2nd December: DV FLAG East

DV FLAG East were set up in 2019 as a response to inconsistent access to quality legal advice for families experiencing domestic abuse in Barking and Dagenham. It brings together the knowledge and experience of a committed council legal team, the local legal advice charity Citizen’s Advice Barking and Dagenham and a partnership of local family law firms to improve access to legal aid and advice and develop best practice pro bono approach for those who cannot access legal aid.

The work is genuinely innovative and has attracted a lot of interest. The project has been shortlisted for a Family Law Awards 2020 – for the Community Interaction Award.

Barking and Dagenham legal team has been shortlisted for two LawWorks Pro Bono Awards: Pro Bono Awards Best Contribution by an In-House Team and Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership.

Did you know about DV FLAG East? What are your thoughts on the upcoming Domestic abuse Bill, which is due for its second hearing in the House of Lords? Please use the comment box below.

Support Links:

DV FLAG East

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

Resources:

Safety from Domestic Abuse and Special Measures in Remote and Hybrid Hearings: Family Justice Council Guidance

VIDEO: Domestic abuse injunctions in the family court

Remote hearings in the family

justice system: reflections and

experiences. Follow-up consultation (September 2020)

Remote hearings in the family

justice system: reflections and

experiences. Online survey results (part of the follow-up consultation September 2020)

Awards:

Family Law Awards

LawWorks Pro Bono Awards

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6 comments

Recently active Posted first

Peter Phillips over 3 years ago

C19 has led to local and national lockdown and with Christmas just round the corner, sadly this is the most difficult time for many victims of gender violence and abuse. With that, Barking and Dagenham Citizens Advice have seen the increase in demand for DV FLAG East service. Gender-based violence and abuse affects women, men and children, although it disproportionately affects women and girls. 89% of people who experience more than 4 incidents of domestic violence and abuse are women. It is so important these victims of GVA and DVA get quality legal advice whether they qualify for legal aid or not. Great to see BDCAB, LBBD and Local Family Law Firms working together in partnership to ensure local residents affected by GVA get quality legal advice. Well done all parties.

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adrian.brazier over 3 years ago

Amazing work by all concerned. Having seen a significant increase in cases of domestic abuse during the first wave of the pandmic it has been crucial for these types of projects to help those victims and stand togther as one. Access to justice has never been more important.

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Nasima Ahmed Solicitor over 3 years ago

Working as an in house family Solicitor for Barking and Dagenham Citizen Advice Bureau and volunteering on the DV Flag Project has enabled me and my team to successfully advice, assist and represent victims of domestic abuse from different ethnic backgrounds within the community.

We have obtained numerous emergency protections on behalf of these victims and have assisted them further in addtition to the emregency protection obtained to ensure that they are safeguarded against the perpetrators in the future.

The DV Flag Project is a terrific platform which has enabled victims of domestic abuse and other external agencies to refer victims to our advice line who are assisted by both the BDCAB team and by volunteers at the Local Authority.

Whilst the advice provided is free we take pride in assisting and offering other support services and probono advice and assistance in all areas of family law. We hope to continue with the ongoing work with our clients and victims as well as these agencies to ensure that our community is safe from violence and abuse. We hope to return for the project to secure a Family Law Award next year!

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LindseyMarks over 3 years ago

For those families experiencing domestic abuse, the changes in legal aid mean it is difficult to seek good quality legal advice. DV Flag allows those families to access the legal advice which they need.

The High Court has recently decided that the Legal Aid Agency has a discretion over whether legal aid should be granted to survivors of domestic abuse where they have ‘trapped capital’ in homes which cannot be sold or borrowed against, as they jointly own the property with their abuser.This decision should improve access to justice for more survivors of domestic violence who are in poverty.

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Pip SJ over 3 years ago

During the Pandemic and lockdowns there has been a significant increase in domestic violence incidents. The FLAG project alone saw a 224% rise in calls.

Being forced into lockdown has had a significant impact upon those living in an abusive relationship including children. For Citizens Advice Barking and Dagenham where I work and for the Family Legal Access Group DV Flag Project that we help deliver highlights to all of us once again the urgent need to get the Domestic Abuse Bill through Parliament as soon as possible.

For the first time in English law the definition of domestic abuse will not just include physical violence but also emotional, coercive or controlling and economic abuse. It extends to the need for children to be recognised as victims due to devastating impact upon them of growing up in a household with domestic abuse.

Our CAB family solicitor & the local solicitor firms who volunteer for FLAG successfully and routinely secure legal protections for those affected by non physical forms of domestic abuse. But these types of abuse are not widely recognised and so people are reluctant to seek our free legal advice. There are many other essential safeguards and support for families and victims in the Bill. Sadly the next reading in Parliament allows for a general debate by MPs and may yet remove these protections. We all need to continue to work together to campaign and press MPs to get the bill into Law by Royal Assent intact.

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Hazel North Stephens over 3 years ago

Having worked with the CAB director and her team and the Deputy Head of our Legal Team I can say - these award shortlistings are so deserved. Both services work hard every day to support our residents so I will be sharing this link with them to send a thank you - and I hope the awards this evening lead to a win! :)

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