The staff team at local charity, Grampian Women’s Aid, have been amongst the first in the city to take part in legal information training sessions with The Aberdeen Law Project. Students from The Project established a link with the charity in September 2010 and have regularly visited the organisation since to provide training and general information on key areas of law relevant to the agency.
The sessions focus on providing straightforward information on complex areas of family and criminal law through presentations, question and answer sessions and the provision of comprehensive supplementary training booklets.
Grampian Women’s Aid Coordinator, Dorothy McDonald, welcomed the initiative. She said,
“The information sessions for staff have been of great benefit to our organisation increasing our awareness and knowledge; the staff team being more confident in raising legal issues knowing that there is now somewhere that women can access legal assistance, and the women supported by our service knowing they can access the legal information and protection they need to keep them safe.
“We see the clinic as much needed project providing a service for some of the most disadvantaged in Aberdeen.”
Grampian Women’s Aid provides services for women and children who have experienced domestic abuse. This includes the provision of safe refuge accommodation, confidential information and support. Women accessing this service often face barriers when trying to access legal information, advice and protection orders. Staff have limited resources, and generally have little or no legal training, thus being restricted in their capacity to assist.
Leanne Bain, Training Co-Ordinator for The Aberdeen Law Project, leads the information sessions with the organisation. She commented that,
“By providing training sessions to Grampian Women’s Aid, we hope to have increased their staff’s general knowledge and confidence in these complicated areas of law. The staff at Grampian Women’s Aid provide an invaluable service for vulnerable women and children, dealing with highly sensitive and difficult cases on a daily basis. We are delighted to be of assistance in helping them undertake this hugely important role.”
The Aberdeen Law Project is committed to the provision of outreach programmes and maintains a close relationship with existing services. If you are interested in receiving legal information sessions within your organisation please contact us.