The latest in a line of community legal advice centres (CLACs) will open in Manchester next month.
The latest in a line of community legal advice centres (CLACs) will open in Manchester next month.
CLACs, which have already been set up in eight areas, provide free legal advice and legal aid services in a range of areas such as family, housing, employment and debt.
The new Manchester Community Legal Advice Service will operate from six sites across the city, and will attract £9m funds over the next three years.
Hugh Barrett, executive director of commissioning at the Legal Services Commission, says: “They are all experienced in delivering public legal services and have made a commitment to delivering joined-up legal services for vulnerable individuals in Manchester.”
Legal commentator Jon Robins says that CLAC initiative has comprised the best and worst of recent policy thinking on legal aid. “The big ideas—better local planning of services and recognising problem clusters—were spot on and remain a critical challenge for policy makers. Sadly, those aspirations will probably be ditched in the legal aid cuts.”
“The downside has been that a crude tendering
