A reformed Specialist Support Service could continue for three years under proposals laid out in a Legal Services Commission (LSC) consultation paper.
The consultation paper proposes that the Specialist Support Service is maintained, but wants people to use it more and for it to deliver value for money and ensure high quality of services to clients. The paper also proposes an increase in Community Legal Service grants to £3m over three years.
Proposals involve tackling the low use of certain services. Only 29% of eligible organisations used specialist support in 2005 and less than 60% of contract hours were delivered. The LSC therefore plans to revise the terms and scope of the specialist support contract and manage performance more closely.
Carolyn Regan, the LSC’s chief executive, says: “Supplier support services must help as many people as possible and target groups that, otherwise, might not have access to justice. Responses to this consultation will help us shape the future of the service and inform our tender for new specialist support contracts and grants.”
The tender process will start this autumn for contracts that commence in April 2008.
