NEWS RELEASE
17th September 2009 – for immediate release
Youth Access report argues the time is right to professionalise the youth advice workforce
Every year, over 2 million young people experience serious social welfare problems, such as debt and homelessness. Only a minority manage to obtain advice and fewer still get advice that actually helps them resolve their most complex problems – with disastrous consequences for individuals and wider society.
Yet, many youth workers, Personal Advisers and other youth professionals receive inadequate training to equip them to provide competent information, advice and guidance (IAG) on social welfare issues.
A new report published today by Youth Access – the youth advice and counselling network – argues that, if young people are to get the advice they deserve, the workforce needs to be professionalised. Many existing qualifications are either not relevant to working with young people or are focussed on careers IAG.
Given the impact of rising youth unemployment, there is an urgent need to develop a new youth advice qualification that will equip workers to provide good quality social welfare advice and expand access to high quality training.
The report makes clear that action must be directed not only at dedicated youth advice workers, but at the wider youth workforce, which will need to get better at spotting social welfare problems, providing initial information or advice and making appropriate referrals to more specialist workers.
Barbara Rayment, Director of Youth Access, says:
“Youth Access has been at the forefront of developing standards for the youth advice sector. Many of the tools necessary for developing the workforce further are now in place – including new national occupational standards for youth advice workers.
“The existing youth advice workforce possesses an enormous amount of expertise and often achieves life-changing results for its clients. However, its expertise goes largely unrecognised.
“Government support is now required to develop a youth advice qualification, which will help retain the workforce and provide greater career choices and progression routes.”
Research has shown that the majority of youth advice workers enter advice work “almost by chance”, many after gaining qualifications in youth work. However, whilst they report exceptionally high job satisfaction levels, few youth advice workers have access to coherent local training or a clear career route.
Olive Millar, Manager of Two-E, a youth advice centre managed by Enfield Council says:
“I qualified and initially worked as a youth worker. Later, I pretty much ‘fell into’ advice, without any proper training.
“Fortunately, I managed to obtain training on the job in key areas of advice, such as housing and benefits, which has given me the competence to advise young people.
“Most of my staff are the same – they arrive as qualified youth workers, but need to then access more specialist training so they can give our clients the advice they so desperately need.
“It’s a great job being a youth advice worker, but it’s a shame our skills aren’t formally recognised.”
Download the report: The Youth Advice Workforce: Now And In The Future
Notes for Editors
1. Youth Access is the national membership association for a network of over 200 youth information, advice, counselling and support services across the UK dealing with over one million enquiries a year on issues as diverse as sexual health, mental health, relationships, homelessness, benefits and debt. For further information, go to: www.youthaccess.org.uk.
2. For more information, hard copies of the report, case studies and access to interviewees, please contact:
James Kenrick, Advice Services Development Manager, Youth Access
020 8772 9900 ext. 25 / 07535 344881; james@youthaccess.org.uk
3. Other relevant reports published by Youth Access include:
· The Advice Needs of Young People – The Evidence (2009)
· The Impact of the Recession on Young People – and on their needs for advice and counselling services (2009)
· Rights Within Reach: Developing Effective Legal Advice Outreach Services for Young People (2009)
· Locked Out: Young people’s housing and homelessness needs and the impact of good advice (2007)
· Young People’s Social Welfare Needs and the Impact of Good Advice (2007)
· Rights to Access: meeting young people’s needs for advice (2002)
All of Youth Access’ reports are available to download for free from http://www.youthaccess.org.uk/publications
Friday, 18 September 2009
Monday, 14 September 2009
New CW1: partner must sign the declaration too
The LSC is preparing to issue amended forms, which will come in to force in November this year. One key change is to the Controlled Work 1 form.
It is, that there is now a box where the client's partner should sign a declaration, along with the client.
e are worried that there could be lots of problems with this new form that haven't been addressed yet
Love is: signing your first legal help form together
The issue was brought to our attention by ilegal team member, Gaylec. Find out more, including the other forms that will be amended, by clicking here
Useful things on ilegal
1. Employment: NMS and insolvent employers here
2. Housing: NMS recurrent s.21 notices? Answer here
3. Invitation to tender for West Sussex CLA service now out and available here
4. ASA response to the SRA consultation on Regulating Alternative Business Structures here
5. Discussion on splitting Housing matters here
6. LSC contracts and the NfP sector - are you stuck between a rock and a hard place? Discussion here
It is, that there is now a box where the client's partner should sign a declaration, along with the client.
e are worried that there could be lots of problems with this new form that haven't been addressed yet
Love is: signing your first legal help form together
The issue was brought to our attention by ilegal team member, Gaylec. Find out more, including the other forms that will be amended, by clicking here
Useful things on ilegal
1. Employment: NMS and insolvent employers here
2. Housing: NMS recurrent s.21 notices? Answer here
3. Invitation to tender for West Sussex CLA service now out and available here
4. ASA response to the SRA consultation on Regulating Alternative Business Structures here
5. Discussion on splitting Housing matters here
6. LSC contracts and the NfP sector - are you stuck between a rock and a hard place? Discussion here
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Legal aid reforms - 20 August 2009
The Ministry of Justice today set out proposals to rebalance the legal aid budget to ensure that the £2 billion currently spent every year goes as far as possible in favour of civil help for those who need it most.
The proposals will help to sustain the legal aid budget over the next spending review period, ensure that we focus criminal legal aid spending effectively and protect the civil fund as far as possible from any rise in criminal spend in the short to medium term.
The proposals intend to make better use of the criminal legal aid budget, reform and rationalise payment structures and sustain legal aid for the next 60 years have today been outlined in a consultation paper issued to stakeholders across the legal sector.
The funding reforms outlined in the consultation paper include:
Rationalising the rate of pay for barristers in Crown Court cases. On average, barristers acting for the prosecution receive 23% less pay than if they were acting for the defence, which could be creating an incentive for barristers to favour defence work over prosecution work.
Stabilising the cost of legal aid representation at police stations. Costs have been driven up by an oversubscription of duty schemes in some areas of the country, mostly in areas with too many firms competing for business.
In order to contain these costs and discourage inefficiency, we are proposing a reduction in police station fees in the most expensive and oversubscribed areas.
Ending the current duplication of fees which remunerates litigators for preparation for committal hearing but which also remunerates the same litigators for consideration of the Committals Bundle in preparation for trial in the Crown Court. The change will see all working on Committals combined into one fixed fee which will be paid out of the Litigator Graduate Fee Scheme.
Ending the anomaly by which practitioners in criminal cases receive a fee for file reviews which does not apply in civil cases. This would see an end to payments for criminal file reviews.
In addition, the Legal Services Commission will be asked to consider changes to payments made to experts in both criminal and civil cases. Currently, the legal aid budget pays different amounts for the same work by different experts and across categories of law. The change would see payments standardised to ensure better value for money.
The Legal Services Commission has also been asked to find an additional 5% saving from its administrative budget this year, and 10% next year.
Legal Aid Minister, Willy Bach said:
‘The UK has one of the best funded legal aid systems in the world and it is a vital service for many people, particularly during the current economic downturn. More and more homeowners, employees and those facing financial hardship are vulnerable to civil law problems at this time. We need to do all we can to ensure that legal aid is prioritised effectively so that more people are able to access it to and resolve their legal problems.
‘Legal aid practitioners provide a fantastic service and should be paid accordingly; and that means rebalancing some fee structures so that there is greater fairness across the board. Today’s consultation paper sets out proposals to make better use of the legal aid budget and ensure access for as many people as possible.’
The consultation on the proposed legal aid funding reforms will run from 20 August 2009 to 12 November 2009.
Notes to editors
For media enquiries please contact Ministry of Justice press office on 020 3334 3536.
The proposed legal aid funding reforms are outlined in a formal consultation, Legal aid: funding reforms.
The proposals will help to sustain the legal aid budget over the next spending review period, ensure that we focus criminal legal aid spending effectively and protect the civil fund as far as possible from any rise in criminal spend in the short to medium term.
The proposals intend to make better use of the criminal legal aid budget, reform and rationalise payment structures and sustain legal aid for the next 60 years have today been outlined in a consultation paper issued to stakeholders across the legal sector.
The funding reforms outlined in the consultation paper include:
Rationalising the rate of pay for barristers in Crown Court cases. On average, barristers acting for the prosecution receive 23% less pay than if they were acting for the defence, which could be creating an incentive for barristers to favour defence work over prosecution work.
Stabilising the cost of legal aid representation at police stations. Costs have been driven up by an oversubscription of duty schemes in some areas of the country, mostly in areas with too many firms competing for business.
In order to contain these costs and discourage inefficiency, we are proposing a reduction in police station fees in the most expensive and oversubscribed areas.
Ending the current duplication of fees which remunerates litigators for preparation for committal hearing but which also remunerates the same litigators for consideration of the Committals Bundle in preparation for trial in the Crown Court. The change will see all working on Committals combined into one fixed fee which will be paid out of the Litigator Graduate Fee Scheme.
Ending the anomaly by which practitioners in criminal cases receive a fee for file reviews which does not apply in civil cases. This would see an end to payments for criminal file reviews.
In addition, the Legal Services Commission will be asked to consider changes to payments made to experts in both criminal and civil cases. Currently, the legal aid budget pays different amounts for the same work by different experts and across categories of law. The change would see payments standardised to ensure better value for money.
The Legal Services Commission has also been asked to find an additional 5% saving from its administrative budget this year, and 10% next year.
Legal Aid Minister, Willy Bach said:
‘The UK has one of the best funded legal aid systems in the world and it is a vital service for many people, particularly during the current economic downturn. More and more homeowners, employees and those facing financial hardship are vulnerable to civil law problems at this time. We need to do all we can to ensure that legal aid is prioritised effectively so that more people are able to access it to and resolve their legal problems.
‘Legal aid practitioners provide a fantastic service and should be paid accordingly; and that means rebalancing some fee structures so that there is greater fairness across the board. Today’s consultation paper sets out proposals to make better use of the legal aid budget and ensure access for as many people as possible.’
The consultation on the proposed legal aid funding reforms will run from 20 August 2009 to 12 November 2009.
Notes to editors
For media enquiries please contact Ministry of Justice press office on 020 3334 3536.
The proposed legal aid funding reforms are outlined in a formal consultation, Legal aid: funding reforms.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Legal: How Tesco law will revolutionise
The Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007, which has attracted the label 'Tesco law' to reflect the dramatic manner in which ownership and investment will be liberalised by 2012.
The Act allows for the formation of alternative business structures to provide legal services, rather than the current partnership model, where ownership is shared among senior lawyers. It means Tesco could start selling wills and personal injury lawsuits alongside the fruit and veg.
Despite the fact Tesco has yet to make its intentions clear, the label has stuck. Supermarkets, banks and insurers are expected to begin selling legal services - bringing consumer marketing insight to the process.
The Act will also, for the first time, enable external investors to own shares in law firms. The UK legal services market is worth a staggering £20bn and offers mouthwatering margins.
Already, private equity players have begun scouting opportunities in the legal sector. Stock market flotations cannot be too far off, either. The implications for financial and investor relations specialists are obvious.
The biggest challenge is for the high street and regional firms that will start to face competition from supermarkets and banks.
'The challenge we are seeing is new entrants,' says Julie Gingell, director of marketing and business development at regional law firm SA Law.
The Legal Services Act (LSA) also enables non-lawyers to become partners.
The Act allows for the formation of alternative business structures to provide legal services, rather than the current partnership model, where ownership is shared among senior lawyers. It means Tesco could start selling wills and personal injury lawsuits alongside the fruit and veg.
Despite the fact Tesco has yet to make its intentions clear, the label has stuck. Supermarkets, banks and insurers are expected to begin selling legal services - bringing consumer marketing insight to the process.
The Act will also, for the first time, enable external investors to own shares in law firms. The UK legal services market is worth a staggering £20bn and offers mouthwatering margins.
Already, private equity players have begun scouting opportunities in the legal sector. Stock market flotations cannot be too far off, either. The implications for financial and investor relations specialists are obvious.
The biggest challenge is for the high street and regional firms that will start to face competition from supermarkets and banks.
'The challenge we are seeing is new entrants,' says Julie Gingell, director of marketing and business development at regional law firm SA Law.
The Legal Services Act (LSA) also enables non-lawyers to become partners.
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