The clinic, initially running for six weeks, will see a team of solicitors from the centre based at Samaritan House in Govanhill. They will provide in person legal advice one day a week with a specific focus on children from black and ethnic minority backgrounds (interpreters can be provided).

The move follows engagement with racial equality organisations, including Amina (the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre), and the Scottish Minority Ethnic Women’s Network. This step aims to ensure children’s rights legal advice reaches more families from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in one of Scotland’s most diverse communities.

The new initiative will provide a new fully qualified child law specialism to the local area and is receiving referrals from partnership organisations including Govanhill Law Centre, the Space (a local Govanhill charity) and Govanhill Development Trust.

After the initial six-week pilot of the clinic, the SCLC plans to use its success to advocate for a long-term community clinic specialising in child law in the area and will be looking for local and national government to step up with support.

Following outreach with local charities and local services some of the main areas the clinic expects to advise on are:

• children’s rights following separation or divorce particularly with involvement of domestic violence (e.g allowing children’s views on parental contact and their residence);
• children facing the hearing system (e.g where a child might need compulsory supervision);
• children being in trouble with the law (e.g held criminally responsible aged 12);
• children’s rights during an identity or mental health crisis including linked to body image or bullying; and
• the rights of refugee and migrant children (e.g ensuing their met during their time here).

Sarah Forster, director at the Scottish Child Law Centre, said: “Within the cost-of-living crisis an increasing number of families are unable to find the money to instruct a solicitor for initial legal advice on the issues they face. This means in more Scottish households, for example where a child might be facing the children’s hearing system, their rights are placed in competition with household bills, heating and eating.

“Our new community-based clinic in Glasgow aims to alleviate some of these challenges by providing free legal advice, and a chance to be on the ground in communities where we know issues of poverty and discrimination persistently impact the lives of children.

“It’s a really challenging state of affairs for parents and children in need of legal advice, and we hope the success of our clinic provides a clear option for local and national government to step up with support for them”.

Rachel Moon, senior solicitor at Govan Law Centre, said: “This clinic will provide an important new service to the local area, and mean children and families are able to access children’s rights and family law advice at no cost, during an increasingly difficult winter for those on low incomes.

“We are happy to support this initiative for the community and wish the team every success as they start what could quickly become a highly used service”.

Individuals in Glasgow looking to self-refer to the clinic can find more information here.