A community legal outreach collaboration led by Keele University is continuing to ensure vulnerable people are supported during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Community Legal Outreach Collaboration Keele (CLOCK) is a collaboration led by Keele University in partnership with the courts, law firms and charitable services. The project has trained Keele law students as Community Legal Companions to support families in crisis to access legal and charitable support, through signposting to the CLOCK partners, and assisting directly in court.
Although the current government advice is to stay home in order to stay safe, it is clear that home may not be a safe space for all during the lockdown. The national domestic abuse helpline, run by the charity Refuge, has reported a very substantial 700% increase in calls to the helpline recently, and traffic to its website and use of web chat facilities have increased.
During the pandemic, the CLOCK service has received requests from schools, children's services, and direct requests from vulnerable persons experiencing sexual or domestic violence. As part of the CLOCK response to the pandemic, Keele students involved with the Law in Action scheme, a community legal education module, have created a series of short videos to raise awareness of the increased risks of the lockdown such as sexting amongst children, the increased risk of homelessness for those already sleeping rough or for those seeking refuge, and the increased hardship of the travel restrictions for asylum seekers, migrants and international students.
Dr Jane Krishnadas, Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of CLOCK, told the newspaper, “Keele University founded CLOCK in 2013 and so has been very well placed to respond swiftly with local community partners to the needs of families in crisis as a result of the pandemic...
“We are always looking at how the University can develop and improve this kind of support, and this is currently focused on a potential increase in demand from those seeking refuge during the lockdown period.”
