We know how hard it is to make a living in legal aid and that the work is pressurised and demanding. On top of this, the impact of COVID-19 has been profound and brought with it the stresses of remote working and, for many, the need to juggle work and caring responsibilities. Over the course of the pandemic we have been speaking to practitioners about their wellbeing and how LAPG can provide support to manage the stress, burn-out, anxiety and vicarious trauma they reported.
We are delighted to announce that with support from Linklaters LLP we are launching a pilot scheme offering practitioners access to two free support services. So many of you who responded to our survey last year spoke about the benefits of peer support and these sessions are intended to provide a safe space to reflect and compare experiences about issues facing providers both inside and outside work. These may include economic, physical and emotional effects on wellbeing and also the impact on those around you; colleagues, families and friends.
The pilot will run for the next six months in collaboration with Claiming Space and Metzer Therapy.
Claiming Space will offer small group sessions for individuals in the evenings, comprising training and peer support workshops. The sessions will be run by Joanna Fleck and Rachel Francis, co-directors of Claiming Space and co-authors of ‘Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession’.
The sessions will cover topics including:
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vicarious trauma
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burnout and boundaries
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self-care and collective care
The sessions will begin with an overview of the month’s theme, including research and theory. The group will then be split into two sub-groups of around 15 people each for reflective discussions;
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for junior practitioners (10 years PQE or less)
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senior practitioners (over 10 years PQE/or those in management/supervisory roles)*