LSC signs call centre deal

The commission has appointed Ventura run the centre, which enables police stations to phone a single number to contact a solicitor. The contract will cover the design and management of call handling and routing systems, call centre facilities, and computer systems and applications, according to a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 20 July 2010. Business continuity facilities will also be included in the deal, along with all electronic communication facilities and the provision of management staff. Ventura will be expected to maintain management information and to ensure compatibility of the case management system used with other LSC systems. The DSCC handles some 880,000 cases a year. On average, a case consists of one incoming and two outgoing telephone calls. It receives in excess of 100,000 calls and makes an average of 125,000 outgoing calls a month. A spokesperson for the commission said: "The call centre model of delivering legal advice is less expensive than face to face advice."