The Southwark Community Legal Service Partnership (SCLSP) The Southwark Community Legal Service Partnership aims to ensure that all those who live, work and study in Southwark have access to good quality legal advice, information and representation services at a time or place when they need them most. The SCLSP does not give legal assistance or advice itself, but works together in a partnership with organisations that do.
The Providers’ Forum is the full membership of advice providers in the borough, whether that be agencies funded by the council, firms of solicitors with Legal Aid franchises and other locally based organisations, such as Immigration Advisory Service. The forum provides a vehicle for information exchange and discussion on issues affecting the advice sector, as well as developing wider relationship between providers of services.
In the first year of the partnership a number of cross-sectoral working groups were set up to effectively co-ordinate the various objectives of the SCLSP, there were working groups on quality Mark, referrals, provider mapping and needs assessment. The data and report from the provider mapping and needs assessment exercise formed the basis of the SCLSP Strategic Plan. Work on the Quality mark has proved successful following a link up with the Learning and Skills Council to support a number of organisations in Southwark to obtain the appropriate quality mark standard. The work on referrals has produced an agreed protocol, which is incorporated as part of the Advice Handbook.
Membership of the Steering Group comprised representatives from
- Southwark Council
- Legal Services Commission
- Southwark Consumer Support Network
- Southwark CABx Service
- Southwark Law Centre
- Southwark Disablement Association
- Southwark Welfare Rights Unit
- Lawrence & Associates Solicitors
- Arlington & Co Solicitors
- Multi-Lingual Community Rights Shop
- Cambridge House Law Centre
- Philcox Gray Solicitors
- Pierce Glynn Solicitors
- Blackfriars Advice Centre
- Elephant Angels
- Southwark Housing Advice Services
- Southwark Carers
- Southwark One Stop Shop Services
The vision for SCLSP
Challenge the social exclusion of individuals through engagement with legal and advice services that fit.
The mission of the SCLSP is to
- Encourage service providers to be receptive to, and perceptive of, the needs of users, both current and future
- Implementing preventative measures to reduce potential needs
- Publicising the CLS to users and to service providers (both advice providers and non-advice providers)
- Identifying all available and potential funding streams and co-ordinating bids to them, in line with established priorities
- Working towards a seamless network of quality organisations
Why join the SCLSP?
By joining the SCLSP, you can benefit your service at no cost by improving your opportunities in:
- Networking – be better informed about the organisations that provide information and advice in Southwark
- Funding – e.g through the Partnership Innovation Budget where the SCLSP can access funds on your behalf
- Obtaining the Quality Mark – supporting agencies to access one to one support
- Working in Partnership – more collaborative working – ie joint funding applications
Who should join?
- Advice Agencies
- Legal Aid solicitors
- Voluntary organisation
- Small community group
- Public sector advice service
- Community centre/group
- Funder
To find out more about the SCLSP contact
Andrew Matheson, Community Advice & Legal Services
Tel: 020 7525 7648
Fax: 020 7525 7424
andrew.matheson@southwark.gov.uk
Social Policy Unit
Room 35 West House
Town Hall, London SE5 8UB
You can also go to the Community Legal Services page in the Equalities section or visit the  Community Legal Service Direct website. CLS Direct is an online directory where you can search for legal advice agencies, including legal aid solicitors, by entering details of where you live and the type of legal problem you have. You will then get details of advice providers closest to where you live. |