Yarn Up

For community legal centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff only to meet and discuss key policy and practice issues.

Monday, 25 November 2019
9.00am-4.00pm

Gilbert + Tobin
Level 35, Tower Two, International Towers
200 Barangaroo NSW 2000

Convenor: Zachary Armytage, Community Legal Centres NSW

1. Opening Plenary: Do we need to be different in 2022?

Room 3

In three years community legal centres will likely be tendering again, this time for State and Commonwealth funding. Now seems a good time to think about what community legal centres should look like in 2022. Factors that might influence our thinking include:

• Messages from government about what it wants to fund in the future.
• How CLCs fit into the broader legal assistance provider landscape, particularly given the quickening pace of collaborative service planning, whatever that might turn out to mean.
• The evolving needs of our communities and what they are asking us to deliver.
• Whether the current CLC model, and the model of the CLC network, are still relevant and appropriate.

A panel of speakers present their perspectives as the basis for further discussion and response from the sector, following by open questions and discussion.

Speakers:
Anne Cregan (Partner, Gilbert + Tobin)
Geoff Mulherin (Director, Law and Justice Foundation of NSW)
Professor Simon Rice, OAM (Director, Professional and Community Engagement, University of Sydney Law School and Solicitor, Supreme Court of NSW)

Facilitator:
Katrina Ironside (Chair, Community Legal Centres NSW)

Sector Response:
Arlia Fleming (Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre )
Robert Pelletier (Macarthur Legal Centre)

2.1 Network Meeting

Aboriginal Legal Access Program and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Rights Working Group

Room 1

Convenor: Zac Armytage (ALAP Coordinator, Community Legal Centres NSW)

This network supports community legal centres operating Aboriginal Legal Access type programs by sharing experience and knowledge.

2.2 Network Meeting

Employment & Discrimination Law Network: 

Room 2

Co-convenors: Sharmilla Bargon (Solicitor, Redfern Legal Centre), Stanley Tao (Solicitor North & NorthWest Community Legal Centre), Vasili Maroulis (Managing Principal Solicitor, Marrickville Community Legal Centre)

Employment lawyers share experience and updates in employment law practice.

Possible CPD*: Substantive Law

2.3 Network Meeting

Domestic Violence & Victims Compensation Network

Room 4

Convenor: Karen Mifsud (Solicitor, Women’s Legal Service NSW)

Solicitors working with Domestic Violence and victims compensation share experience and update on legal issues affecting victims of Domestic Violence.

Possible CPD*: Substantive Law

2.4 Network Meeting

Coordinators & Directors Network

Room 3

Co-convenors: Arlia Fleming (Managing Principal Solicitor, Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre) and Robert Pelletier (Executive Officer, Macarthur Legal Centre)

Coordinators & Directors discuss key policy positions.

3.1 Network Meeting

Prisoners’ Rights Working Group

Room 4

Convenors: Carolyn Jones (Senior Solicitor, Women’s Legal Service NSW) and Camilla Pandolfini (Senior Solicitor, Public Interest Advocacy Centre)

Guest speakers: Donna Blomgren and Dr Sarah Jane Spencer (Co-Directors, Services & Programs, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network)

Guest speakers will present on health service for prisoners, including mental health care, responding to physical and sexual assaults and continuity of care post release.

Possible CPD*: Substantive Law

3.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recognition

Implementing cultural safety

Room 2

Facilitator: Zac Armytage (Aboriginal Legal Access Program Co-ordinator, Community Legal Centres NSW)

This session continues to develop a shared understanding of practice in relation to the implementation of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP) with a focus on how a RAP contributes to demonstrating the national Cultural Safety Standard requirements.

Possible CPD*: Professional Skills

3.3 Network Meeting

Coordinators & Directors Network

Room 3

Facilitator: Arlia Fleming (Managing Principal Solicitor, Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre) and Robert Pelletier (Executive Officer, Macarthur Legal Centre)

This is the follow-up session from the previous network meeting. Legal Aid NSW will provide an update of key issues.

3.4 Network Meeting

Admin/Finance Group

Room 1

Facilitator: Kerrith Sowden (Finance and Operations Manager, RACS)

Community legal centre administration and finance officers share relevant systems information and associated policies.

4.1 Network Meeting

CLC Care & Protection Network

Room 4

Co-convenors: Kenn Clift (Solicitor, Parents with an Intellectual Disability, Intellectual Disability Rights Service) and Jenna Dunwoodie (Solicitor, Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Womens Legal Centre)

The Care and Protection network provides an opportunity for community legal centres to discuss relevant care and protection practice and law reform issues. This session will also enable discussion of key focus areas for 2020.

Possible CDP*: Substantive Law 

4.2 Network Meeting

Communications Network

Room 2

Convenor: Finn O’Keefe (Communications and Volunteer Manager, Redfern Legal Centre)

Facilitator: Darren Smith (Communications Officer, Community Legal Centres NSW)

Information, skills and knowledge sharing for people in the sector working in media, communications, digital, fundraising, IT, etc. Bring your questions and ideas.

4.3 Service Sustainability

Impact Evaluation Measurement

Room 3

Presenter: Laurel Draffen (Community Legal Centres NSW)

Guest Speaker: Roslyn Cooke (Managing Solicitor, Homeless Persons Legal Service, PIAC)

This session will focus on data collection tools and strategies to measure outcomes and report on impact. Roslyn will also share her insights of developing impact measures at PIAC.

Possible CDP*: Professional Skills

5.1 Network meeting

Care and Protection Network - guest presentation

Room 4

Facilitator: Kenn Clift (Intellectual Disability Rights Service)

Presenter: Kylie Beckhouse (Director, Family Law, Legal Aid NSW)

Kylie Beckhouse will present on how Legal Aid NSW plans to deliver early intervention child protection legal services in-house from 1 November 2019 and how community legal centres can best engage with Legal Aid NSW.

Possible CDP*: Substantive Law, Advocacy

5.2 Service Sustainability

Accreditation update

Room 2

Presenter: Ingrid Rikkert (Regional Accreditation Coordinator, Community Legal Centres NSW)

The next 3 year cycle of the national Accreditation Scheme has commenced. Three centres have now been through the revised assessment process. Find out whats changed and how you can prepare for Accreditation Assessment.

Possible CDP*: Professional Skills

5.3 Service Sustainability

CLASS Training

Room 3

Presenter: Alex Ariti (Executive Officer , Community Legal Centres Australia)

Community Legal Centres Australia provide training in most recent CLASS updates.

Possible CDP*: Practice Management

6.1 Induction for new workers

Room 1

Facilitator: Laurel Draffen (Community Legal Centres NSW)

Presenter: Various presenters from Community Legal Centres NSW.

Introduction to the community legal sector - Orientation for new workers and volunteers.

6.2 Network Meeting

Community Legal Education Workers (CLEW) Network

Room 2

Facilitator: Duhita Lewis (CLE Coordinator, Hunter Community Legal Centre)

Community Legal Educators share recent updates to their practice and provision community legal education programs

Possible CDP*: Professional Skills

6.3 Network Meeting

Law Reform and Policy Network – Law Reform 101.

Room 4

Acting Convenor:  Leo Patterson-Ross (Tenants' Union of NSW) and Alastair Lawrie (Senior Policy Officer, Public Interest Advocacy Centre)

Facilitator: Emily Hamilton (Community Legal Centres NSW)

Community Legal Centres NSW will report back on the law reform priorities identified for 2020 and beyond through its recent sector survey. Alastair Lawrie will lead a practical conversation about how to keep doing law reform work in the current (challenging) state and federal political environments.

Possible CDP*: Substantive Law, Advocacy

6.4 Committee Meeting

Professional Indemnity Insurance Committee (PII) committee

Room 3

Convenors: Ali Mojtahedi (Principal Solicitor, Immigration, Advice and Rights Centre) and Hilary Kincaid (Principal Solicitor, Inner City Legal Centre)

The PII committee monitors & supports members’ compliance with the Risk Management Guide & informs members of relevant legal practice issues. Principal Solicitors (or their delegate) are required to attend.

Possible CDP*: Practice Management

7.1 Rural Regional & Remote (RRR) Network Meeting

Room 1

Facilitator: Arlia Fleming (Managing Solicitor, Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre)

This network session is open to any RRR members to discuss issues particular to providing legal services in rural, remote and regional areas. This session is open to attendance by workers from FVPLS providers and ALS providers.

7.2 Legal Services

Justice Advocacy Service

Room 3

Presenter: Natalie Ross (Principal Solicitor, Welfare Rights Centre)

The impact of lump sum payments on Centrelink payments. A lump sum payment, such as compensation, a property settlement or unexplained deposits into an account, can negatively impact on a person’s Centrelink payment. This session will explain how social security law treats various types of lump sum payments. Solicitors and other CLC workers will be better equipped to help their clients avoid payments getting cut off, avoid debts and plan for the future.

Possible CPD*: Advocacy, Substantive Law

7.3 Legal Services

Strategic Litigation

Room 4

Presenter: Maria Nawaz (Acting Head, Strategic Litigation, Grata Fund)

Making strategic litigation happen. This session will cover:

• Strategic litigation as a tool of change;
• Increasing access to justice through removing barriers to strategic litigation; and
• How Grata Fund can support community legal centres to engage in strategic litigation.

Possible CPD*: Practice Management

7.4 Sector Sustainability

Organisation Risk Management

Room 2

Facilitator: Laurel Draffen (Community Legal Centres NSW)

Presenter: Ingrid Rikkert (Community Legal Centres NSW)

What does your organisation need to do to ensure sound risk management planning? What should a risk management plan look like and how should it be used? This session will provide practical advice about developing and implementing a risk management plan.

Possible CPD*: Professional Skills

8.1 Closing Plenary: Innovation in legal service delivery

Room 3

Community legal centres continually trial and implement new or adapted practices which are not necessarily widely shared. Innovative practice can be demonstrated in many different ways such as reaching a hard to access client group, savings in time or money, an effective new pro bono strategy , collaborating with other services to deliver legal advice or information, projects that develop deeper connections with community. A panel of speakers share their experience of recent innovative strategies, programs or projects.

Facilitator:
Kat Ironside (Chair, Community Legal Centres NSW)

Presentations:

Young people’s civil law service
Toobah Choudhari (Youth Lawyer, Hunter Community Legal Centre)
Funded by the Law and Justice Foundation, the civil law service for young people has been running at the Hunter Regional Children’s Courts for the past twelve months.

My Legal Mate
Sean Stimson (Solicitor, International Student Legal Service, Redfern Legal Centre)
My Legal Mate is an app that uses interactive video in seven languages to provide international students with instant legal advice on problems like underpayment at work, accommodation issues and sexual assault.

Artist in the Black Animation series
Robyn Ayres (CEO, Arts Law Australia)
Arts Law has produced a series of short animated videos covering legal topics such as contracts, intellectual property, copyright, writing a will and resale royalties. Robyn will share the most recent animations, how they were developed and used.

Education for Elders
Diana Bernard (Manager, Education and Community Services, Senior Rights Service)
Seniors Rights Service effectively create and adapt education activities for specific audiences. For example; a version of Bingo to engage elders around elder abuse. This session will cover some of the innovative approaches Seniors Rights Service develop to reach their target communities.

8.2 Community Legal Centres NSW AGM

Room 3

The Annual General Meeting for Community Legal Centres NSW will include:

• Presentation of 2018/19 reports
• Activities of the Association
• Financial report
• PII committee report
• Election of board members
• Vote on special resolution – composition of the board and board membership

Coaching Conversations

Presenter: Mark Hunyor

Managers are often called upon to handle some challenging situations with their direct reports. Coaching Conversations provides managers with a toolkit for handling crucial conversations. It draws from a range of theories that inform coaching practice and provides frameworks for planning and executing conversations. Scenarios covered in the course include conversations to build motivation, build confidence, give specific feedback, performance manage and deliver bad news.

To see the full program, click here.

Gilbert + Tobin
Level 35, Tower Two, International Towers Sydney
200 Barangaroo Avenue
Barangaroo NSW 2000

Community Legal Centres NSW indicates whether a session may be appropriate to attract Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points but takes no responsibility if the content does not meet CPD requirements. Sessions are not accredited by the NSW Law Society. Community legal centre solicitors should make their own assessment of whether the session meets their CPD requirements, and maintain their own records for meeting CPD requirements.

Further information about CPD requirements are available on the Law Society NSW website.

Requirements 

• Experience and/or interest in the area of the network 
• Commitment and availability to attend and lead network session at each Quarterly
• Willingness to be a point of contact between CLCNSW and the network 
• Assisting CLCNSW to maintain email groups of people interested in work of the network 

Preparation for Quarterlies 

• If appropriate, arrange speakers - notify CLCNSW one month in advance to enable inclusion in the program
• Advise CLCNSW of any technology or other requirements for the network meeting at least one week prior to the date of Quarterly

Facilitate network meeting 

• Prepare and distribute agenda 
• Facilitate network meeting - welcome participants, introduce guests, review any action items from previous meeting, keep agenda items to time, facilitate discussion and any decision making within time frame 

Meeting Administration 

• Ensure meeting minutes are kept
• Ensure participants sign in (registration forms provided) at each meeting 
• Distribute and collect evaluation forms - return to room folder at the end of the session 

Reporting and Accountability 

• Ensure an oral summary report of the network meeting is given at the end of each Quarterly at the Sector wide meeting
• Emailing copies of the minutes to the Network members
• Ensure meeting minutes are emailed to CLCNSW for record keeping

• Welcome and introduce speaker.

• Ensure remote participants are included throughout the session.

• Liaise with volunteer / CLCNSW staff member at the session regarding technology. • Manage Q&A section of session.

• Monitor time, keeping the session to time limits.

• Thank the speaker and close the session.

With thanks to guests, event sponsors and pro bono presentations from: Legal Aid NSW, Grata Fund, Community Legal Centres Australia, Gilbert and Tobin, University of Sydney, the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW. Thanks also to all community legal centre speakers for sharing their practice, expertise and knowledge.

We acknowledge that the land upon which these meetings are taking place is land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.