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INFORMATION ABOUT US AND THE CLOCK PROJECT
The CLOCK IT System is operated by the University of Keele, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (referred to as "Keele”). Keele’s Data Protection registration number is Z5571818.
The CLOCK Project is a collaborative project between the University of Keele, other universities, their students, courts, law firms and third sector organisations working together under a common framework to provide access to justice for the community in accordance with the CLOCK Objectives.
These terms set out the framework by which the University of Keele and the CLOCK Project Lead will manage the CLOCK IT System.
An Application for Assistance means an application for assistance using the form at www.clock.uk.net.
The CLOCK IT System means the CLOCK administrative system, which provides an online facility for the registration and progression of Applications for Assistance under a Local Community Legal Companion Service.
A CLOCK Project Lead is a University that will deliver a Local Community Legal Companion Service.
A Local Community Legal Companion Service means a local collaboration between the CLOCK Project Lead and CLOCK Service Providers to meet the CLOCK Objectives.
A CLOCK Service Provider includes law firms and third sector organisations who agree to participate within a Local Community Legal Companion Service.
A CLOCK Service User refers to a person who wishes to use a service of the CLOCK Project.
A Community Legal Companion refers to a student trained by a CLOCK Project Lead to assist a CLOCK Service User in supporting access to justice within the strict remit of the McKenzie Friend Practice Guidance.
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| 2. | THE CLOCK IT SYSTEM |
| 2.1 | The CLOCK IT System is managed by Keele on behalf of the CLOCK Project. |
| 2.2 | The CLOCK IT System is provided in accordance with the Confidentiality Policy. |
| 2.3 | The CLOCK IT System is available on a password protected basis only to a CLOCK Project Lead, (b) Community Legal Companions, and (c) CLOCK Service Providers. |
| 2.4 | The CLOCK IT System is used to allocate Applications for Assistance to CLOCK Service Providers. This does not prevent an administrator or a Community Legal Companion from signposting a CLOCK Service User to an alternative service or service provider if that is in the CLOCK Service User’s best interests. |
| 3. | SUBMISSION OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE |
| 3.1 | A request for assistance can enter the CLOCK IT System through the following routes: |
| 3.1.1 | a CLOCK Service User independently making an Application for Assistance; |
| 3.1.2 | a Community Legal Companion adding a new request for assistance directly to the CLOCK IT System; or |
| 3.1.3 | an administrator at the CLOCK Project Lead adding a new request for assistance directly to the CLOCK IT System. |
| 3.2 | When submitting an Application for Assistance, the CLOCK Service User must provide their name and contact details and confirm the nature of the matter with which s/he requires assistance. If the CLOCK Service User wishes to use the service without disclosing their address, s/he will be required to supply a safe contact number and postcode. |
| 3.3 | The CLOCK Service User can only obtain assistance following acceptance of the terms set out in the Application for Assistance. |
| 4. | ALLOCATION OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL COMMUNITY LEGAL COMPANION SERVICES |
| 4.1 | The CLOCK IT System will allocate each request for assistance to the appropriate Local Community Legal Companion Service by reference to the CLOCK Service User’s postcode. |
| 4.2 | If there is no Local Community Legal Companion Service close to the CLOCK Service User’s location, the CLOCK IT System will notify Keele of the request for assistance. |
| 4.3 | Keele will liaise with Local Community Legal Companion Service administrators in order to investigate whether there is capacity in other locations to support the request for assistance. |
| 4.4 | It there is no capacity to provide assistance, Keele will notify the CLOCK Service User that the CLOCK Project cannot assist. |
| 5. | ALLOCATION OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITY LEGAL COMPANIONS |
| 5.1 | Each Local Community Legal Companion Service will allocate requests for assistance to a Community Legal Companion. |
| 5.2 | The Community Legal Companion will undertake a case assessment with the CLOCK Service User and will enter details of the case in the ‘Case Assessment’ section of the CLOCK IT System. |
| 5.3 | Upon completion of the case assessment, the Community Legal Companion will direct the matter to an appropriate CLOCK Service Provider linked to their Local Community Legal Companion Service. |
| 6. | REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE CLASSIFIED AS URGENT |
| 6.1 | The CLOCK IT System will classify as urgent any request for assistance relating to matters identified by the CLOCK Service User as relating to domestic violence or child protection or any other matter deemed by the CLOCK Project Lead to be urgent. |
| 6.2 | An urgent matter will be flagged as urgent in the relevant Local Community Legal Companion Service’s ‘Manage Applications List’ in order that the relevant CLOCK Project Lead’s administrator can expedite allocation of the matter to a Community Legal Companion and/or CLOCK Service Provider. |
| 7. | ALLOCATION OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE TO CLOCK SERVICE PROVIDERS |
| 7.1 | Each approved CLOCK Service Provider will be identified in the CLOCK IT System according to the case type(s) with which they can provide assistance. |
| 7.2 | Where a request for assistance is referred by the Community Legal Companion to a CLOCK Service Provider, the CLOCK IT System will automatically identify a CLOCK Service Provider with relevant expertise, and will do so on a rotation established on the basis of previously referred cases. |
| 7.3 | The Community Legal Companion will be required to confirm the identified CLOCK Service Provider and to add them to the CLOCK IT System in order to allocate the request to the CLOCK Service Provider. |
| 7.4 | The CLOCK IT System provides the flexibility to allocate a CLOCK Service Provider other than that identified by the CLOCK IT System where there are circumstances to reasonably justify this action, such as an alternative service being more clearly appropriate. In such circumstances the Community Legal Companion will be restricted to allocating to CLOCK Service Providers with appropriate expertise. The CLOCK Service User is entitled to decide whether or not to use the CLOCK Service Provider identified by the CLOCK IT System. |
| 8. | TIMESCALES FOR REQUIRED RESPONSES |
| 8.1 | Where a request for assistance is directed to a CLOCK Service Provider, a response will be required in accordance with the following timescales: |
| 8.1.1 | law firms will be required to respond to the request within 24 hours (excluding any time periods which include weekends, public and bank holidays). |
| 8.1.2 | third sector organisations (such as charities and voluntary groups) will be required to respond to the request within 2 weeks (excluding any time periods which include weekends, public and bank holidays). |
| 9. | REJECTION OF REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE BY CLOCK SERVICE PROVIDER |
| 9.1 | A CLOCK Service Provider is under no obligation to accept a request for assistance. If a CLOCK Service Provider decides to reject a request for assistance, the CLOCK Service Provider must confirm the reason for the rejection from the options contained within the CLOCK IT System. |
| 9.2 | In such circumstances, the CLOCK IT System will mark the matter as ‘Pending’ in the relevant Local Community Legal Companion Service’s ‘Manage Application List’ in order that the CLOCK Project Lead administrator can re-assign the matter to an alternative CLOCK Service Provider, identified in accordance with the process outlined in Section 7 above. |
| 9.3 | If the Local Community Legal Companion Service rejects a request for assistance on the basis that it cannot identify a CLOCK Service Provider willing to take on the matter, the Local Community Legal Companion Service will signpost the CLOCK Service User to an alternative service or service provider. |
| 10. | COMPLETION REPORTS |
| 10.1 | The last Community Legal Companion or CLOCK Service Provider assisting the Service User will fill in a completion report on the CLOCK IT System the purpose of which is to support data monitoring and research purposes. |
| 11. | DISCLAIMER |
| 11.1 | The CLOCK IT System uses unencrypted internet technology. Keele will use its reasonable efforts to ensure that the CLOCK IT System is secure but cannot make any promise that the data will not be intercepted or affected by malicious software. |
| 11.2 | Keele does not promise that any use of the CLOCK IT System will be uninterrupted or error-free. |
| 11.3 | Keele is not responsible for any delays, delivery failures, or any other loss or damage resulting from the transfer of data over the internet, and the all users acknowledge that the services may be subject to limitations, delays and other problems inherent in the use of this media. |
| 11.4 | Although the CLOCK IT System is administered by Keele University on behalf of the CLOCK Project, in good faith and in pursuit of the CLOCK Project Objectives, Keele does not, to the extent permitted by law, accept any liability for any losses, damage or other expenses arising out of any use or unavailability of the CLOCK IT System. |