Names of key officers Chair, manager, principal Organisational As changes occur – lawyer CLSP Workplan Performance Once in each funding agreement period Progress reports Performance Six monthly Events that may constitute breaches of the service Risk As these things agreement or significant risk (e.g. legal action occur commenced or threatened against the organisation; major capital purchases planned; financial difficulties that place the organisation at risk of insolvency) The dual core of the current reporting framework is the CLSIS database and CLSP workplans. There are other formal accountabilities required of CLCs providing legal services with CLSP funds. These are discussed in more detail in Service and organisational quality below, but are introduced here for completeness. VLA quality standards and assurance processes for firms and practitioners registered on panels to provide legal aid (for CLCs on VLA panels) VLA’s practice standards regulations overseen by the Legal Services Board + Commissioner the Federation of CLCs-managed NACLC CLC Accreditation Scheme the CLC sector-managed Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme accountabilities to the Registrar of Incorporated Associations, ASIC or similar regarding the incorporated status and governance. organisation’s At present, there is no administrative link between these additional accountability processes and the current CLSP. Instead, the CLSP calls for evidence of funded incorporation centres’ status, adequate public and professional indemnity insurance and separate audits of funded centres to ensure that quality standards are being met, against Service Standards set by the CLSP (set out in Appendix 4).VLA as funder of CLCs does not have access to the outcomes of funded CLC Accreditation or Professional Indemnity Insurance annual centres’ accountabilities. Discussion To summarise, CLSP funded CLCs are currently required by VLA as the CLSP funder and – by other organisations to demonstrate that they comply with the following accountability – measures: CLASS data entry CLSP budgeting
Names of key officers – Chair, manager, principal lawyer Organisational As changes occur CLSP Workplan Performance Once in each funding agreement period Progress reports Performance Six monthly Events that may constitute breaches of the service agreement or significant risk (e.g. legal action commenced or threatened against the organisation; major capital purchases planned; financial difficulties that place the organisation at risk of insolvency) Risk As these things occur The dual core of the current reporting framework is the CLSIS database and CLSP workplans. There are other formal accountabilities required of CLCs providing legal services with CLSP funds. These are discussed in more detail in Service and organisational quality below, but are introduced here for completeness. VLA quality standards and assurance processes for firms and practitioners registered on VLA’s panels to provide legal aid (for CLCs on VLA panels) practice standards regulations overseen by the Legal Services Board + Commissioner the Federation of CLCs-managed NACLC CLC Accreditation Scheme the CLC sector-managed Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme accountabilities to the Registrar of Incorporated Associations, ASIC or similar regarding the organisation’s incorporated status and governance. At present, there is no administrative link between these additional accountability processes and the current CLSP. Instead, the CLSP calls for evidence of funded centres’ incorporation status, adequate public and professional indemnity insurance and separate audits of funded centres to ensure that quality standards are being met, against Service Standards set by the CLSP (set out in Appendix 4).VLA as funder of CLCs does not have access to the outcomes of funded centres’ CLC Accreditation or Professional Indemnity Insurance annual accountabilities. Discussion To summarise, CLSP funded CLCs are currently required – by VLA as the CLSP funder and by other organisations – to demonstrate that they comply with the following accountability measures: CLASS data entry CLSP budgeting
vla-community-legal-services-program-reform-discussion-paper.docx