Changes to Employment at Derbyshire Law Centre

We’re changing the way our Employment unit is structured.

At the end of March 2025 a significant proportion of our funding for our Employment Law Service came to an end. This means that we have had to reduce our team to 1 Solicitor, as well as reducing telephone call backs by 50%. We will be limited to initial telephone advice and will only be able to take on casework in exceptional circumstances. We are still providing a low cost option for different aspects of Employment Law for example Settlement Agreements and will be able to support clients who have experienced Discrimination at Work.

How is Employment Law funded at Derbyshire Law Centre?

Employment Law has been an essential part of the legal advice for the last 36 years. Initially our costs were covered by Legal Aid which meant we had a team of 4 legal advisors as well as a team of supporting volunteers. In 2012 the Government announced LAPSO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment Act 2012) which cut legal aid support for many areas including Employment.

With the legal aid cuts, the Employment Unit was under threat but Derbyshire County Council and other local authorities stepped in to help provide dedicated and core funding to support the team.

In 2024 Derbyshire County Council made the decision to remove over £1m in Discretionary Funding to the local community sector which means that the Derbyshire Law Centre has lost a total of £90,100 funding, £29,600 of which was ringfenced for Employment.

Now the employment work we are doing is being funding by charged for services or by some discretionary core funding.

What did we achieve over the last year?

Over the last year the Employment unit supported a 1066 employment enquiries. We secured a staggering £354,901 in out of court settlements and Tribunal Judgements for our clients.

What impact will this have on Derbyshire?

Receiving employment advice to maintain secure employment or a stable financial situation is essential to preventing other legal issues arising for example personal debt. Funding in this sector is an important method of preventative justice. Additionally, it is an aspect of accessing justice that allows hard working individuals to continue to contribute to resilient communities by supporting businesses and the local economy.  Without funding for this sector fewer people will be able to find resolutions to employer-employee disputes and are less likely to maintain secure employment.

Derbyshire Law Centre is one of the only places in the East Midlands where residents can receive free, independent legal advice on complex cases that involve legal action.