CDS News

The next round of Provider Reference Group (PRG) events start in February 2012 and we hope that as many legal aid providers as possible will book a place.

We plan to cover the following issues:

• legal aid scope changes (subject to Parliamentary approval)
• civil and crime case management update
• civil tenders in 2012/13
• introduction of an online system to grant and pay for civil legal aid

Booking a place

We will email our contacts at legal aid firms and agencies in the week beginning 23 January with an invitation and application form.

At the same time we will put a link to an application form on the PRG page of the LSC website (see below). So if you don’t receive an email invitation directly you can still make a booking.

Keep an eye on our e-alert newsletter LSC Update where we will be publishing more articles about the events.

Although we hope to accommodate everyone who would like to attend there is always the possibility of events being over-subscribed. So we have to operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

2011 events popular with providers

Our events in summer 2011 were attended by more than 1,000 providers.

The opportunity for open and constructive dialogue proved popular in the feedback we collected.

We hope for similar success in the events that are now being planned for February and March 2012.
The meetings will be held in Cambridge, Brighton, Cardiff, Newcastle, Bridgwater (Somerset), Reading, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

All legal aid providers welcome

The PRG events are open to providers working in both civil and criminal legal aid. Barristers working in legal aid are also welcome.

As well as publicising the events through LSC Update there is information available on the PRG page on our website (see below). This contains a summary note about the 2011 events.

Further information

LSC website: Provider Reference Groups