It found that top solicitors and barristers are typically drawn from middle-income families that are significantly better off than average (up to £800 per week more family income than the average) and that typically, over 50% of solicitors and barristers attended independent schools, compared to just 7% of the population as a whole. This means that a typical lawyer of the future will today be growing up in a family that is better off than five in six of all families in the UK
Phase 1 of the report published in April also found that law firms also far outstripped other professional employers in requiring internees and work-experience students to be based in London – a barrier to many applicants from less well-off backgrounds. It said that professionals born in 1970 were far more likely to come from the professional classes than those born in 1958. It notes that 75% of judges attended independent schools, compared with 70% of finance directors, 45% of top civil servants, 32% of MPs and 7% of the population as a whole.
Phase 1: Phase 1 Panel Report April 09.pdf
Final Report: Fair Access to the Professions July 2009.pdf
Summary: Fair Access Summary 07.09.pdf
July 2009 No Time to Retire - Legal Aid at 60
On 10th July, Citizens Advice published a report showing the growing need for civil legal aid during the recession.
Copy of the Report: Citizens Advice No Time to Retire 07.09.pdf
July 2009 Rights and Responsibilities in the Social Security System
‘Rights and Responsibilities in the Social Security System’ by Julia Griggs and Fran Bennett, University of Oxford was published by Social Security Advisory Committee in July 2009.
The paper aims to provide an overview of the development of rights and responsibilities in the UK social security system, including the evolution of benefit conditionality and a consideration of the importance of these concepts in the current policy context. This background provides a starting point for thinking about key issues involved in debates about both benefit conditionality and rights and responsibilities more generally.
Occasional Paper 6: SSAS Rights and Responsibilities July 2009.pdf
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