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My firm has a trainee
On this page:
Award pack
Information from the 2008 award pack is in the documents section of this page. This includes:
- Next Steps
- Keeping in Touch
- Recruitment Information
- LAPG Recruitment Information
- Law Careers Recruitment Letter
- Documents Checklist
- Three-way Agreement
- Equal Opportunities Form
- Student Information Form
- Training Information Form
- Training Plan Template
Payment information
All Training Contract Grant payments are paid through LSC accounts.
Payment settlement dates are on our website.
All payments relating to the Training Contract Grant will appear on BACS statements with the reference TRAINGRCLS.
The grant provides funding towards your trainee’s salary, Professional Skills Course and Legal Practice Course fees where eligible. It does not provide funding towards any other courses or contribute towards living costs and travel expenses.
Salary payments
- Under the scheme you will receive 50% of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s minimum salary to a maximum total of 24 months.
- These payments will usually be made at 6-monthly intervals
- If the training contract is completed part time, payment dates will be adjusted accordingly.
Salary payments are calculated on the current minimum salary for trainees set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If the minimum should change, payment amounts will be adjusted accordingly.
For an updated copy of the grant payment schedule, please contact Helen Ruddock.
Legal Practice Course (LPC) fees
- Where the recruited trainee is eligible for reimbursement of LPC fees, a receipted invoice is required.
- This should confirm the total cost of the course and should be submitted to Helen Ruddok at our South Tyneside Office.
- Please refer to the award pack for details of the LPC fee submission deadline.
It's your trainee’s responsibility to ensure that the receipted invoice is submitted on time. If they don't do this they may lose the right to claim this part of the grant, unless an extension has been requested in writing and agreed by the LSC.
The grant does not cover resits of the LPC. You or your trainee must meet the costs of any resits.
Professional Skills Course (PSC) fees
- Each award provides 100% reimbursement of the basic Professional Skills Course and electives.
- A receipted invoice should be submitted to Helen Ruddock at our South Tyneside Office.
The grant for PSC tuition fees does not include higher rights electives.
The Grant does not cover resits of the PSC. You or your trainee must meet the costs of any resits.
Submission deadline
You need to book and pay for the PSC course in the first 12 months of the training contract start date. If you don't submit a receipted invoice to the LSC within 3 months of receiving it, you will lose the right to claim this part of the grant.
All elements of the PSC must be booked at the same time and paid for at the same time.
2002 - 2007 scheme
You must send the PSC receipted invoice to the LSC within 28 days of receiving it.
New to the scheme?
Mentoring
Trainees can request a mentor to assist them during their training contract.
Many trainees funded by earlier Training Contract Grants Schemes have volunteered to become mentors.
Case studies
- A number of LSC funded trainees have provided case studies of their legal aid careers to date.
- These give future trainees more insight into life as a trainee and the backgrounds of our trainees.
LSC trainee forum
We have opened an LSC trainee forum on Linked in.
This is accessible to all trainees funded by the Training Contract Grants Scheme.
For further information please contact Sarah Brewster.
Legal Aid – The Next Generation
We held a trainee awards event for those recruited under the 2008 scheme called Legal Aid – The Next Generation.
The event also enabled trainees to attend a number of workshops on LSC processes.
Handouts from these workshops are on our website.
Each scheme is limited to one grant per firm, but there is no restriction on the number of schemes under which you can apply.
So if you’ve been successful under the Training Contract Grants Scheme previously, you can apply again under the next scheme.
Contacting the LSC
The Training Contract Grants team can be contacted through the details below:
Helen Ruddock
Legal Services Commission
Viking Business Park
Jarrow
NE31 1SF
DX 742350 Jarrow 2
e-mail: helen.ruddock@legalservices.gsi.gov.uk
Sarah Brewster
Legal Services Commission
4 Abbey Orchard Street
London
SW1P 2BS
DX 328 London
Tel: 0207 783 7446
E-mail: Sarah.Brewster@legalservices.gsi.gov.uk
Last updated: 08 July 2010