Understand Role of Technology

Grant to support LAG's Business Plan

Grant: £30,000
November 28, 2018

CHALKY LAW CHAT

Grant: £74,320
November 14, 2018

CLC, have developed a prototype digital solution to address the unmet legal needs of children - a non-linear Chatbot built through Google’s DialogFlow using natural language programming to provide accessible legal information to young people in response to basic legal queries.

The Prototype, focusing on 3 areas of law – Employment, Homelessness, FAQs on At What Age Can I.

Over 12 months the Project will develop the Chatbot to:

• Add additional areas of law
• Further develop/ refine the technology, functionality and natural language capacity through increasing the range of channels e.g. Skype and You Tube
• Have a low key “launch” enabling wider market testing
• Plan full launch in early 2020
• Undertake further business planning and fundraising to enable scaling of the project

The long-term vision is to add a “Live Chat” function supported by volunteer lawyers/legal students to provide advice “out of hours”.

FixMyBlock: An advice and reporting system for tower block residents

Grant: £46,315
November 14, 2018

Tower blocks are subject to a range of safety and maintenance issues, which, if not identified and dealt with properly and at an early stage, can potentially be life-threatening.

Residents must be at the heart of the system for managing and improving the safety of tower blocks – yet they are often unaware of their legal rights, and lack the capacity and resources to exercise these rights and make their voices heard.

To address this, mySociety and Shift Design will collaborate with the Tower Blocks UK project to build a new online service, adapted from mySociety’s FixMyStreet platform, that will:

• Provide information to residents on their rights and the law.
• Enable residents to report issues directly to the property manager (including safety, maintenance and repair issues).
• Provide advice on how to take further action should the issues not be resolved.

Law Centres 2020 Digital Vision Phase 3

Grant: £257,210
November 14, 2018

This project transforms the digital infrastructure of Law Centres. It establishes a minimum standard for digital equipment and systems across the network that enables Law Centres to:

• be ready for online courts;
• improve client and office administration;
• assist clients in new ways with digital tools;
• participate in digital initiatives and respond to digital offers;
• collect robust data that allows Law Centres and the Network to identify and respond to trends, and provide accurate evidence of the impact of Law Centres work.

Affordable advice and digital justice

Grant: £73,775
November 14, 2018

This partnership project by Law for Life and Resolution proposes an innovative approach to providing affordable legal advice to separating couples. It harnesses the expertise and strong track records of the two organisations, pioneering new ways of working to support separating families.

The pilot presents a unique opportunity for Law for Life to partner with the leading membership organisation for family justice professionals who are committed to offering affordable access to legal advice. Since the introduction of LASPO 2012, legal aid is not provided in most areas of family law, including early advice. Early advice is no longer available for issues such as family breakdown, divorce and child arrangements. Familial disputes - such as those regarding child arrangements - can escalate to court unnecessarily. These often result in more complex and costly legal proceedings, which ultimately have a more negative impact on families, and particularly children.

Increasing awareness about intermediaries

Grant: £30,000
November 14, 2018

To develop a communication platform, infrastructure and tools to raise awareness, so that more eligible individuals receive assistance and gain fair access to justice.

There are three parts to project:

1. Redevelopment of IfJ’s website with addition of Contact Relationship Management (CRM) and Content Management System (CMS)
   • Streamline IfJ’s website and administration
2. Create 1 promotional and 3 short training films to inform public and professionals about the intermediary role.
3. Develop an Online Resource Platform on IfJ’s website
   • an in-depth library of ‘best practice’ with training materials (SM 7. Content and development).
   • go-to place for anyone seeking information related to how vulnerable people within the justice system can be helped by intermediaries

Strategic review of Lasa Social Welfare Law Services

Grant: £26,340
November 14, 2018

Lasa will partner with Social Finance to create a new strategy to extend the reach of its services, and further develop the ability to generate earned income. The focus will be to concentrate on developing core social welfare law services meeting the needs of advisers working with communities to protect rights and ensure access to justice.

The project will include an analysis of Lasa’s current userbase to see who, why and how people use Lasa’s services, what is done well, what could be improved, people’s perception of Lasa and where it sits in the market. The project will also review and analyse the current strategic plan and look to identify potential expansion opportunities into new areas.

Virtual Partnership Law Centre

Grant: £49,870
September 5, 2018

GLC will provide legal services for a remote area of Scotland. It will invest in broadband, computers with Skype, camera/microphone, in private confidential areas in offices and secure scanning to safely upload documents. The aim is to make legal services accessible anywhere in Argyll and Bute Council (A&BC) that has a private room and computer with camera connected to broadband. Skype client appointments will be booked in the same way as other clients, with a solicitor ‘meeting’ a Skype client in a local meeting room.

Reach Advocacy will train and support four people in A&BC to become citizen advocates, who will provide local support to Skype clients. Reach Advocacy are a Scottish Qualifications Authority approved training centre who provide support to individuals, families, carers and communities affected by drugs, alcohol and mental health problems.

Second Year of Falmouth Dracaena Centre Webcam Advice Project

Grant: £24,230
September 5, 2018

The Falmouth Dracaena Centre Webcam Advice Project is a partnership between the Legal Advice Centre and the Dracaena Centre (Falmouth.

Engagement with the Dracaena Centre is key to the projects sustainability, and a great deal of time has been invested by the Legal Advice Centre in assisting the Dracaena Centre with fundraising, as the ambition is that the Dracaena Centre can take ownership of this project once it has secured funding in its own right.

Technology enabled access to justice and lean legal services – a vision for Scotland

Grant: £8,000
August 16, 2018

This project is a scoping exercise to identify the Information, Communication and Technology developments needed to:

• Become a fully digital organisation
• Optimise limited resources through clever use of ICT
• Extend the organisations reach through the application of technology to enable legal assistance, advice and representation to be supported in the smaller towns and “Legal Deserts” found in the rural and remote areas of Scotland.
• Provide a platform to enable the delivery of a wider range of legal services