Advice Plus
Funding to provide legal advice and support to those most in need
| Areas: | Application open/close dates | Minimum / maximum grants | Total available |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 12 November 2007 - 1 April 2008 | £10,000 - £500,000 | £50 million between 2006 and 2009 (£20 million in round 2) |
Summary of the programme
Advice Plus aims to help people in need access good quality advice on their legal rights and responsibilities, so that they can avoid or overcome disadvantage.
Round 2 of Advice Plus closed to applications on 1 April 2008. No further rounds of this programme are planned at present.
Earlier this year, in Round One we awarded £30 million to 71 advice agencies across England. Advice Plus Round Two launched on the 12 November 2007, with a budget of £20 million across the nine England regions.
Round Two funded third sector legal advice services that collaborate with other advice services in their local area. Advice Plus only funded projects focusing on legal rights and responsibilities.
Funded projects delivered all of the following outcomes:
- People in greatest need have better access to legal advice services that help them to avoid or overcome disadvantage and improve their lives.
- People in greatest need receive timely, accurate and effective legal advice that is quality assured and joined up with other services, so they are better equipped to deal with their problems and improve their lives.
- People in greatest need avoid disadvantage because commonly encountered legal problems are identified and prevented.
Funding would only be open to those groups who were eligible to apply and could answer YES to ALL these questions:
- Are you a voluntary and community sector organisation?
- Do you have an idea for a project that will improve people’s access to legal advice on their rights and responsibilities?
- Does your project involve working in partnership with all or most of the voluntary and community organisations that deliver legal advice services in your area, as well as other relevant statutory and commercial advice organisations?
- Can you explain the need for the project in detail and who will benefit from it?
- Do you need between £10,000 and £500,000 for a project lasting from one to five years?
- Will your project raise the quality of legal advice services?
- Can you sustain the benefits of the project when our funding ends?
Guidance
More information:
ASA's Practical guide to outcomes for advice ASA's Practical guide to outcomes for advice by the Advice Services Alliance.264KB- Assessment considerations for grants officers Assessment considerations for grants officers when assessing applications at round two.57KB
Additional staff posts Additional staff posts forms for the Advice Plus programme.60KB- Additional supporting statements form Additional supporting statements form for the Advice Plus programme.62KB
Guidance
More guidance:
- Round two leaflet
- Round two: guidance notes Guidance notes for round two of the Advice Plus programme.367KB
- Round two: guidance notes - large print Guidance notes for round two of the Advice Plus programme.364KB
- Round two: Land and building application guidance Land and building application guidance notes for round two of the Advice Plus programme.337KB
- Round two: Land and building application guidance - large print Land and building application guidance notes for round two of the Advice Plus programme.348KB
- Full cost recovery
- Key equality principles
- Explaining the difference This guide sets out some of the main steps that you will have to take to plan and manage a project using an outcomes approach. The guide is also available on our website. 331KB
- Good governance guide Governance means the way your organisation is set up and run. It is partly about the procedures, policies, documents and management arrangements you have in place. 117KB