THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE

Community Legal Service partnerships are the key to the CLS to be launched in April. They bring together legal advice service funders including the Legal Aid Board, local authorities and charities (and the suppliers of those services) such as lawyers and advice centres). They are already up and running in some 50 areas (covering 25% of England and Wales) with many more to come after the launch. To qualify for the CLS Quality Mark and to be entitled to display the CLS logo an organisation will need to show that it meets the standard for the type of service it offers, whether it be Information, General Help or Specialist Help. The Legal Aid Board will, in most cases, carry out a full audit of organisations offering General and Specialist Help to ascertain if the organisation qualifies. The process will be simpler for Information providers. They will be required to complete a self-assessment questionnaire. For more information apply to Kirsten Dunlop, The Franchise Development Group, Legal Aid Head Office, 85 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8AA. Telephone: 0171 813 8604.