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Background

In recent times, informal meeting have been held between three providers of legal advice in Rochdale (Rochdale & District Citizens Advice Bureau, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Advice Services & Rochdale Law Centre) to look at the sharing of good practice and the development of more efficient systems to replace the current informal referral arrangements for clients of the three providers. The opportunity provided by Big Lottery – Advice Plus (BIG) to access funds to develop and carry out a plan led to formation of a sub group charged with researching and developing a model to formalise the partnership and improve and enhance access to legal advice for hard to reach people. The three legal providers became partners of the Project in order to create a network of legal referral services.

The aims of the project are:

The Rochdale Legal Advice Partnership will become the major provider of advice across the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough. We believe the Core Providers will continue to fund the essential elements of the partnership as it will provide the most efficient way of maximising the effectiveness of available resources. We also believe that Partner Member Organisations will continue to support the Partnership as it will become an essential part of the service they offer. In addition to this the triage service will have become recognised within communities in areas of deprivation as an accessible and efficient way of addressing legal problems.

Over 7,000 people in extremely difficult circumstances will have had their lives improved by avoiding disadvantage through timely, accurate and effective legal advice. Such improvements will have a significant effect on the social problems currently affecting, for instance, the much publicised areas of deprivation in the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough.

Employees and volunteers of our Partner Member organisations will have had their awareness of the legal rights and responsibilities of their clients raised through their involvement in the project.

Partners/Partner Agencies

Rochdale & District Citizens Advice Bureau is currently the lead organisation for the project. Partner organisations are Rochdale Law Centre & Rochdale MBC Advice Services. (Links to these agencies)

Clients to the project will be triaged via several Member Organisations. These currently are:

Springhill Hospice
HMP Buckley Hall
Rochdale Victim Support
Rochdale PCT

Big Lottery awarded £445,978 to the partnership for a 4 year project starting on 15 April 2009. The project is currently managed by 3 individuals. The Project Coordinator and two Generalist Advisers and Form Filling Support Specialists.