Community Legal Services Partnership
The Southwark Community Legal Services Partnership (SCLSP) aims to ensure that all those who live, work and study in Southwark have access to good quality legal and welfare advice, information and representation services. In 1999, Southwark was chosen by the Lord Chancellor's Department to be a pioneer, providing a blueprint for how CLSPs should be developed.
The SCLSP aims to challenge the social exclusion of individuals through the legal and advice services that are provided. The Partnership seeks to:
- Encourage service providers to be aware of and receptive to the needs of users, both current and future
- Implement preventative measures to reduce potential need for advice
- Publicise the SCLSP to users and service providers (both advice and non-advice providers)
- Work towards a seamless network of quality advice organisations.
The Partnership structure comprises a Steering Group, a Providers' Forum and a number of ad hoc working groups.
The Steering Group reflects both the diversity of the community and the range of advice providers in the borough. It includes: Southwark Law Centre, Southwark CABs, Multi-Lingual Community Rights Shop, Elephant Angels, Southwark Housing Advice Services, Southwark Disablement Association, as well as six private solicitors firms, and key funders of advice services, the Legal Services Commission and Southwark Council.
The Providers' Forum is a meeting of the full membership. The Forum provides a vehicle for information exchange and discussion on issues affecting the advice sector, and for developing effective working relations between providers.
The SCLSP has produced an Advice Providers Handbook, which details the range of advice/legal services in Southwark. This is available in hard copy and on CDROM. Agencies are able to access support to obtain the Quality Mark, the national quality assurance standard for provision of advice services.
For more information on the SCLSP, please contact Andy Matheson, Social Inclusion Division, West House, Town Hall London SE5 8UB.
Tel: 020 7525 7648
Fax: 020 7525 7424
Email: Andrew.Matheson@southwark.gov.uk