Govan Law Centre has been awarded Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) funding to improve free debt and money advice. GLC’s debt navigator project will develop online debt tools, guidance and advice in a range of formats.
It is a 2 year project and will provide links to existing information and services, and a referral system for clients with more complex debt problems. GLC also want to test how we can join up services, and improve take-up of statutory debt solutions.
GLC are one of only twenty advice agencies across Scotland to have been awarded funding.
Mike Dailly, GLC solicitor advocate said: “We can’t wait to get started on this project. The chance to develop our online services is something we have wanted to do for some time. We think online tools can empower people to support themselves, and help us reach more people across Scotland.
We are in the process of developing our plans with IT specialists and talking to other advice agencies across Scotland about how we link up with each other. We will have more developments to announce very soon.”
SLAB launched their £3.25m Debt Advice Journey Programme in October 2020, seeking applications designed to assist with the development of changes to working practices that help manage demand on services and improve user experience.
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to agencies like GLC adapting how we deliver legal advice and we need to learn some long term lessons.
We hope the project will free up time for debt advisers to work more efficiently and help more clients. And provide long-term benefits to the advice agencies and their clients beyond the end of the three-year programme.
