Ask us about support

What you can ask us about

You can enquire before charge, while a case is going through court, in custody, on probation or after release. You can also enquire about an older matter. The stage alone does not tell us what help is needed: describe the practical task or difficulty you want help with.

• Preparing questions or explaining your needs to a professional.
• Putting letters and information in order so you can see what needs attention.
• Preparing correspondence or identifying another service to contact.

For example, you might want help turning a confusing letter into questions for its sender, or preparing the main points for a conversation. These are examples of tasks we may agree, not promises about an individual case.

Read more about advocacy and practical casework.

Enquiring for someone else

A family member, friend or professional can make an initial enquiry. This can help if the person is in prison, does not have internet access or finds email difficult.

Give your own first name, your relationship to the person, a safe way to contact you and a brief description of the help they need. Say whether the person knows about the enquiry. Please do not send their case files, identity documents or sensitive personal details.

We will need to discuss consent and how the person can take part before individual support proceeds. Making an enquiry for someone does not, by itself, authorise us to share information about them with you.

For professionals making a referral enquiry

Include your role and organisation, what help you are seeking and any contact restrictions or communication needs. Ask about consent and how to provide any further information before sending documents.

An enquiry is not an accepted referral. Wait for an explicit agreement about the work Conviction can take on. Sending an enquiry does not transfer your responsibilities or existing support arrangements to us.

If you are a relative looking for help with your own situation, say that in your email. You do not need to present it as a referral for the other person.

If email or communication is difficult

First enquiries currently come by email. We do not offer a drop in service. Phone or video support is arranged individually after contact; there is no published helpline number.

If you cannot email us yourself, a trusted person can use the route for enquiring for someone else. If you are in custody, ask them to explain any restrictions on how you can communicate.

Tell us what would help: for example, shorter written explanations, more time to respond or involving a trusted supporter. We can discuss what is possible. You do not need to send a diagnosis or medical documents to explain a communication preference.

What happens after you contact us

1. Send a short enquiry

   Describe the help you need and a safe way to reply. Leave detailed case information out of this first message.

2. We consider the request

   We look at whether the work is suitable and whether we have capacity. We may ask for more information. A request for information does not mean your case has been accepted.

3. Agree the help

   If we can offer support, we will agree what we can do with you. If we cannot, we may be able to suggest somewhere else to try.

While you are waiting

We cannot promise a response within a particular time. Do not rely on an enquiry as confirmation that work has started or that you have a place on a waiting list. If you follow up, reply to your original email rather than sending the case information again.

Keep any existing support in place. If something becomes urgent, use the other help routes below instead of waiting for us.

If your needs change

Let us know if you want to withdraw an enquiry, stop agreed support or discuss a different task. Further work needs to be agreed; an accepted task does not mean we can take on every part of a situation.

Before sharing personal information

Tell us which contact method is safe and any restrictions, such as not leaving a voicemail or not contacting another person. You can ask about information handling before describing your situation.

If you are concerned about another party in the same matter contacting Conviction, raise that concern without naming them or giving case details in your first message. Ask us to clarify whether we can consider your enquiry before sending sensitive information.

Our privacy page explains initial contact and how to ask about who may see your information, how it is used and how long it is kept. The website notice is not a full privacy notice for individual support.

Urgent help and other services

Conviction is not an emergency service. Do not wait for our reply if someone is in danger or you need advice about a legal deadline.

• Immediate danger

  Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening now. The Criminal Justice Hub explains your options for reporting a crime.

• Legal advice

  Contact your solicitor, or read the Criminal Justice Hub’s guide to getting legal help and applying for legal aid. If you are being questioned at a police station, you can ask for free legal advice: read the Hub’s guidance on getting a solicitor for a police interview.

• Support after crime

  Victim Support explains how to get help, including its free Supportline on 0808 1689 111, available 24 hours a day.

The Criminal Justice Hub provides information about these routes. The police and Victim Support are separate organisations, not Conviction helplines or formal referral partners. Contact them directly to check what they can offer.

Other questions