Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) has developed a regularly updated toolkit aimed at those who are new to managing the Legal Aid Agency’s notoriously complex civil contract. Contributors to the toolkit are Vicky Ling and Matt Howgate, who are known as leading consultants to the legal aid sector, with decades of experience between them.

As well as information on managing casework, billing, and contract compliance, the toolkit has a ‘community board’ where subscribers can chat and discuss issues with other contract managers. Ling suggested that, over time, if the community board evolves in the way hoped, it may fill some of the gap left by the legal profession’s diminishing use of Twitter/X to as a source of expertise and advice from fellow legal aiders.

The toolkit is available to LAPG members and non-members, with the former receiving a substantial discount (£100 rather than £400).

Andrea Shumaker, LAPG’s head of learning and development, said: ‘The consultation on the new civil contract, reminded us that the legal aid scheme is labyrinthine, generating risk and additional work for managers and front-line practitioners. The contract is a significant source of stress and there is a lack of resources available to help those managing contracts.’

She added that even experienced contract managers need access to the reliable, up-to-date guidance that the toolkit provides.