Peer Review On-Line Platform (PROP) Pilot Phase

Grant: £32,030
June 20, 2018

Piloting an approach to establishing an on line peer review process for legal advice services, including developing a training programme and assessment process for peer reviewers.

Scoping Study for On Line Peer Review Platform for the Advice Quality Standard (AQS)

Grant: £17,468
November 13, 2017

The Advice Quality Standards (AQS) is fully owned by the Advice Services Alliance and is currently held by just under 700 separate social welfare legal advice services. The AQS includes a requirement for advice services to undertake independent file reviews of the work undertaken. Whilst all organisations see the benefit of independent review, it is often very difficult on a practical level to achieve, particularly for small advice centres.

Based on the ASA experience of establishing a peer review system with one member organisations, it is thought that an on-line peer review system might potentially provide a simpler and more effective mechanism for undertaking independent review which could additionally bring many other benefits (for example, development opportunities for case workers). In order to establish the parameters of such a project, a scoping study will be performed, to:

1. Identify the potential market for such a platform amongst advice services providers in England and Wales and support amongst key stakeholders and clarify objectives
2. Undertake a technical scoping exercise for such a platform, the current level of IT used and associated process re-engineering
3. Assess the long term financial sustainability of the model.

The Role of Advice Services in Health

Grant: £22,440
November 26, 2014

The Advice Services Alliance (ASA) and the Low Commission are in the first stage of a wider initiative to better integrate health and advice services, and to explore further potential for advice providers to access health related funding. Whilst the adverse impacts of legal social welfare problems on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people are widely acknowledged, this is not matched by a corresponding recognition of the health benefits of legal advice. This funding will enable it to research available evidence to demonstrate the health impacts of advice work, to assess the quality of this and identity gaps (particularly in relation to current health policy). It will also map existing projects that deliver advice in health settings to identify types of project, health outcomes, settings and funding sources. The work will lay the basis for a strategy to be developed by an Advisory Group, led by the Low Commission.