26th October, 11.00-12.30.
The focus of the meeting will be on immigration advice - specifically on the strategy we launched in June on funding immigration advice in London, and what needs to happen in the immediate and longer term. The intention of the strategy is to engage a wider pool of funders in this area and help those already active to increase their impact. Immigration advice can appear (and be) complex, regulated, and potentially political, tbut limited access to good immigration advice leads to increasing demand elsewhere and exacerbated hardship. This has been seen connected sectors that may of our members support, such as: children and young people, families, poverty, employment, education, domestic abuse, health, homelessness, criminal justice and social cohesion.
We want to use this meeting as an opportunity to check in where funders are now in response to the strategy, and how funders not-involved can engage in work taking place. Geraldine Blake - our Director of Collaboration - will be there to set out what funders can do in this space and answer any questions.
We will also be using this meeting to discuss skills gaps within the advice sector; specifically new changes in solicitor qualifications and opportunities with Apprenticeship Levy.