Introduction
Rochdale Law Centre was established in February 1991 with a staff of four, to provide an independent legal resource for local individuals and communities. We now employ 10 staff (full & part time) – 7 Caseworkers (including, currently, 4 Solicitors), 1 Accountant and 2 admin/support staff. Our main specialist areas of law are Housing, Employment, Discrimination and Immigration & Asylum. The Law Centre serves the whole of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton and Pennines (including Littleborough, Wardle and Milnrow). Our building is in Rochdale Town Centre, but we aim to make our services accessible to the whole of the borough by holding advice sessions around the borough, and by telephone advice sessions.
Management Committee
The Management Committee is elected by the members of the Law Centre at the Annual General Meeting. It is made up of representatives of local groups and of interested individuals. All members of the Committee bring their own skills, resources and local knowledge to the running of the Law Centre. The Management Committee is responsible for ensuring local control and local accountability of the Law Centre. It is their role to set the Law Centre’s priorities, draw up its policies and employ its staff.
The committee produces an annual review.
The Work of the Law Centre
The Law Centre was established to promote access to legal justice and to serve the needs of traditionally oppressed groups and those whose access to the legal system is restricted. We aim to achieve this by employing a variety of methods of work, including individual casework and advice work.
The priority areas of work of the Law Centre reflect the needs of the users, and our policy to work against discrimination. These priorities are set by the Management Committee and are reviewed regularly. Staff members take up cases and carry out other work in accordance with those priorities. Our role also involves helping groups and individuals to use their own skills and resources in self-representation. The aim is for the Law Centre not always to act as “the experts”, but to be available to assist people to conduct their own arguments, campaigns or claims.
The Law Centre has a commitment to directing staff time to activities such as resourcing other advice agencies (e.g. 2nd tier advice, taking referrals of complex cases, training) to provide information and publicity about rights in an accessible form; working with community groups and taking up legal issues that have an effect on members of those groups; working closely with other local advice agencies, statutory bodies, campaigning groups etc.
Funding
Local Authority Grant
The Law Centre’s funding comes from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. We have a “service level agreement” with the Borough Council, which covers the funding which they will provide, and the services which we will provide. This agreement also guarantees the Law Centre’s independence.
Legal Services Commission contracts
We hold Legal Services Commission ‘not for profit’ sector contracts, in our 3 main areas of law – immigration, housing and employment. All caseworkers are supervisors within their own area/s of law, within a peer supervision system. All staff are expected to be involved in Legal Services Commission contract work, contributing to the required casework hours and working in line with the NFP contract requirements.
Positive action on discrimination
The Law Centre recognises that some members of every community suffer the effects of discrimination. This may, for example, be for reason of their race, ethnic origin or language, physical or mental disability, responsibility for dependants, age or class, being HIV positive or having AIDS, or because they are black, a woman, a lesbian or a gay man. The Centre will, therefore, positively act to ensure that oppressed groups and individuals are not disadvantaged in the provision of its services and priority will be given to this work.
The Law Centre also recognises the experience of people who have suffered discrimination, and that this experience is a vital resource to make sure that the objectives of the Law Centre are carried out. The Management Committee seek to ensure, therefore, that oppressed groups and individuals are represented in its staff members and in its management.
Memorandum and Articles of Association of
Rochdale Law Centre
