Coram Children’s Legal Centre, part of the Coram group of charities, specialises in law and policy affecting children and young people. We aim to ensure that children’s rights are realised at every level in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Our main activities are:
- Providing quality, free legal representation to children, young people and families across many areas of civil law.
We hold legal aid contracts in immigration/asylum law, child/family law, community care and public law, and are one of only two legal aid providers nationally in education law. In addition, we run a pioneering project using pro bono legal representation to realise children’s rights to citizenship and run an outreach programme in Greater London. - Providing free legal information and advice.
We run the Child Law Advice Service, funded by the Department for Education, providing information and advice on child/family and education law. The Migrant Children’s Project advice line offers free and confidential advice and our website offers comprehensive guidance on issues affecting young refugees and migrants, as does our popular publication ‘Seeking Support: a guide to the rights and entitlements of separated children‘. - Providing training on children’s rights.
Our training aims to help non-legal professionals and carers to improve their understanding of the rights of children and young people. Our courses are aimed at service-providers in the statutory and voluntary sectors and all those working with or supporting children, young people and families. - Promoting positive change for children in law and policy.
We evidence from frontline work, alongside its specialist technical knowledge about domestic and international law, to ensure that children’s rights are embedded in law, policy and in practice. We produce research reports and provide evidence and recommendations to central government through consultation responses, select committee inquiries and direct engagement with parliamentarians. We also seek to achieve positive change to law and policy through strategic litigation.
