LSA Votes to Convert to SCIO at AGM

Last Thursday, at Legal Services Agency’s Annual General Meeting, our members voted in favour of a Special Resolution to convert Legal Services Agency (LSA) from a registered charity and company limited by guarantee to a Single-Tier Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

SCIOs are one of the main legal forms for registered Scottish charities. The SCIO structure allows charities to be incorporated but at the same time, to be administered and regulated by a single body, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Membership of a Single-Tier SCIO is restricted to Trustees, with the existing and ongoing Trustees appointing new Trustees in a closed system. As a SCIO, LSA will therefore have a more streamlined model of regulation and accountability.

Our decision to convert to a Single-Tier SCIO follows a comprehensive review of LSA’s governance structure undertaken by LSA’s Board of Directors. LSA is committed to ensuring our governance reflects current best practice and external developments, and this move will improve our operational efficiency and better align with current best practices in charity governance.

To complement this transition, we will develop a comprehensive engagement strategy to ensure that community voices and contributions remain at the forefront of LSA’s development. We will do this through the introduction of a new ‘supporter’ category. Supporters’ input will be essential in informing our work. By maintaining active dialogue with supporters, LSA will ensure community voices remain central to our development.

We look forward to formally converting to a SCIO, and to implementing our new community engagement strategy. These changes will streamline our legal framework, while ensuring we continue to be community-led and dedicated to meeting the legal needs of the communities we serve.