Research

Key recommendations include: - Develop a long-term network funding strategy to increase advice provision in Liverpool - Organisational collaboration to maximise advice capacity - Identify and fund independent advice in all new Council strategies and projects - Nominate a key Council directorate with responsibility for ensuring appropriate independent advice is provided across its work programme - Consult the advice network at an early stage of programme design - Consult LATAN and its members on an annual basis; using their evidence base of advice needs. - Implement a secure, digital. combined advice directory and referral system. Co-designed by the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool Access to Advice Network members in late 2022, the Liverpool Advice Strategy sets out a framework and guiding principles for the development of a robust cross-sector advice strategy that works towards a well-funded, connected and valued sector that can respond to residents’ need for advice. The LATAN strategy sets out the context for the development of a cross-sector strategy, including highlighting the limited advice that is available, the loss of funding/resources that the sector has undergone, and the value of advice to the public purse. “At present there are a diverse number of organisations involved in a person’s journey to getting advice, but there are a very limited number of places to get legal advice. (Source: Organ, et al. 2020). This advice ecosystem is limited, fragile and complex.” “The seemingly high number of organisations that are stakeholders in the free legal advice sector must be set in the context of a sector that has suffered severe funding cuts in recent years, and where the majority of organisations act only as a gateway to the limited legal advice services that remain.” “There is very little remaining of specialist casework for the more complex situations in all areas of social welfare law. (Source: Organ, et al. 2020; EHRC, 2018).” “The advice sector provides significant social and economic benefit to Liverpool’s communities and residents; for example, reducing health inequalities, keeping people in work and saving the public purse an estimated £8,000 per year for each client that receives specialist advice (Leckie, Munro and Pragnell; Pragmatix, 2021).” The LATAN Liverpool Advice Strategy identifies collaboration, a unified joined up system of advice providers and gateway organisations, and recognition and investment of the local authority as key to the development of a well-functioning (because well-funded and effective) advice sector.