The Advice Providers Forum is co-ordinated through Tower Hamlets Community Advice Network (THCAN) which was established in 2008 to improve the co-ordination and quality of social welfare advice provision in the borough. THCAN is a collaborative partnership between third sector community legal advice organisations in Tower Hamlets that aims to improve access to free high quality legal advice in social welfare law.

Advice Providers Forum meetings monthly at Island Advice Centre. See here for past meetings.

The Forum provides point of contact for information, consultation and communication on social welfare advice and information issues affecting community legal advice provision in the borough through:

• promoting networking referrals and  sharing of information and good practice to help support consistent quality advice across all providers
• provide briefings on key legal and policy changes to help meet the training and development needs of members 
• identify and highlight social welfare  policy issues affecting local residents and represent the needs of clients and voluntary sector  advice organisations to those most able to effect change.

The Forum has a number of sub groups including the Money Advice Forum and Welfare Benefits Forum that reports back to the main Advice Providers Forum  which meets at least three times a year.

For more about the Forum visit the THCAN website.