Legal Aid Agency Picks Supplier For Digital Transformation

The Legal Aid Agency, a public body providing civil and criminal legal advice in England and Wales, has chosen a supplier to deliver its new online Civil Legal Advice (CLA) Operator Service.

The Service is a legal aid-funded telephone helpline that provides a triage service to help determine whether individuals qualify for legal aid.

Those who are qualified are able to access free and confidential legal advice in areas of law such as benefit appeals, debt, at-risk homes, special education needs, housing and discrimination issues.

The Agency, part of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), picked IT and business process provider Agilisys to support its transition to the digital world.

The supplier will be expected to deliver the CLA Operator Service in a deal worth around £5.7m over three years with the option to extend for two more.

Agency To Go Digital By Default

According to Agilisys, it plans to offer the Legal Aid Agency a high level of consistency by providing a "simple yet effective solution" to what it characterises as a "complex and sensitive customer service challenge."

It claims it will also support and inform the delivery of services through digital channels, helping the Agency to meet the government’s Digital by Default agenda.

“Continuous service improvement is key and one of our priorities is to ensure that members of the public have the option to access CLA in ways that meet their preferences, including through new digital channels,” claimed Matthew Coats, the Agency's CEO.

Agilisys will be delivering the service from North Somerset, claiming the move will also create new local jobs in its growing contact centre facilities.

© 24N.biz