I can’t give my name, as I want to keep what happened confidential, but I can tell you my story and why I feel it is so important to have accessible legal advice on employment law.

I was in a desperate situation at work, was pregnant and my employer was not respecting me and my baby. I was being made to do things that put both of us at risk. My risk assessment was late, I had to go off sick with stress and then I was having trouble with my maternity pay and my holiday rights.

I found out about Southwark Law Centre from a friend of a friend, after I had searched for hours to find someone who could provide employment advice. Although I live in Bromley I did not mind travelling to Southwark as I could not find anyone to help in my area.

My language skills meant that I was not comfortable talking about my case on the phone and needed to see someone in person.

I got assigned an employment specialist at the Law Centre who wrote letters on my behalf. We managed to resolve my grievance with an agreement with my employer.

I now know what my rights are and make sure my employer is doing things correctly. It feels great being able to focus on my family and to know I have support at work when I need it.

Photograph posed by model.