Advising at Cardiff Lawyers Care - Essential Legal Skills

This recording gives an introduction to the Cardiff Lawyers Care free legal advice clinic for people experiencing homelessness. It will prepare volunteers who wish to advise at this clinic.

Topics covered include:

• What the service is and how it works
• Health and safety/risk management
• Case management/managing paperwork/rota system
• Remit of service (ie. legal problem, signposting to Wallich for everything else eg. safeguarding, involvement of police or social services)
• Communication skills
• importance of simple terminology, no legal jargon, explaining in layman's terms.

It also looks at legal skills training on the most common issues faced by clients, including:

• Housing (e.g. evictions);
• Children and Social Services ;
• Domestic violence (rights based, especially re: restraining orders);
• Crime (what to expect from court proceedings and signposting);
• Appealing convictions; and
• Legal Aid: what's in scope? (To be covered throughout the topics)

Resources:

• Advising at Cardiff Lawyers Care - Essential Legal Skills slides

Our thanks to Natalie Corten, Clive Jones, Leah Rhydderch, Jonathan Williams, Sarah Grace and Christopher Simmons for sharing their expertise.

An introduction to working with the Wallich

This session is for volunteers of the 'Cardiff Lawyers Care' legal advice clinic, providing pro bono advice for people experiencing homelessness in Cardiff and introduces The Wallich.

The video covers:

• About The Wallich, vision, values, & our services
• General overview of our client group, the main causes of homelessness & how it affects people
• Homelessness services and where we fit
• Adverse childhood experience, trauma and working with a trauma informed approach
• Myth busters quiz
• Working with people who use drugs and alcohol
• Our approach to risk assessment and management
• Confidentiality and safeguarding
• Where volunteers come in & the value you’ll bring