How to protect services and expertise with less resourcesPresentation - London Advice Conference 2012

Ruth Hayes – Centre Director

The scale of the challenge

• Unprecedented changes in political, economic, social context

• Demand rising, and changing in intensity (eg Tribunal representation)

• Long term funding streams disappearing• Unstable environment – impacts on policy

framework, desired outcomes, potential partners etc.

Overview of ILC work

• Specialist advice, casework and representation• Consumer – including utilities• Debt • Education • Employment• Housing and homelessness• Immigration and asylum• Welfare rights

Projects and delivery • Reception and referral service – in person and phone

enquiries/triage• Telephone advice in specific areas of law• Independent Advice Project – LBI/Partners tenants/residents

– 7 outreach sessions pw (housing and welfare bens) • 3 Advice Projects – 9 outreach sessions pw covering Finsbury

Park, Essex Road and South Islington (debt, housing and welfare bens)

• LawWorks evening advice sessions – 3 pw by appointment• Co-ordinate the Duty Desk Scheme at Clerkenwell and

Shoreditch County Courts and provide representation• Specialist projects – StreetLegal, Refugee Children’s Rights

Project and Migrants Law Project.

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What are we trying to achieve?Or, why bother!

• Mitigate worst impacts of changes on our clients

• Support community activity and other agencies – build resilience amongst client groups

• Maximum range of areas of law for our clients• Maximum range of levels of work (preventative,

casework and representation)• Retain expertise in staff group to allow scope for

services to be developed in future (“seed bank”)

How might this be done?

• In common with most agencies, our biggest costs are staff related (over 75%)

• We are taking up bulk purchase arrangements (eg LCN and Lexis Nexis) but not sufficient to meet gap on its own….

• We are not replacing staff who leave unless specifically tied to funding

• We are fundraising• We are setting up a social enterprise

Social Enterprise – why?

• We are concerned about the needs of clients who are just outside of the means test and the clients where there will be no legal aid from April – especially in immigration

• We are concerned that we have experienced and committed staff in post but not sufficient funding to maintain current activity

• Seems like a synergy!

What have we thought about?

• Is there a sustainable business model there?• What legal structure – charity, CIC, private

company?• Who will own it? At first, and over time• Who will manage it? How will directors be

appointed?• Who will work for it? Is that attractive to them?• How much will it cost to get it up and running?• Where will set up costs come from?

Our work so far…..

• We have consulted widely (internal and external)• We have set up a CIC and are incorporated• We have appointed Directors• We have a COLP/COFA• We have completed the first stage of our ABS

application and are working on the second• We have start up funding• We have premises (almost!).

Next steps

• Second stage ABS application• Office manual and new procedures (eg card

payments, banking, money laundering)• Branding• Recruit supervising solicitor and office support

worker• Launch !!!

What would success look like?

Clients value and recommend us

Agencies signpost to it as

meets needs

It is financially sustainable

Saves and creates good quality jobs

It helps change policy and practice

Can it make a surplus too?

Can it help other agencies?

Contact me

• Ruthh@islingtonlaw.org.uk• @ruthilc • www.islingtonlaw.org.uk• Main office number – 020 7607 2461• Ruth Hayes – direct no 020 7697 1475