As promised by Hugh Barratt, the LAA’s Director of Commissioning, at the LAPG conference, the LAA has announced its timetable for re-tendering those categories of law that remain under the 2010 Standard Civil Contract. It will also re-tender Family Mediation, Immigration Removal Centre and Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme work.
Community Care and Mental Health contracts will be re-tendered first, with new contracts to start on 1 August 2014.
It will be a one stage tender process, to test suitability to hold a contract, similar to previous PQQs, and all successful organisations will be awarded a contract. Matter starts will be allocated in lots, those bidding in the smaller lots being guaranteed the number of NMS they bid for. Those bidding in the highest lot size may need to meet additional quality requirements.
In Mental Health, all representatives before the MHT will have to be accredited under the Law Society’s Mental Health Accreditation Scheme. All organisations with Mental Health contracts will have to employ an authorised litigator.
In Community Care, supervisors will no longer be able to qualify via the Housing route. Organisations wishing to continue to do JR work under a Community Care contract which do not hold a Public Law contract, will need to apply for a new Community Care contract.
SQM / Lexcel accreditation – You will need an up to date ‘paid for’ accreditation by the contract start date, so if you have not already obtained this, e.g. as part of gaining a new Family, Housing or Immigration contract, you would be advised to start preparing now.
PQQs and ITTs to open mid February 2014 and close in mid-March
Actions against the police etc, Clinical Negligence, Family Mediation, IRC work, HPCDS work, Public Law
PQQs and ITTs to open late in 2014, contracts to start 1 November 2015. The LAA will work with the representative bodies on the contracting arrangements it would wish to put in place and further information will be published in due course.
Legal Aid Handbook 