The National Occupational Standards for Legal Advice project (NOS4Advice) has launched a consultation on the standards required for those giving legal advice to the public in the not-for-profit sector.

Funded by the European Social Fund, the project - which is facilitated by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) - has brought together the major not-for-profit advice networks in a bid to define the skills needed to give advice in areas such as welfare benefits, housing, consumer, discrimination, as well as to client groups such as students and young people.


The 'generic standards' cover a wide range of activities, including information and advice giving, management tasks and providing support to other practitioners. The 'knowledge standards' provide detailed specifications of the knowledge required to advise in particular areas of law.


Peter Watson, director of the supplier development group at the LSC, said: 'I'm delighted the generic and knowledge units are out for consultation. The commission has worked closely with the Law Society and the representative bodies in the legal sector for the last three years on this project.' He added: 'The National Occupational Standards are a significant step forward in the agreement of competence standards for legal advice and will enable the development of a structure of training and qualifications for those working in the advice sector.'


The project facilitation team has requested practitioner feedback on the content, coverage, language and level of the standards drafted.


The standards and a response form can be viewed and downloaded at www.NOS4advice.org.uk and the consultation period ends on 30 November 2005.


In addition, a series of half-day workshops is being held across England and Wales to enable practitioners to comment on the standards drafted.