Agenda item

The Committee welcomed Natalia Rymaszewska, Chief Executive of the London Legal Support Trust (LLST), to the meeting.

Ms Rymaszewska advised that the London Legal Support Trust supported the provision of free legal services in London and the South East. The LLST operated on the principle that access to justice should be equally available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation, and advised people with a variety of issues ranging from small scale disputes to large scale legal battles. She outlined some of the key work being done in the sector, including the Justice First Fellowships, an initiative to support the next generation of social welfare lawyers to deliver justice in their communities, and Centres of Excellence, which demonstrated quality service provision and business efficiency and which ensured funds were being focussed in effective and secure organisations. Ms Rymaszewska spoke about the future work of the LLST, noting the uncertainty of governmental approach, the fragility of the organisations involved, and the fragmented advice services across London, and advised that a likely focus for the future would be training new and existing managers in order to up-skill and expand the capabilities of those working in this field.

In response to Members’ questions, Ms Rymaszewska detailed the money-saving work the LLST had undertaken by uniting organisations for larger spends, and comparing organisations’ budgets and therefore highlighting where money could be saved. She added that improvements in technology would facilitate more detailed comparisons in the future.

The Chairman thanked Ms Rymaszewska for her presentation.