'Big society' cannot be build on the ruins of services

"What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and communities." "The Big Society is about changing the way our country is run. That's why the Big Society is here to stay." These two quotes from David Cameron tie up two strands of his vision for the Big Society, his "great passion", which has continued to be a somewhat controversial part of political discourse as the Conservatives have moved from opposition to government. Critics have derided the Big Society as a cover for cuts to public services and an ideology that has no basis in reality, as well as overestimating the potential of local volunteers to step in to run local services without adequate financial backing, skills, expertise and training. But the prime minister is determined to press ahead with his "mission" over the course of this government. Is there any place in the Big Society for independent social welfare advice services? Without ensuring the viability of these services, the project could be doomed. Such services provide ordinary people with the opportunity to understand and act upon rights and responsibilities in areas such as housing, debt, employment, education, welfare benefits, tax credits and immigration. By definition, these services are shaped by local need and demographics. They help people to deal with complex queries more easily. Indeed, if these problems are left unresolved, this can prevent wider involvement in other activities such as volunteering. If we look at the key principles Cameron uses to define Big Society, it becomes apparent there are clear overlaps between the delivery of independent advice and principles. First, social action, which "will depend on the daily decisions of millions of people" - decisions that will only be exercised with the confidence that people aren't at threat of losing their home, that they don't have an underlying debt problem and that they can volunteer without losing their benefits. Advice services resolve these issues and allow people to get more involved in their communities. Second, public service reform looks to get rid of centralised bureaucracy to "get more innovation, diversity and responsiveness to public need". Advice services across the country have already taken up this challenge, shaped as they are by the needs of their local communities. Under the community legal service, advice partnerships have brought together local advice providers and authorities to shape and deliver advice. Questions may remain about community legal advice networks more broadly, but the groundwork is already there to be built upon. Third, community empowerment. Advice services empower communities by enabling individuals to deal with problems quickly, cheaply and efficiently. They relieve the immediate problem and reduce other state spending through reductions in problems such as stress, physical and mental health, domestic violence, homelessness and loss of work. Advice services have often found new ways to reach out to people who would otherwise remain below the radar. These services are precisely where volunteers can work alongside paid advisers and help to solve local problems. Indeed, as a sounding board for local problems arising from national and regional policies, advice centres should be an invaluable tool for central government if the Big Society is to begin to achieve its goals. In harking back to a golden age of mutualism, Cameron invokes notions of the stereotypical "twin-set and pearls" citizens advice service born during the second world war. This belies the enormous strides made since then, and undermines the professionalism, expertise and knowledge of services now. Under current approach to cuts, a significant number of independent services are facing serious, unprecedented pressure to meet local demands. In Birmingham, all five Citizens Advice bureaux face closure. In Manchester, two law centres face an uncertain future after losing contracts to private consortia. In London, the black and minority ethnic advice network of 42 agencies, coordinated by Advice UK , is threatened by a recent decision of London councils to "localise" a pan-London grants scheme, a key funder of many agencies. On top of local and regional pressures, there are also proposals to remove all social welfare law from the scope of legal aid funding. This will have a devastating impact on hundreds of not-for-profit advice agencies. The savings from these proposals are modest but the effects are enormous, with at least half a million people losing the ability to secure free, face-to-face legal advice. Services cannot be run and staffed by volunteers alone. The Citizens Advice model uses volunteers, general and specialist advisors. The diversity is a reflection of the diverse needs of local communities arising from disability, ethnicity, age, gender or sexuality. This plurality must have a place in the Big Society. We hope Cameron and colleagues understand this. "We stand with the people and governments who are on the side of justice, the rule of law and freedom, " Cameron recently told Kuwait's parliament. For the same principles, in UK it is absolutely vital that the ability of citizens to understand, uphold and enforce their legal rights is supported by a thriving and healthy advice sector. Paul Treloar head of policy and communications at Lasa This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. 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