The UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC) has been featured as a case study in the recently published Legal Support Action Plan, published by the Ministry of Justice, which sets out plans to increase access to legal support for people to successfully resolve their legal problems.
The Plan covers complementary forms of legal support. As part of this, the strategy takes a broader view of legal support services - including co-location of support services in places such as GP surgeries. The UCL iLAC was included as an example of an initiative which delivered legal support alongside other services to help people with legal problems. Specifically, the clinic received referrals from local GP practices, drop-ins from patients attending other clinics at the health centre, and the wider local community.
Professor Dame Hazel Genn and Sarah Beardon have also undertaken research into the impacts of access to legal assistance on health; and the role and value of partnership between health and legal services.
The Clinic, currently based in Central Stratford, works with a broad range of community stakeholders, including GPs, to offer free face to face legal advice across a range of social welfare law issues. It is run by the Centre for Access to Justice (CAJ) at the UCL Faculty of Laws.
You can read the case study on page 24 for the Legal Action Support Plan.
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