Spotlight on casework

"People rely on Advocate to help them see their children, challenge unfair dismissals or discrimination at work and even to represent them at a loved one’s inquest. When lockdown hit, I was reminded of the importance of our work and the need for us to remain open and accessible.

Like everyone, our applicants have really struggled through this period and we’ve had to learn how to help them navigate legal proceedings and procedural hurdles whilst facing very real physical and mental health challenges. Fortunately, we’ve been able to increase our output and help more people than before. That said, demand for our help always exceeds what we can do and one of the most frustrating aspects of my job is telling someone that we haven’t been able to find a barrister to assist them.

I feel lucky to have spent the best part of two years in an organisation that enables me to work alongside vulnerable people and help them through some really challenging times. It’s been a privilege to be a part of an incredibly dedicated casework team who are determined to help our applicants as best we can. I’m really proud of how we have risen to the challenge as demand for our service has doubled over the past year.

As the casework team move to a new way of working, specialising in particular areas of law, I’m looking forward to being able to offer more assistance to our volunteer barristers, freeing up their time and ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from our service."