A pilot helpline enabling civil legal aid clients to book face-to-face appointments with solicitors could boost the numbers of people receiving publicly funded advice, the chairman of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) has told the Gazette.

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) launched the trial Community Legal Advice (CLA) service last week in Wales. It intends to roll-out the scheme – which will be evaluated after six months – to Cornwall and the north-east later this month.

Solicitors provide CLA helpline staff with available appointment slots, which CLA telephone operators book with clients by text or email. Previously, CLA staff merely referred people to a list of local solicitors.

John Sirodcar, head of direct services at the LSC, said: ‘We’d like to encourage more providers to sign up to this pilot, so they can use the CLA helpline as part of their marketing mix – a direct way of gaining more clients with already organised appointments.’

LAPG chairman Roy Morgan said: ‘It’s often taken people courage to ring… and if they are just referred on, a lot of clients can disappear. If they have a specific appointment, that is less likely to happen.’