Inspired by the belief that everyone deserves justice, the Equality and Employment Law Centre has provided accessible legal services to those who need it most for the last twenty years.
Based on Dale Street and working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds across the Liverpool City Region and beyond, this socially-trading organisation helps thousands of people every year to access justice and move on with their lives.
“At the Equality and Employment Law Centre, we believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, both in the workplace and in society. Our mission is to combat poverty, injustice, and discrimination by providing specialist employment and discrimination law advice and advocacy. We are committed to empowering individuals and organisations through expert guidance and training, fostering a fairer and more equal society for all.”
“Through our work we prevent catastrophic circumstances such as, unfair dismissal, discrimination unemployment, ill health, homelessness and poverty,” says CEO, Julie Ehlen. “Every penny we make is re-invested into providing free and cost-effective support to individuals who otherwise may not be able to afford it.”
Specialising in the complex areas of employment and equality law, the law centre also offers a free helpline to assist employees who require employment advice, as well as providing free HR/Legal advice to third sector employers.
“We are one of the very few free services that answer the phone directly without making you navigate through numerous options or leaving a voicemail, and we clearly publish our phone number on our website to make it easy for our clients to speak to someone, something that is becoming increasingly rare,” says Kristian Khan, Legal Practice Manager.
“Unfortunately, people from more deprived communities or employed in low paid jobs are more likely to be discriminated against,” says Kristian, “and many of our clients cannot afford legal advice and are not eligible for legal aid. Sadly, they fall between the gaps. Our advice line is in fact a lifeline.”
“A legal dispute is often very stressful having a huge impact on an individual’s health, wellbeing and relationships. Most of our clients come to us for help when they are traumatised highly stressed and in crisis, so a fundamental part of our impact is working in partnership with other like-minded organisations to transform lives,” say Katie Corless, Solicitor.
Julie continues, “We first learned about Kindred through the Liverpool City Region’s Growth Platform newsletter. Working with them has been a pleasure; they truly understand the demands of providing vital social trading services. Their support has been invaluable, allowing us to operate efficiently and effectively, helping us navigate the ongoing challenges of running a social enterprise.
“Our biggest challenges include underfunding, the cost-of-living crisis, and the loss of homegrown solicitors to better-paid private sector jobs. Additionally, delays in court cases due to backlogs in the civil courts and employment tribunals have impacted our operations. Yet despite these challenges, we continue to see a growing demand for legal advice.”
With the ambition to become a leading law practice specialising in HR, Employment Law and Discrimination in the charitable and voluntary sectors, the charity is now focusing on expanding its services further and continuing to advocate for social justice.
Julie concludes, “At the Equality and Employment Law Centre we’ve already prevented numerous adverse outcomes, helping clients to keep their jobs, resolve disputes or fight discrimination. With people needing our help more than ever, we look forward to continuing to promote a fairer and more equal society in the future.”
Find out more about the Equality and Employment Law Centre here…