Page 110 - Solving Housing Disputes

“gov.uk” branding, to make clear that the dispute resolution processes
within are constitutionally distinct from Government. At Annexure A, we
have included a mock-up of what the HCRS portal landing page might look like:
distinct from “gov.uk”, designed to make clear that it offers dispute resolution
and complaint handling for an array of housing issues and with images linked to
distinct pathways based on problem type.

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4.25 The HCRS should also feature best practice in digital design and be mobile
accessible, to reduce digital exclusion for people for whom mobile devices are
their only means of getting online. This is likely to be particularly important for
homeless people, for whom mobile phones can provide an essential survival tool
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and source of support.
Advice and assistance

4.26 As described in Chapter 3, the diminution of civil legal advice and representation
has been detrimental to access to justice in housing disputes. Large parts of the
country now have no locally available advice or representation. Whatever
provision exists now or in the future, there is a need to ensure people know where
they can go to access advice or information about a housing problem.

4.27 To date, the Reform Programme has given inadequate consideration as to how
best to signpost, accommodate and enhance legal advice delivery. Currently,
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most online justice processes do a poor job of signposting users to sources of
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legal advice and information. Instead, they typically feature one large green

314 Elements of best practice in design are described at para 3.66 above.

315 Rosie Spinks, ‘Smartphones are a lifeline for homeless people’ (1 October 2015), The Guardian,
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/oct/01/smartphones-are-lifeline-for-homeless-
people Many people identify smartphones and tablets as their most important devices for accessing the
internet, see Ofcom, Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report 2018 (25 April 2018), p. 2, available at
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/113222/Adults-Media-Use-and-Attitudes-
Report-2018.pdf

316 Though the Legal Action Plan features a commitment “to explore how to deliver services remotely to
those who are geographically isolated and may not have easy access to local providers”, MOJ note 137
above p. 34.

317 The Money Claims Online service provides a link to a referral portal for mediators for civil issues,
and at certain points there are suggestions that users should “get legal advice” if they are not sure about
certain issues – but there is no indication of where to find that advice. See https://www.gov.uk/make-
money-claim
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