Coventry Law Centre : Community care advice : Introduction

Getting Community Care advice

The Law Centre provides specialist services in Community Care law. We are able to advise anyone living in Coventry. We work to the standards laid down in the Legal Services Commission's 'Quality Mark' at the Specialist Help level for Community Care law and are expecting to obtain the Quality Mark during the next few months. We are the only such provider in Coventry.

Our Community Care law work focuses on meeting the needs of those who are disabled or ill, and the needs of older people or children in need, by obtaining assessments, challenging assessments where appropriate, and ensuring that services and facilities are provided in accordance with those assessments in a way that meets the needs of clients. We deal with cases involving phsysical disability and illness, mental health problems, and learning difficulties. Our work also covers hospital discharge and post-discharge care arrangements, primary and at home medical care, support issues such as domestic help, carers' issues, and the provision of adaptation and suitable housing for those in need.

We specialise in advocacy and representation and, where necessary, we can take judicial review proceedings in the High Court. We will also be able to advise or assist with other areas of law that are related to an individual's Community Care needs such as housing, benefits, education, employment, discrimination and immigration issues. We undertake a significant amount of work related to accessing Social Services and National Asylum Support Servcies for people with serious medical problems.

We liaise with national and local organisations in pursuing campaigns and issues to try to improve the quality of services offered to clients and to establish rights and areas of entitlement to services.

If you think that you will need an appointment or representation then either telephone our reception on 7622 3053 or drop into the Law Centre. You will be given an appointment with the Community Care Solicitor, or he will arrange to call you to discuss the case. But please note that we will only advise you if you live in Coventry.

The Law Centre will also be writing a range of leaflets on common Community Care law issues. These can be downloaded from this website or collected from the Law Centre. If you need an interpreter please let us know so that we can arrange for one to be present at any interview.