CLS news

Earlier this year we piloted a new, innovative electronic Voluntary Appointment System for asylum applicants in Wales and South West.

The pilot aimed to replace our paper based rota system, with a more efficient online system, increasing applicants' ability to access legal advice early in the asylum process.

Providers upload appointments onto the system which clients then choose based on the time that they are available and their distance to the provider.

100% of applicants were able to receive an appointment within a week, reducing the average wait from 8 calendar days to 3.

This significantly increased the time available to both clients and representatives to prepare their case before their interview.

Building on the success of the pilot, we now intend to implement the system in the region in place of the paper rota.

We're also testing the Voluntary Appointment System in two other Home Office regions. 

In the North West we've been working with Home Office staff who have operated the system and offered appointments to applicants in the region; the Refugee Council are performing the same role in Yorkshire and Humberside.

If these pilots are also a success, we'll roll out the system before the start of the new civil contracts in 2010.

This work represents significant strides in ensuring increased access to legal advice for some of the most vulnerable members of society by providing greater opportunity for early advice to be given.

Collaborative working

The pilot involved collaborative working between the LSC, the Welsh Refugee Council (WRC) and our immigration providers in Wales and the South West. The WRC operated the system, offering appointments to applicants housed by the Home Office in accommodation in Cardiff.

More information

For more information about the pilot please contact the Immigration Policy Team. 

The report is available under documents on the immigration pages.