Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+)

What Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+) does

Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+) is a UK registered charity (no. 1160513) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Plymouth, operating free, confidential advice and emotional support services for people navigating magistrates' and family courts across Devon and Cornwall. The organisation runs physical in-court hubs at five locations—Exeter Crown and County Court, Newton Abbot Magistrates' Court, Plymouth Magistrates' Court, Bodmin Magistrates' Court and Truro Magistrates' Court—where coordinators, assistant coordinators and family support workers are embedded alongside court staff to receive referrals and walk-ins. Since August 2023, CASS+ has additionally operated a Family Court Support Service for unrepresented litigants who cannot access Legal Aid, funded through the Ministry of Justice and Access to Justice Foundation's £10m 'Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support' programme; between April and December 2025 the family court service supported 397 people, with 468+ supported cumulatively since 2023.

The service offering is structured around practical help (understanding legal processes, completing forms, communicating with the court, signposting to other services) and emotional support, delivered in person by a paid team of 16 supplemented by volunteers, university placements (notably with the University of Plymouth) and peer researchers (e.g., from Improving Lives Plymouth). CASS+ does not charge clients. Revenue is generated entirely from third-party funding: government grants (Ministry of Justice, OPCC, Safer Stronger Communities, Cornwall Voluntary Sector), charitable trusts and foundations (Lloyds Bank Foundation, AB Charitable Trust, Forte Charitable Foundation, Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation, Matrix Chambers, Southall Trust, Access to Justice Foundation), and corporate and individual donations (e.g., ASDA Bodmin's 2019 nominated-charity partnership). Operating technology is limited to Lamplight Online (volunteer management and self-referral forms) and Me Learning (training), with no proprietary platform or AI components. The organisation is led by CEO Steve Parker following the 2025 departure of founder-CEO Carole Edwards, was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2017, and was named a flagship service in the Centre for Justice Innovation's toolkit for in-court advice and support.

Name

Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+)

Legal name

Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+)

Website

https://cassplus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CASS+ is a UK registered charity, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Plymouth, that provides free, confidential advice and emotional support to people navigating magistrates' and family courts at five in-court hubs across Devon and Cornwall, funded by government grants, charitable trusts and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Court Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ), Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Court advice services
• Legal support charity
• Court accompaniment services
• Family court support
• Justice system advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Trusts Funding: CASS+ receives funding from government bodies (Ministry of Justice, Access to Justice Foundation), charitable trusts (Lloyds Bank Foundation, AB Charitable Trust, Forte Charitable Foundation, Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation, Matrix Chambers, Southall Trust), and public funders (OPCC, Safer Stronger Communities, Cornwall Voluntary Sector). Funding supports magistrates' courts operations and family court expansion.
2. Corporate and Community Donations: Individual donations, corporate support from companies like ASDA (nominated charity at stores), and community grants from Plymouth City Council. ASDA Bodmin store nominated CASS+ as their charity during January-March 2019 period.
3. Free Service Model: All services are provided free of charge to clients. The organization is a registered charity (no. 1160513) providing free, confidential, practical help and emotional support for people going through court.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CASS+ provides free, confidential, practical help and emotional support to people going through court in Devon and Cornwall. It operates physical in-court hubs at five magistrates' courts (Exeter, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Bodmin, Truro) and supports litigants in person in family courts who cannot afford legal representation or access Legal Aid. The service includes court accompaniment, help with forms and processes, emotional support, and referrals to other services.

Product overview

CASS+ operates as a single unified charitable service offering free, confidential advice and support for people going through the justice system. The organization provides two interconnected service areas: (1) In-Court Advice and Support in Magistrates' Courts across Exeter, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Bodmin, and Truro, and (2) Family Court Support Service since 2023. Both services offer practical help, emotional support, and guidance through complex court processes. The organization supplements its core services with volunteer programs and student internship/placement opportunities in partnership with universities including University of Plymouth. The service is free, independent of the court system, and focuses on building trust through listening and connecting clients with appropriate services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Court Advice and Support Service Free, confidential, practical help and emotional support for people going through magistrates' courts in Devon and Cornwall (Exeter, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Bodmin, Truro). Includes court accompaniment, help understanding processes, form-filling, communication support, and referrals to other services.
• Family Court Support Service Free support for people going through family courts in Devon and Cornwall who cannot afford a solicitor and are not eligible for Legal Aid. Covers child arrangements, domestic abuse situations, and contact disputes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 468+ people through family courts since 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, strategic and core.

• Advocate (Bar pro bono)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2023Bar pro bono service connecting volunteer barristers with those who need free legal help. CASS+ team in Exeter works closely with Advocate's volunteer barristers to help people going through court.
• Devon and Cornwall PolicestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2022Police force collaborating on work experience for police recruits. By May 2023, CASS+ introduced 11 police recruits to magistrates' courts. Partnership builds police understanding of the justice system and support services available.
• University of PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal university providing talent through interns, placements, and volunteers. Social work students complete 70-day placements. Partnership includes collaboration on dental care research project with Peninsula School of Dentistry.
• Centre for Justice InnovationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch organization named CASS+ as a flagship service in their toolkit/guide for setting up advice and support services in courts. CASS+ worked with them and Crest Advisory on service evaluation.
• Improving Lives PlymouthstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal charity in Plymouth. Their Peer Researcher, Patrick Cunningham, works with CASS+ at Plymouth Magistrates' Court. Partnership enables connection with people navigating the justice system for research and support.
• Magistrates' AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership body and independent voice for magistrates. Policy and Research Officer Hannah Bondi visited CASS+ Truro to discuss challenges magistrates face and impact of rurality on courts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Law Centres Network: Federation of independent law centres providing free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer — a peer in the legal-aid-gap space CASS+ also serves.
• Victim Support: UK charity supporting victims and witnesses of crime through the criminal justice process, including court accompaniment — overlapping with CASS+'s work in magistrates' courts and with domestic abuse clients.
• Citizens Advice: National network of independent charities providing free, confidential advice on legal, financial and welfare issues, including court-related matters, serving a similar vulnerable demographic.
• Support Through Court: National UK charity providing free, independent support to people facing court without representation — the closest direct equivalent of CASS+, operating across many magistrates' courts in England and Wales.

Others

• NACRO: UK charity working on crime reduction, resettlement and reducing reoffending — overlapping with CASS+'s stated aim of decreasing demand on the justice system and supporting people away from offending.
• Mind: UK mental health charity providing information, support and advocacy — relevant because many CASS+ clients present with mental health, trauma and addiction challenges intersecting with their court matters.
• Access to Justice Foundation: Charitable foundation distributing Ministry of Justice funds to frontline advice and support services — funder and ecosystem partner of CASS+, with shared focus on improving access to justice.
• Howard League for Penal Reform: Independent UK penal reform charity advocating for change across the criminal justice system — operating in adjacent policy and advocacy space to CASS+'s court-based support work.
• Centre for Justice Innovation: Justice-focused research and innovation charity that named CASS+ as a flagship in its national toolkit; a peer in shaping evidence-based court-user support practice.

Emerging players

• Refuge: UK charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse, including navigating family court — overlapping significantly with CASS+'s family court client base (e.g. domestic abuse survivors like "Lizzie").

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CASS_PLUS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKdJTzmDmgXUJDt-gn5Nm0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/CassPlus2022
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-advice-and-support-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/cass_plus2022

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+)