advice priorities

priorities

We cannot do everything. We need to prioritise. East Hackney LAW is committed to developing a long-term, sustainable service, which helps to meet the significant advice needs of local people. The following lists our top priorities.

1. High quality advice provision

The outcome following Community Legal Service audit, policies and procedure are important for the continued quality of the service.
The use of systems and procedures audited by CLS helps nurture a culture of high quality and professional practice.
In the long term we want this to help support the establishment of small, appropriate and high quality, professional advice services across East Hackney.

2. Increased disposable income

We want to alleviate poverty by enabling people to maintain and increase their income and capital resources.
With local organisations and residents we will research, develop and implement 2 benefit take-up campaigns over the next 2 years.
Outcomes of this include an increase in the income of users by £100,000 in 2003, and a reduction in unclaimed benefit.

3. Empowering local people

By providing professional legal and general advice people in East Hackney can address issues around welfare benefits, housing, immigration, debt, general civil and consumer rights.
The outcomes for this are significant - people in East Hackney will be better able to take responsibility for key areas of life, addressing fundamental issues.
In the long term this will enable people to improve their quality of life.

4. Building confidence, self esteem

Through publicity and networks with community organisations working with 'difficult to reach' people groups, people traditionally excluded from advice services will have access to advice, advocacy and representation.
People who are traditionally excluded in East Hackney (including lone parents, black and ethnic minorities, refugees and asylum seekers, isolated older people, people with disabilities and people with mental health problems) will feel less disparate, isolated and more able to access local, friendly advice and support infrastructure.
They will feel better able to confront issues effecting them.
Users of the service feel increased confidence and self-esteem.
The long-term outcome of this is that there will be an increase in people articulating and addressing issues, and using advice services.

5. Developing skills, experience and careers

We will work with Hackney Voluntary Action to develop volunteering opportunities for local people, within the advice service.
By providing training and volunteering opportunities for 30 local people, within the advice service we will help increase the skills and experience of local people.
We will support people in developing careers in advice work.

6. A responsive service

As part of the Hackney Marsh Partnership the project staff will continue to develop work with a community development based approach.
Working with residents, volunteers and local organisations, staff will be able to implement changes, new approaches or new services based on expressed need or concerns.
An outcome of this is that residents and clients will feel that the advice workers listen to them and that the advice service is responsive to local issue and needs.
In the long term this will increase loyalty and attachment to the service and nurture an environment of inclusion and involvement.

7. An accessible service

The outcome of establishing 3 outreach locations in the first 2 years will be an increase in accessible and appropriate advice provision across the whole of East Hackney where there is no alternative provision.
The outcome of this will be an increase in awareness of advice service provision and increase in local people accessing advice provision.

8. Building local capacity

Work the project develops between its own team and host organisations, health professionals and local residents to develop effective and accessible service provision will produce significant outcomes.
It will strengthen the capacity of local organisations and enable groups to work together provide good quality advice and assistance.
This will help alleviate poverty.

9. Alleviating poverty

According to the Homerton health visitor "the impact of [the service's] work ... greatly contributed to alleviating poverty".
By implementing welfare benefit take-up campaigns promoting benefits like Attendance Allowance we will have a significant impact on London Borough of Hackney's own Standard Spending Assessment, which will bring in additional funding into the London Borough of Hackney.
The outcomes of Kingsmead Advice Service over the last 2 years highlight the impact this work has had, and the significant potential the project now has to build on this work.

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