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Justice
for All campaign continues as the Legal Aid bill moves to
the Lords
Justice for All is the campaign to ensure everyone is treated
fairly under the law, no matter who they are, how much money
they have or where they live.
The
campaign was formed in late summer 2010 as people committed
to access to justice came together to share concerns. The
organisations and individuals who support the campaign fear
more people will struggle to get the advice they need about
legal matters and other problems.
Law
Centres Federation, Citizens Advice, Unite, Advice UK and
other members of the campaign value access to free, independent
advice, as it protects the most vulnerable in our communities.
The
campaign invites everyone who believes in justice for all
to join. See what you can do today.
Another
Successful Advice Leeds Partnership Event
Advice
Leeds hosted its second full partnership event on 20 October
attended by over 60 people from across the sector.
Delegates
heard the latest
news from the Partnership. How the Partnership has been
working together to raise awareness the issues facing clients
and to improve advice services in Leeds.
Nick
Bussey, Head of Network Development & Support at Citizens
Advice
presented the Citizens Advice perspective on the future
of advices services in the current climate.
We
found out more about changes affecting advice services and
our clients in the next months in our Reforms
Quiz. Why not have a go yourself before looking at the
answers?
The
proposed changes to Legal Aid will have a significant impact
on the provision of legal advice in key areas such welfare
rights, housing and debt. Delegates were encouraged to join
us in supporting the Justice
for All campaign and lobbying against these changes.
Read
our submission to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee
on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders
Bill 2010-11
To
end the event we celebrated the success of our legal advice
training programme with a certificate presentation to 11
of the 33 volunteers who have completed their NVQ qualifiactions.
New
training events for Support Workers announced - June 2011
We
have added new sessions to our training programme aimed
at advocacy and support workers.
New
sessions include Benefits for Young People and
Homelessness.
The
training is for anyone who works directly with clients in
an advocacy or support role and would like to know more
about how to support their clients to access advice services.
We
deliver a range of training that can be adapted to meet
your needs via training events or in-house training.
Find
out more about these training events and other training
available.
Celebrating volunteers in Leeds Advice Service - June 2011
Advice Leeds celebrated the
huge contribution volunteers make to providing advice services
in Leeds with an event at the Royal Armouries.
Volunteers
from DIAL (Leeds), Chapeltown Citizens Advice Bureau and
Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau attended the event arranged
to thank them for their hard work and committment to free,
independent advice services.
Also
at the event Chapeltown CAB were presented with the Investors
In Volunteers Award and 2 volunteers from Chapeltwon CAB
were presented with certificates for successfully completing
the Citizens Advice Adviser Training Programme.
Campaign
success prevents cuts to debt advice services - February
2011
The
government has announced that will secure the future of
the face-to-face debt advice programme for 2011/12 with
£27 million of funding for the next year and will
ensure debt advice can continue to be provided by the Citizens
Advice Bureaux and other independent advice agencies across
England and Wales.
Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills press release
Cuts
to Debt Advice in Leeds - January 2011
The
Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) which pays for 11 debt advisers
in Leeds will end in March 2011.
The
project was established in 2006 and since then around 100,000
people have been helped by 500 advisers across the country.
The project in Leeds, jointly delivered by 4 advice services,
Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau, Burley Lodge Centre Advice
Service, St Vincent’s Support Centre and Ebor Gardens
Advice Centre, has provided face to face, specialist debt
advice to around 2,500 clients a year, at venues across
the city.
Advice
agencies are still waiting for official confirmation that
the scheme will end in March. However, in a response to
a written question in the House of Commons on 19 January
Mark Hoban MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury said,
‘The Financial Inclusion Fund will close at the end
of March this year. The Government will work closely with
industry and other stakeholders to ensure that tackling
financial exclusion remains a high priority.’
This
scheme has been the main provider of debt advice in the
City since 2006 and the end of the scheme will have a huge
impact on the provision of debt advice in Leeds.
More
information
New Legal Advice
Service for Leeds
From 15 November 2010, Leeds citizens will be able to get
help from a new legal advice service provided by local solicitors
Henry Hyams, Leeds Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and Leeds
Law Centre working in partnership.
The service, funded by Legal Aid, will offer all levels
of legal help, from generalist advice to representation
at court on housing, debt and welfare benefits.
Dianne Lyons, Chief Executive of Leeds CAB said “As
demand for advice in these areas continues to increase,
we are very pleased to be working with Leeds Law Centre
and Henry Hyams to provide free, independent advice and
assistance to those who are most in need.”
Paul Mann, Director of Leeds Law Centre said “In these
difficult economic times it is essential that specialist
advice providers share resources and staff to provide much
needed help to the people of Leeds and reach out to disadvantaged
communities”.
Dominic Nurse, Partner, of Henry Hyams Solicitors, said:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with
Leeds CAB and Leeds Law Centre to deliver this exciting
new service. The service will offer easier access to advice
and legal representation for the citizens of Leeds at locations
across the city”
Press
Release
Advice
Leeds 1st Partnership event
Newsletter
- Autumn 2010
