Erin Stanbury
Host Organisation: Shelter – Manchester
I have always been passionate about helping and advocating for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in society. I studied a Law with Politics LLB at the University of Manchester, with the aim of developing a career in social welfare law. I then completed my Masters of Law in Legal Practice at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Alongside my studies I volunteered at various social justice organisations. At Refugee Action I assisted asylum seekers with their asylum claims and then, through Support Through Court, I provided support for unrepresented individuals at Manchester Civil Justice Centre. Additionally, I have volunteered as a welfare benefits caseworker at Greater Manchester Law Centre, helping clients appeal their adverse benefit decisions.
After completing my LPC and masters I worked as a paralegal at Kirklees Law Centre, assisting both the housing and community care teams. Through living in Manchester and working as a paralegal in housing I witnessed first-hand how often people are unable to access suitable housing. This cemented my desire to work particularly as a housing solicitor in the legal aid sector. I was therefore excited to join Shelter as trainee solicitor in January 2021, and I look forward to helping individuals obtain suitable housing as well as being part of making positive substantive changes to housing law.
Project
Myself and Shelter Manchester’s other new trainee Shannon Thompson will be completing a report relating to temporary accommodation on behalf of Shelter.
Shelter Manchester assist many homeless families and have found that their clients are being placed in temporary accommodation that is often out of area, away from their support networks or just generally unsuitable for their household. Our report will focus on the children living in temporary accommodation, aiming to explore and demonstrate the impact living in such accommodation can have on their education.
It is hoped that by highlighting this educational impact, Shelter can begin to work proactively with Councils, social services, schools and other organisations to ensure the practice of placing families in unsuitable temporary accommodation is reduced.
