Blog 10 December 2020

Setting up a family law clinic at HMP Coldingley

By Katie Littleboy

In August, Katie Littleboy, one of our Connections Practitioners, set up a family law clinic at HMP Coldingley. We spoke to Katie about what inspired this fantastic initiative, and how things have developed since then.

In August, Katie Littleboy, one of our Connections Practitioners, set up a family law clinic at HMP Coldingley, in collaboration with the Legal Advice Centre at Royal Holloway University. We spoke to Katie about what inspired this fantastic initiative, and how things have developed since then.

“As the Connections Service expanded at HMP Coldingley, I noticed how men are often disadvantaged around family matters. Sometimes it’s because a primary carer is preventing them from having contact with their children, or even from knowing where they are. Other times it’s around safeguarding concerns and understanding parental responsibility. These situations are often very complex, and I felt that I didn’t have the adequate knowledge or qualification to advise and support the men properly.

“I was aware of a legal clinic that runs at HMP Send and decided to research whether something like this would be possible at HMP Coldingley. I knew it would need to be on a pro bono basis, so I contacted a few different organisations to see what they could offer. Royal Holloway University were keen to set up a reciprocal arrangement whereby their students would provide the men with free advice, and in turn they would gain valuable experience to progress their studies. However, this meant that the clinic couldn’t start for a couple of months due to university semesters. Thankfully, their partnered solicitor firm, Creighton and Partners, offered to advise any men who needed support more urgently in the interim. This support was, and still is, greatly appreciated by those few men.

“In the meantime, Royal Holloway drew up all the paperwork and formulated a joint working agreement. The first clinic was run on 5th August 2020, with two clients receiving advice and referrals from the very same day. I supervised both phone calls, and despite a few technical issues, the clients managed their individual calls well. One client said it was ‘traumatic’ discussing past issues and the effect of not seeing his children, but that he was so thankful for the advice.

“Now that the university year has started, the clinic has provided legal advice to several more of the residents here at HMP Coldingley. We are really grateful for Royal Holloway’s help to make this project a success.”

Fantastic work, Katie and the team at HMP Coldingley! This support will go a long way to help the men build back their lives.