Southwark Legal Advice Network

We seek to equip Southwark's voluntary and community organisations with the tools and information they need to achieve their objectives.

Southwark Legal Advice Network

The Southwark Legal Advice Network have been awarded funding from the Big Lottery to improve access to quality assured advice services and self help information for people in Southwark

The Southwark Legal Advice Network includes voluntary sector advice providers, private practice solicitors, community and statutory agencies. The project aims to link more effectively with statutory services and ensure that the wider community sector is able to make effective referrals to legal advice providers.

The core partners

  • Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux Service

  • Blackfriars Advice Centre,

  • Southwark Law Centre

  • Cambridge House Law Centre

  • Southwark Refugee Project

  • Multi Lingual Rights Shop

  • Afro Asian Advisory Service

  • Pierce Glynn Solicitors

  • Anthony Gold Solicitors.

  • Southwark Council Community Engagement Department

The Network itself is open to all agencies who have an interest in the provision of advice at a strategic level. Network meetings are generally held on a quarterly basis Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux Service is the lead partner and employs a development manager and a part time administrator to co-ordinate the work of the Legal Advice Network.

What the Southwark Legal Advice Network do

The Network has developed a website www.southwarkadvice.org.uk.

This brings together up to date information on advice services in the Borough and links through to a range of self help information and useful websites.

We have also developed an advice strategy for the Borough a working document with an action plan to ensure we improve access to high Quality advice for people who need these most. Download the strategy here

The Network co-ordinates the Southwark Advice Forum which meets quarterly and is aimed at frontline workers and volunteers who give advice as part of their role. The Forum provides workshops on different areas of law and an information exchange between members. We also use the forum to help identify social policy issues affecting local residents.

If you would like to be on the mailing list for the Advice Forum, please contact slan@southwarkcabservice.org.uk.

By January 2011 we will launch phase 2 of the SLAN website, which will be an area for frontline advisers and community workers. This area of the site will include information about training and forthcoming events, as well as forums to discuss cases and social policy issues.

The Network also co-ordinates the Southwark Financial Inclusion Forum, a partnership between the voluntary and statutory sectors and Southwark Credit Union aimed at tackling some of the issues around poverty and debt in the Borough. The Forum won a Government Office for London Compact award in 2009.

The Keep Warm Keep Well partnership is a sub group of the financial inclusion forum and aims to tackle fuel poverty in the Borough and reduce carbon emissions.

If you would like to be on the mailing list for the Financial Inclusion Forum or the keep warm Keep Well Partnership Advice Forum, please contact slan@southwarkcabservice.org.uk.

Equalities and Human Rights work

 As part of their role as lead agency for the Southwark Legal Advice Network Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux Service has been awarded a contract by Southwark Council to provide a critical friend to the council around Equalities and Human Rights issues and support the delivery and development of Equalities & Human Rights in Southwark.

The role includes the following functions:

  • Policy and challenge

  • Information and briefing to the Voluntary and Community Sector

  • Consultation and partnership

In order to fulfil this role, the Forum for Human Rights and Equalities (FEHRS)  in Southwark was launched in January 2010

The Forum is open to all community agencies in the Borough. It will meet at least quarterly, and develop and oversee implementation of a work plan.

The next meeting of FEHRS will be held on Wednesday 29th June 2011

To find out more download the Briefing for Community Agencies on the Public Sector Equality Duty here

The Network elects a representative to Southwark Voice to raise issues of concern for the people we advise.

For more information please contact Sally Causer SLAN development manager slan@southwarkcabservice.org.uk

Or Sarah Rose the SLAN Administrative Officer on: 020 7231 4410

www.southwarkadvice.org.uk

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