Information, advice and support services

Information, advice and support services are provided by a range of different organisations. Many are voluntary sector organisations or charities, but services can also be provided by social workers in the NHS or social care providers.

There are a huge variety of funding sources for information, advice and support agencies, depending on the area they work in, including charitable donations, local authorities, primary care trusts and other NHS organisations, and the Legal Services Commission.

A very wide range of services are provided, including one-to-one support, advocacy work, telephone helplines and written information provided in leaflets and websites.

Some services are dedicated to specific areas such as advice for people in debt, people with a disability, refugees, women experiencing domestic violence, people with mental health problems, gay, lesbian and transgender people, and specific cultural communities living in the UK, while others are more general agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB).

Some agencies will have qualified lawyers or social workers working for them, while other agencies may be staffed by individuals with personal knowledge or experience of the health and social care system.

Advice services can be very helpful in advising people on their rights and entitlements to benefits and services, particularly if specific services are provided for a group of people, such as asylum seekers. Some also have contact with charities that provide grants for specific groups,   such as ex-members of the armed forces or those with a specific disability.

For immigration, only certain people can give advice - it is a criminal offence for others to do so. Those permitted to do so are either lawyers regulated by a professional body (Law Society, Bar Council, etc.) or work for an organisation that is registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. As a result, the number of places where good advice can be found is limited, and services are not evenly spread across the UK. THT Direct (0845 1221 200) can help in identifying services for people with HIV needing immigration advice.

There are a number of quality marks for these services. Providers of legal advice can apply for a Legal Services Commission Quality Mark that means they have reached a number of standards in their provision of legal advice. Helplines can apply for accreditation for a quality standard mark from The Helplines Association (THA). Statutory sector services can apply for a Customer Service Excellence standard which has taken over from Charter Marks. Not having a quality mark does not necessarily imply the service is of poor quality; the provider may simply not have applied for the standard.

Not usually. Some specific advice centres may require a referral from a social worker or health professional.

Local services may be funded to provide services only to local people but it will vary according to the rules of each agency. You can usually use a solicitor from any part of the country if you are paying them yourself, but solicitors can choose to restrict the area from which they accept people on Legal Aid. Telephone helplines can be contacted from anywhere in the country, but locally based helplines may not have knowledge of other parts of the country.

The majority of charity-run services are free of charge to anyone, regardless of income.

Depending on the person’s income and on the type of case, Legal Aid may be available. This may cover some or all of the cost of getting advice from a solicitor. Law Centres offer free legal advice to those on a low income or means-tested benefits, but are often very busy.

The majority of charity-run services will not exclude people because of their immigration status. Access to Legal Aid is not determined by immigration status.

Provision of these services is highly variable and depends on the resources and funding of organisations in different localities.

People charged with a criminal offence are entitled to free legal advice and representation. You can ask to see the duty solicitor after being charged with an offence.