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Criminal Defence Service (CDS)- Quality and performance
- Quality Mark
- Specialist Help
Specialist Help
- About the Specialist Help Standard
- What's happening with the Quality Mark?
- How to apply
- For more information
About the Specialist Help Standard
These organisations:
- provide advice and legal help on complex matters in specific areas of the law to members of the public
- offer the full range of legal services including representation by formally trained professionals.
Where your organisation provides both General Help and Specialist Help services you should apply at the higher level.
If you have the Specialist Help standard and can deliver services at General Help level you may be able to self-declare this. Speak to your regional office to discuss.
What's happening with the Quality Mark?
We are reviewing our application and assessment process. Please contact your local regional office to check the local position before beginning an application.
How to apply
Providers may be passported in some of the requirements if they are already accredited with:- Lexcel
- Year 2000IiP
- ISO9001:2000
- Charter Mark
- EFQM.
See ‘Quality Connections’ under Documents for more details.
The Specialist Help application pack contains:
- Specialist Quality Mark Standard Book: lists requirements
- Specialist Quality Mark Guidance Book: provides guidance details
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Forms: list the 15 Specialist Help Categories and their individual supervisory requirements
- QM1 Application Form
- Self-Assessment Checklist: to assist the initial auditing process
- OSS Forms (OSS 1, 2 & 3) and SIF1 Forms: relevant to applicant organisations or supervisors regulated by The Law Society.
Complete and send the forms together with any supporting evidence to your local regional office.
Application materials
All materials are under the Documents panel. You will need the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not just Acrobat reader) to save any changes made to the forms.
You can request hard copies from your local regional office. We also cater for applicants with any special needs/disabilities.
For more information
See Documents for guidance.
Read more about how we're reviewing the application and assessment process.
Speak to your local regional office with any questions.
Last updated: 20 November 2003