FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE LTD. ANNUAL REPORT 1ST July 2018 to 30th June 2019
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to acknowledge our funding, pro bono and our collaborative sector partners:
Ashurst Lawyers Commonwealth Legal Services Program, Commonwealth Attorney General Department Community Legal Centre New South Wales Community Legal Centres Australia Community Legal Centres Program, Legal Aid NSW Cooperative Legal Service Delivery Program, Legal Aid NSW Broken Hill Musicians Club, Board Members and Staff Laurie White, fundraiser extraordinaire Justice and Community Sector Partners in the Far West NSW & NSW LawAccess NSW Legal Aid NSW, Civil, Family & Employment Law Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre, Ken Beilby Silver City Cinema, John Wren Staying Home Leaving Violence, Department of Communities and Justice Warra Warra Legal Service, Department Prime Minister and Cabinet Women’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Program, Legal Aid NSW
We acknowledge all of the local businesses and community sector partners in the Far West NSW and in greater NSW that have provided financial and in-kind support to FWCLC Ltd. particularly during the Far West Community Legal Centre funding campaign, to the Road Show Outreach to Tibooburra, Ivanhoe and White Cliffs and to the Festival of Respect. Annual Report Coordinator
Stacy Treloar & Stacey Jackson-Moroney
Annual Report Editors
Stacy Treloar & Stacey Jackson-Moroney
Annual Report Photos
Simon Hunter
Design & Production
Stacy Treloar, Stacey Jackson-Moroney & Simon Hunter
We respectfully acknowledge the Elders and the Aboriginal people who are the traditional owners of the Far West NSW. Published by Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. Address PO Box 399 Phone 08 8088 2020 Fax 08 8088 2060 Copyright 2019 Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS OUR VISION, VALUES & WORK 2018-2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CURRENT STAFF FAREWELL & THANK YOU DIRECTORS REPORT CEO's REPORT YEAR IN PICTURES FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT WOMEN'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICE REPORT STAYING HOME LEAVING VIOLENCE SERVICE REPORT FAR WEST COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THANK YOU
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OUR VISION, VALUES & WORK 4
OUR VISION, VALUES & WORK FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE (‘FWCLC’) Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. was officially opened on 18 July 2000. FWCLC is committed to providing a holistic service to the people in the Far West who have the least access to justice. The Far West Community Legal Centre is funded to provide services to the residents and communities of the Far West region including Broken Hill, Ivanhoe, Menindee, Tibooburra, Wanaaring, White Cliffs and Wilcannia. FWCLC is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Residents of the Far West region are invited to become members of the Association. FWCLC is committed to the provision of free and accessible legal services including:
Legal Information & Advice Advocacy Representation Education Community Development Referral Law Reform
WARRA WARRA LEGAL SERVICE (‘WWLS’) Warra-Warra Legal Service (formerly the Broken Hill Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Service) was funded in 2007 by the Commonwealth Indigenous Justice and Community Safety Unit. The funding for this service is governed by the Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. WWLS aims to provide a holistic, culturally responsive and independent legal and family support program for victims of family violence and sexual assault. WWLS provides legal advice and assistance in Family Law, Family Violence, Care & Protection and Victims’ Compensation matters. WWLS initiates and facilitates preventative programs for long-term solutions to family violence and sexual assault. By conducting community education programs, WWLS informs people of their rights and conveys to the community that family violence and sexual assault are crimes and not a part of our culture. Services include: Legal Information & Advice Advocacy Representation Education Referral Family Support Community Development Law Reform
WOMEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICE (‘WDVCAS’) Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service was funded by the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program in 2008. The funding for this program is governed by Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. WDVCAS is one of 28 Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services, servicing 108 local courts in NSW. WDVCAS is a locally-based and independent service for women and children seeking assistance and information about protection from family/domestic violence. WDVCAS provides women and children with support, advocacy, referral and information. WDVCAS facilitates women and children’s access to legal representation ensuring that women can access the justice system to overcome the violence they have experienced.
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OUR VISION, VALUES & WORK COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY PROGRAM (‘CLSD’)
STAYING HOME LEAVING VIOLENCE (‘SHLV’)
Cooperative Legal Service Delivery Program was funded in 2009 by the Cooperative Legal Service Delivery Program. The funding for this program is governed by the Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd.
Staying home leaving violence was first funded by the department of Family and Community Services in October 2014 and is one of 33 Staying Home Leaving Violence Centres around the state. The funding for the program is governed by the Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd.
The CLSD Program is a regionally-based approach to legal service delivery in NSW. It aims to improve outcomes for economically and socially disadvantaged people by building cooperative and strategic networks of key legal services and community organisations. The CLSD Program is based on the theory that better coordination and cooperation in the planning and delivery of legal services will enhance the efficient and effective use of scarce resources, and thereby improves access to justice for disadvantaged people. The CLSD Program meets quarterly and identifies unmet legal needs in the region. As a result of a collaborative planning process, the CLSD Regional Coordinator facilitates consultation and discussion and encourages local projects, partnerships and community legal outreach in the Far West region.
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The SHLV program aims to prevent homelessness by working with the NSW Police to remove the perpetrator from the family home so that women and children can remain safely where they are.
Partners from Far West NSW Include:
Aboriginal Affairs Aboriginal Legal Service Broken Hill Court CatholicCare Community Development Employment Program Compass Housing Centrelink Far West Community Legal Centre Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service Far West Local Health District Legal Aid NSW Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast Maari Ma Merit Program Mission Australia NSW Police Salvation Army Warra Warra Legal Service Other Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, Ivanhoe, Tibooburra and White Cliffs community service providers and businesses.
2018 – 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 7
2018 – 2019 BOARD OF MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE MEMBERS Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Secretary
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Mark Braes Ellen Day Bronte Schuster Cory Paulson Mary Jinks Colleen Riley Julie-Ann Philp Michelle Johnson
THE FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE LTD. CURRENT STAFF
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CURRENT STAFF FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE •
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Stacy Treloar Chief Executive Officer (started November 2018)
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Paul Walton Principal Solicitor (started October 2019)
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Bianca Cattonar Finance Officer (stared Admin February 2011 and Finance April 2015)
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Thanushar Sridaran Solicitor (started September 2018)
Kim Avers Solicitor (started July 2018) Nina Betts Solicitor (started part time March 2016)
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Stacey Jackson Senior Administration, Intake, Information, Referral & Project Officer (2007-2009, ret. September 2011)
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Simon Hunter Legal Admin/Community Development Worker (started April 2016) CLSD Regional Coordinator (started January 2017)
Shannon Oates
WOMEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICE •
Manager (started September 2015)
Leah Billeam Principal Solicitor (started May 2017)
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Priscilla Liyanage Community Development Worker (started casual March 2018, full time January 21 2019)
Narelle Blows
Bianca Cattonar Finance Officer (started April 2015)
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Sandy Uhl LCP Court Advocate
(started July 2016)
Ann-Maree Payne Administration, Information, Referral Officer (started June 2009)
Loretta Stuart Coordinator/Aboriginal Specialist Worker (started April 2008) Coordinator (started September 2009)
Emma Stewart Solicitor (started March 2017)
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Bianca Cattonar Finance Officer (started March 2018)
Cameron Hunter Solicitor (started June 2018)
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WARRA WARRA LEGAL SERVICE
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Melissa Hickey LCP and SAM Coordinator
(started April 2018)
STAYING HOME LEAVING VIOLENCE •
Fiona Camilleri Coordinator (started September 2014)
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Heidi Ogden Case Worker
(started April 2017)
FAREWELL & THANK YOU THANK YOU TO FRANKIE – SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS JAKE – BUSINESS OFFICE ADMIN TRAINEE We greatly appreciated the hard work these students provided whilst doing placement at the FWCLC Ltd.
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Mark Braes Director
DIRECTORS REPORT 12
DIRECTORS REPORT It is my pleasure to present the Report of the Directors of the Far West Community Legal Centre Limited.
I commend them for their ongoing commitment to quality and compassionate service delivery.
The past year has proven to be one of challenge and consolidation. Several changes of personnel and leadership of our professional legal staff has been a major challenge for our professional and support staff alike. Despite this challenge all staff have continued to provide quality services and genuine care and support to our clients in need.
I acknowledge the professional and energetic leadership provided by our CEO Stacy Treloar. Stacy has approached her complex role with enthusiasm and vigor. Her positive and calm manner will ensure our services are delivered consistent with our strategic and financial targets.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank my fellow Board of Directors for their service in ensuring our service is delivered consistent with our financial and legal obligations. We look to the future with confidence in our collective ability to meet the needs of our clients in need.
Mark Braes, Director FWCLC Ltd.
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Stacy Treloar CEO
CEO’S REPORT 13 14 15 16
CEO’S REPORT FWCLC Ltd. is an exciting and inspiring organization that works conscientiously to collaborate and celebrate positive change in the Far West. The Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. is committed to building strong and sustainable partnerships within the region. Over the last year the FWCLC Ltd. has gone through an incredible transformation. Each service now stands strong and proud in its own right. Each service is led by highly skilled and innovative coordinators and managers – Paul Walton, Bianca Cattonar, Stacey Jackson-Moroney, Fiona Camilleri, Narelle Blows, Loretta Stuart, Shannon Oates, Leah Billeam and Simon Hunter each bring out the best in their respective departments and have created vibrant and responsive services. This year’s annual report celebrates this transformational journey and recognises that this has been made possible because FWCLC Ltd. has a visionary, passionate and committed Board of Directors, Staff and Volunteer Team. It is fitting to acknowledge our lead Board member Mark Braes, who has supported, guided and believed in me since I became CEO of the Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. I would also like to give a big thank you to the rest of the Board of Directors and welcome the new faces to the Board; they have encouraged us to model integrity and professionalism. The Board of
Directors continually offer their support and commitment to Far West Community Legal Centre Ltd. Every day I faced with the dilemma of how best to meet the needs of our work force and maintain each Organisations’ individuality and operational framework requirements. This has been a challenge all year but as a team we are continually working towards improving service and ensuring our Policies are adhered to. The support I received from the Managers and Coordinators whilst I have been on this learning curve has been humbling and I am honored to work with such fantastic people. A special thanks to all of the staff employed within the Limited group, you have worked hard and deserve far more than just a simple thank you. I really appreciate you all for providing support and patience whilst I have been learning how your services run and how my role fits into each service. I respect the honesty and all feedback as this is how we achieve a great workforce and workplace. You are all instrumental to your respective services and are inspiring to work with, thank you again. In the Far West is a rural and very remote area and we have diverse communities within this region. We provide advice, educate and advocate for the vulnerable
people within these communities by providing diverse areas of law that are not profitable and give priority to individuals and local communities that have complex legal, financial and social needs. Each of our services strives to make a positive difference in the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised people in our region. FWCLC Ltd. operates from a strategic service delivery model informed by the following principles:
Culturally respectful practice Evidence based programs Priority to clients with complex needs or multiple legal problems A flexible and responsive approach to service delivery A willingness to lead new initiatives Early intervention, community development and community education prioritized All programs are evaluated for their effectiveness and responsiveness for the Far West Region of NSW
This year the FWCLC Ltd. secured 3 years funding for the service and additional funding to provide services for Tenancy and Minor Traffic work. Although this funding was secured we still face challenges for the FWCLC Ltd. in relation to wages and 13 travel costs. It is our goal to make the FWCLC Ltd. more 14 visible in the community.
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CEO’S REPORT This year, we have functioned with 1 Solicitor down at the FWCLC since December 2018 until July 22nd 2019, this has made it difficult for us to provide services and put a great strain on the existing staff during this period. Luckily we attracted an exceptional staff member to fill the position and Cameron has brought new vision, skills and talents to the FWCLC Ltd. team.
We are proud of the individual client advice, casework, court representation, Court Support and referral work that we do. We are really satisfied that we have initiated and actively supported, especially:
I would like to acknowledge Nina Betts for stepping in and acting as Principal Solicitor from December 2018 to March 2019 and Thanushar Sridaran for taking on the Principal Solicitor role from 4 March 2019.
Unfortunately, Warra Warra Legal Service lost their 2 social workers due to funding uncertainty in January 2019. Each service will state – we have been busy – and we have! Our activities, programs and projects profiled this year give a snapshot of what we do, and what we stand for.
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Road Show to White Cliffs NAIDOC Week Law Week Community Legal Educations workshops covering a wide range of topics Careers Expo Homelessness Wear It Purple Child Protection Rural Resilience Program Free Legal Help Days for Menindee, Broken Hill and Wilcannia TSEP Menindee and TSEP Dareton White Ribbon Breakfast Menindee Community Support Day Ochre Ribbon Day Year 7 Day Youth Week
Disability & Aged Care Expo Youth Services Day Sorry Business Consultations Wilcannia Housing Learn and Lunch Outreach in Wilcannia, Menindee, Ivanhoe, White Cliffs, Tibooburra and Wentworth
There are many stories that have emerged this year, that remind us, we are on the right track. Our photos will speak for us and will allow us to tell our story. There are many opportunities and challenges waiting for us in 2019 – 2020 period and we welcome it. We will face these opportunities and challenges creatively and courageously, and we will continue to work with the same optimistic and innovative spirit that we did in 2018 2019.
Stacy Treloar CEO, FWCLC Ltd.
THE YEAR IN PICTURES
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THE YEAR IN PICTURES
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THE YEAR IN PICTURES
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FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT
FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT I commenced my role as Principal Solicitor in March 2019, after joining the legal team as a Solicitor in September 2018. We secured State funding for three years from July 2019-2022 following a tender process at the end of December 2018. We are grateful for the increase in funding we received to deliver new traffic and tenancy services from 1 July 2019. As part of these services, we commenced a regular duty service at Local Court for traffic matters and at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for tenancy matters. This has been a year of change in the legal team. Jillian Heeley retired from her role as Principal Solicitor in October 2018. Nina Betts was Principal Solicitor from December 2018 until I took over in March 2019. Thank you to Jill and Nina for their tireless efforts leading the legal team. Cameron Hunter joined us in June 2019, to take over my role as I stepped into the Principal Solicitor position. Mark Jongebloed
left us in July 2019 and we wish him the best for his future endeavours. We were also excited to have a new solicitor, Kim Avers, commence in July 2019, who brings her substantial experience in family law to the team. I am grateful for the support of our passionate administrative team through the changes in our solicitors; Stacey JacksonMoroney, Bianca Cattonar and Simon Hunter. Thank you also to our CEO, Stacy Treloar, for her leadership and guidance.
Ashurst, our pro bono partner, continues to support us in delivering services to disadvantaged people in this region. We thank them for their invaluable contribution. Lastly, I made the decision to step back into a solicitor role in October 2019 to focus on delivering frontline legal services to people in this region. I have been appreciative of the support that the entire team has given me over the past seven months. Their passion for social justice and commitment to achieving the best outcomes for our clients inspires me every day. I look forward to welcoming the new Principal Solicitor, Paul Walton, in mid-October 2019. We are confident that with a robust legal 13 team, we will continue delivering high-quality legal services to vulnerable communities14 in the Far West. 15
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Thanushar Sridaran, Principal Solicitor 17 (March to October 2019)
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FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT LEGAL SERVICES Legal assistance There was an increase of about 13% in the number of legal advices provided during the year ending 30 June 2019, in comparison to the previous financial year. We saw a 20% increase in the number of referrals provided to clients. We also more than doubled the number of legal tasks that we assisted clients with. These legal tasks included assisting clients who are self-represented to draft letters and court documents, and to communicate with the other parties in their dispute. The ability to discrete services like legal tasks 13provide ensures we can meet the significant demand 14for our services in the region, while also 15providing substantive assistance to those who need it most.
16 17Around 28% of the legal advice services provided this year involved family law. The 18majority of these matters involved advising 19 20 21 22 23
clients on parenting arrangements. Other significant areas of advice and casework this year include:
employment law; wills and estates; credit and debt; consumer complaints; and Victims Support.
Approximately 30% of our legal advice services and 25% of representation services over the year were provided to people experiencing or at risk of family violence. These statistics demonstrate the essential role the CLC plays in ensuring access to justice for survivors of family violence. Our Thursday clinic services have been wellattended, with a total of 105 clients attending 48 clinics. These clinics ensure that our service remains accessible and responsive to the demand for legal services in the community.
Our services and clients are more than just statistics. The following client stories (not their real names) illustrate the vital assistance we have provided to vulnerable people in the Far West region.
FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT CLIENT STORIES Tamara- support for victims of crime
Joanne- discrimination in employment
Greta- council rates debts
Tamara was a survivor of long-term domestic violence and sexual assault committed by an ex-partner. Her application was complex as she had suffered a series of assaults, some of which were outside NSW. She applied for support from Victims Services but her application was initially rejected on grounds the act of violence occurred outside of NSW.
Shortly after falling pregnant, Joanne was dismissed from her employment with a business in Broken Hill. The employer stated that she had been made redundant from her position. However, Joanne felt that she had been let go because her pregnancy made it difficult to do some of the tasks at her job. We assisted Joanne with a general protections claim in the Fair Work Commission.
Following the death of her partner, Greta faced substantial arrears for council rates on her family home. The arrears had not been resolved through the estates administration process. The council had brought an action against Greta to recover over $50,000 in rates in the Local Court.
We applied for internal review of Victims Services' decision, provided to Victims Services additional reports from Tamara's counsellor and made submissions in support of her application. As a result of our advocacy, the reviewer found in Tamara's favour and awarded her a financial payment of $10,000. Tamara was grateful for our support and felt that the payment recognised the trauma she had suffered as a result of the violence.
We represented Joanne in dispute resolution outside of court and were successful in obtaining a settlement for compensation. Joanne was happy with this outcome as the compensation would provide much-needed assistance with the costs she was expecting as new mother. She was also appreciative of our assistance with the Fair Work Commission dispute resolution process, which allowed her to put her story to the employer.
The council had commenced action in Parramatta, and Greta had difficulty attending court proceedings due to the distance to Far West NSW. We assisted Greta to have the proceedings transferred to a Local Court that 13 was closer to her residence and that of the council. In conjunction with our pro bono 14 partner Ashurst, we also negotiated a 15 settlement for Greta with the council, who then withdrew their claim in Local Court.16 As a result of our assistance, Greta was able to 17 keep her family home.
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FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT Community Legal Education and Community Development During the year, we delivered community legal education (CLE) to a variety of people in the communities we service. We established a CLE program for community workers in February 2019, with monthly presentations on legal issues including family law, employment law, tenancy law and support for victims of crime. The aim of this program was to improve community knowledge around legal issues and build capacity among community workers to identify legal problems for referral to a solicitor.
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The program was also designed to improve our relationships with service providers and community organisations in the Far West. We
received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants on the usefulness of the sessions. Due to the success of this program, we will continue to deliver CLE sessions to community workers in the new financial year. We thank Lifeline Broken Hill for their support in providing a venue for delivery of these CLE sessions in the first half of 2019. We delivered CLE to students at the Year 7 Day in February 2019, in partnership with Legal Aid NSW. The first session involved an interactive activity designed to teach students to identify legal problems for which they could seek help from a solicitor. In the second session, we led a discussion with students following a video on legal issues affecting young people. We received positive feedback on the sessions, with students reporting that they better understood how legal issues could arise in their daily lives. We also delivered a CLE on tenancy in Wilcannia in June 2019, and spoke to community members about common tenancy issues they experienced. The CLE was delivered in partnership with Legal Aid NSW and Western Aboriginal Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service. The session was wellattended by community members and gave us an excellent picture of the tenancy issues in Wilcannia. The event was a fantastic way to
announce the launch of our new tenancy services in the new financial year. We also developed a fact sheet of common tenancy questions that community members who attended the CLE found useful. We expect to continue using the fact sheet to complement our tenancy services in the new financial year. We also delivered other CLE sessions to service providers at interagency meetings, including concerning changes to ‘sexting’ laws. In addition to LoveBites, the Youth Careers Expos, Children’s Week, NAIDOC Week, White Ribbon Day, Wear It Purple Day, Fines and Bills Days, we have done so much more. As always, collaboration with partner agencies, and a strong focus on interagency activities are at the forefront of our work. We are also proud to have been invited to Community Working Party meetings for Aboriginal communities in our region during the year. We look forward to continuing to build our relationships with communities in the Far West.
FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT Outreach We are proud of our outreach efforts, which ensure access to justice for some of the most disadvantaged people in the Far West region. We continued our regular outreach programs to Menindee twice a month and Wilcannia once a month. Following discrete outreach services to Broken Hill Correctional Centre during the year, we will commence a regular outreach program to the Centre in July 2019.
We also conducted outreach to other remote communities in the region. We set up information stalls at the White Cliffs Arts Festival with Lifeline Broken Hill, Legal Aid NSW, Mission Australia and the Broken Hill Library. We visited White Cliffs and Nundooka Station as part of the Rural Resilience Program, which aims to link rural communities to appropriate services and information to build resilience.
Service. We continued to provide services to clients in Tibooburra during the year remotely. We thank local communities organisations in Wilcannia, Menindee, Ivanhoe, Tibooburra and White Cliffs for their continued willingness to engage with and work with us. Thanks also to the tireless efforts of the staff at the Broken Hill Correctional Centre for assisting us with outreach.
We also conducted outreach to Ivanhoe, with assistance from the Royal Flying Doctors’
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FAR WEST COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRE REPORT Activities
Total Services 2018/2019
Number of Clients
398
Total Advices
499
Total Files Opened
84
Total Files Closed
209
Total information and referral activities
795
Total Legal Tasks
195
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WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT 27 28 29
WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT 2018-2019 has been a busy year for Warra Warra Legal Service. As the Manager of WWLS, I begin my report by proudly acknowledging our team. I I would like to welcome to WWLS: our new Finance Officer Bianca Cattonar, who is a familiar face within the Limited. Bianca is also the finance officer at FWCLC and alternates her days between both services. I acknowledge Ann-Maree Payne, our Administration & Legal Support Officer for her dedication and excellent work. AnnMaree started in 2009 and is the longest serving member of the team and has received acknowledgment of 10 Years of service this year. Ann-Maree has added a new role to her title as a WDVCAS Seconded Worker. We said goodbye to our two Social Workers, Rebecca Deer and Kelsey Lew earlier this year and wish them all the best in their new ventures. They provided a very important holistic approach to our service and its clients. Our service is hoping to have a full team by 2020 with a ‘Social Worker’ being sought.
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Together we have achieved a lot this year, walking side by side with our clients to provide support, advice and representation to meet both their legal and non-legal needs. WWLS staff travel on outreach to Wilcannia on a fortnightly basis and travel to Menindee and Wentworth once every month to network with services, deliver information on our service and to see clients for their appointments.
NATIONAL FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEGAL SERVICES (NFVPL) I attended the annual NFVPLS forum conference this year in Broome along with Stacy Treloar CEO and our Principal Solicitor Leah Billeam. We would like to thank the Board for always allowing us to participate in this yearly meeting. Next year the NFVPL Forum will be held in Cairns. There have also been several teleconferences, facilitated by the National FVPLS Forum Secretariat. New changes and challenges are ahead for all Family Violence Prevention Legal Services across Australia.
It is crucial that WWLS remains actively involved in both our State and National Networks and communicates any new changes to our communities.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Community development is a service strategy, and all staff are committed to building relationships with their communities and with service providers to promote WWLS and its programs.
NAIDOC Week and Family Fun Day WWLS produced another big success for the NAIDOC celebrations in Broken Hill. WWLS continues to hold a local Cinema Event which showcased a movie relating to the NAIDOC theme, being, VOICE, TREATY, TRUTH. Our movie this year was ‘Top End Wedding’ and proceeded to be very successful once again with over 100 community members in attendance. WWLS was also actively visible in the Day in the Park, holding a stall with ‘Fairy Floss’. WWLS were also active members of the NAIDOC Committee.
WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT Cultural Awareness Training Program
Staff Meetings
This year WWLS organized Cultural Awareness Training for all staff of FWCLC Ltd. Denise Hampton from the UDRH delivered the Cultural Awareness Training Program at WWLS.
WWLS continue to have staff meetings on a weekly basis.
Community Working Party Meetings Shannon continues to attend the CWP meetings and reports back to WWLS team as to what is happening in the community.
Facebook Page WWLS’s social media has increased in the last year as the WWLS Facebook page has over 400 “likes” and 419 followers.
Far West Domestic Violence Interagency Meetings WWLS staff attend the interagency meetings in Broken Hill at the new Community Health Centre on a monthly basis where we give an update on our service and hear what other services are also doing.
Senior Management Meetings Shannon and Leah attend these meetings which are held in the CEO’s office at FWCLC. Each service that forms the FWCLC Ltd provides updates.
Court Support Shannon has continued her role as a Seconded Worker at the local court with WDVCAS each Friday.
CLSD Meetings WWLS Principal Solicitor Leah Billeam and Manager Shannon Oates attend these meetings which are held quarterly and generally at the FWCLC.
Training WWLS team attended CLASS training, a database that we use for statistics, client information and reporting. We also attended education/information sessions hosted by the FWCLC and presented by: Steve Dohnt, the Youth Liaison Officer for our local schools.
Sherrie Wilkins, Lifeline Financial Counsellor Greg Pearce, Lifeline Gambling Help
WWLS also attended CLE’s provided by solicitors from FWCLC which were held at Lifeline.
Community BBQ In November/December 2018, WWLS held community BBQ’s in Wilcannia, Menindee and at the 123 Hub in Broken Hill to thank the community for a year of effectively collaborating and working together. WWLS have also lent their BBQ trailer to several services in Broken Hill wishing to use it at their own events and it is becoming more and more popular.
Ochre Ribbon Day This event was organized on the 12th February 2019 at the 123 Hub, and we provided a BBQ breakfast to recognize and support Aboriginal people who are survivors of domestic and family violence. Around 40-50 community members attended this successful event. Thank you to all WWLS staff who have proceeded to make our service proud with their hard work and commitment.
Shannon Oates, WWLS Manager
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WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT
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WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT LEGAL PRACTICE REPORT Our client base is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of domestic violence and/ or sexual assault. We have a case mix of domestic violence, family law, child protection, victims of crime claim and stolen generation claims. We have also assisted with preparation of claims under the National Redress Scheme for victims of institutional abuse. The social workers were invaluable in providing the extra, non-legal assistance to our vulnerable clients who needed someone to talk to and it helped keep the clients on track with their matters. We were fortunate to have a volunteer law student Sarah Fenwick from the University of New South Wales for six weeks over the summer who gave us invaluable support covering staff on leave. Priscilla Liyanage a Deakin University law student came on board, initially part-time as a volunteer paralegal. Priscilla has since moved into the Community Development Worker position full time but continued to assist with paralegal work, particularly on outreach. Our outreach schedule was of fortnightly visits to Wilcannia, and monthly visits to Wentworth and Menindee. Although White cliffs, Ivanhoe and Tibooburra are on our outreach schedule they
were serviced by phone and email as the need arose. We generally have an appreciative client base and working with them is a privilege but one of the ongoing problems we have with matters that can take time to resolve (such as Victims Services claims) is that many of us clients tend to move between owns and not provide us with changes to their addresses, phones or emails making it difficult to establish contact when follow up is required. Both Emma and I attended the Biennial Family Law Conference in Brisbane which enabled us to obtain our annual compulsory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units for our practicing certificates. Emma also attended a domestic violence alert training program and a course on briefing Counsel. WWLS hosted retiring magistrate Prowse for a CPD session and we attended one given by Judge Brown of the Federal Circuit Court Family Law (with visiting barristers from Sydney). It has been flagged that the Broken Hill Circuit might be discontinued because the (comparatively) small lists don’t justify the circuit. If that comes about it will mean more disadvantage to rural and remote communities. Emma was part of the Love Bites program in secondary schools and she attended the monthly
interagency meetings for Domestic Violence face to face in Broken Hill. I attended by phone the quarterly Legal Care and Protection Advisory Panel meetings; the NFVPLS Principal Solicitors meetings and the NSW NFVPLS Principal Solicitors link ups as scheduled. We were both members of the Far West Law Society. I attended the annual FLVPLS forum held in Broome and the opportunity to meet face to face with fellow Principal Solicitors and exchange ideas was invaluable. An issue about co-operating with cross border cases where clients live in one state, but the matter is in another (eg. resident of Wentworth, New South Wales has a matter in Mildura, Victoria or a Broken Hill, New South Wales resident has a matter in Western Australia). This has yet to be addressed and hopefully the NFVPLS Forum can address this in the coming year. Charles Darwin University undertook an assessment of all FVPLS services during the year and the outcome of this is still being reviewed. Finally, I would like to record my appreciation27 to both management and Emma for giving me the 28 flexibility and support needed to be able to 29 continue working whilst managing a family illness.
Leah Billeam, WWLS Principal Solicitor
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WARRA-WARRA LEGAL SERVICE REPORT Activities
Total Services 2018/2019
Number of Clients
137
Total Advices
127
Total Files Opened
65
Total Files Closed
60
Total information and referral activities
60
Total Discrete Non-Legal Support
15
27 28 29 30 31 32
WOMEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICE REPORT 33
WOMEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICE REPORT The Far West Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (FWWDVCAS) and the Local Coordination Point (LCP) have experienced another busy and productive year. Throughout the reporting period the Local Coordination Point received referrals through the Central Referral Point. With these referrals we attempted first contact within 24 hours with three attempts needing to be made within a 5 working day period. Clients are then referred to the appropriate services as requested. Those clients who we do not contact are either sent to the Police for a welfare check to be conducted or a service letter and brochure pack is sent to them, this depends on the severity of the incident and whether they are deemed to be at “threat” or at “serious threat”. All clients who are at “serious threat” are then taken to the Safety Action Meeting Statistics for the reporting period are as follows:
Serious Threat referrals: 91 At Threat referrals: 1198
33 34
Total CRP referrals: 1289
Far West WDVCAS have exceeded our benchmarks and show the continued commitment and dedication of the WDVCAS team. Many of the clients we have supported through the court processes, given phone advice or at times just offered a much needed “ear” to listen.
WDVCAS clients serviced for the reporting period: 823 WDVCAS continue to be present at each of the Courts that are covered by our Police district, we cover the Wilcannia court on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and attend Wentworth court on the first full week of each month. We are always visible and present at the Broken Hill court on AVO list days and as required for hearings. As per our Service Agreement with Legal Aid, we have two seconded workers on our Court roster, and they are the same as the previous reporting period, Shannon Oates and Ann-Maree Payne from Warra Warra Legal Service. By being involved in community events the FWWDVCAS believe that we raise the profile of our service in the community, but we are also sending the message that Domestic Violence is not acceptable, so when possible, we will always participate.
The FWWDVCAS have continued to work hard to fulfil their obligations to Legal Aid NSW. All FWWDVCAS staff are up to date with any training. The Coordinators also fulfil any reporting and other obligations that are required. WDVCAS have previously reported they would be up for tender in September 2018, as you are all aware this was cancelled and now the tender process will now proceed for 2020 and finalised by July 1st. This has understandably left the staff with a lot of uncertainty and anxiety for the second time in a twoyear period. We are all hoping for the best possible outcome and that we can continue to work and be part of the Far West CLC as we believe that we have a solid and collaborative working relationship with the whole of the organisation. As always, we would like to thank the Board of Management for their ongoing support and dedication to not only our service but the organisation. Far West WDVCAS wishes the Board of Management, the staff of the FWCLC, WWLS, CLSD and SHLV a very Merry Christmas and Happy and Prosperous New Year.
NARELLE BLOWS/LORETTA STUART Joint Coordinators
STAYING HOME LEAVING VIOLENCE REPORT 35
STAYING HOME LEAVING VIOLENCE SERVICE REPORT This has been another year of significant change and challenges for Staying Home Leaving Violence.
As the staff decreased, we have been met with the challenges of how we structure our service.
In September 2019, SHLV celebrated 5 years working in our community.
The work of sexual assault, domestic and family violence, case management and planning, home security audits and upgrades and advocacy is emotionally and psychologically demanding and we have always prided ourselves on prioritising the welfare of our clients and staff.
We have seen a significant increase in demand for our service and more importantly, new conversations between ourselves and various partners about addressing the causes of violence and sexual violence against women. This continues to be a space of change and potential opportunities for SHLV to contribute. This year sadly, came the resignation of one of our case workers, Libby Matthias who relocated with her family to Smiths Creek, near Toonumbar National Parks. Libby helped launch SHLV in Broken Hill, September 2014. We were fortunate to gain Jenny Johnston who volunteered her time for a couple of months at our service sorting through many donated items from ‘Share the Dignity’ and ‘It’s in the Bag’.
36
2018 – 2019 Financial Year Statistics Information Only / Referrals 84 Case Managed Clients
43
Case Coordinated Clients 21 Children Clients
25
Hearing clients’ stories of resilience and receiving positive feedback is a very rewarding part of our work. In a year that has offered challenges, I feel immense pride in the way SHLV team has risen to meet these demands. We will continue to address domestic and family violence in our community and create greater awareness to the cultural and social structures that contribute to its prevalence.
Fiona Camilleri – SHLV Coordinator
FAR WEST COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT 37 38 39
FAR WEST COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT The Legal Aid NSW Cooperative Legal Service Delivery (CLSD) Program is a regionally-based approach to legal service delivery in NSW. It aims to improve outcomes for economically and socially disadvantaged people by building cooperative and strategic networks of key legal services and community organizations. During the 2018/2019 financial year Simon Hunter has been in the role of CLSD Far West Regional Coordinator. In December Simon travelled to Sydney for a one day CLSD regional Coordinator meeting. Kate Halliday was now CLSD Program Manager taking over Jenny Lovric who is now temporarily working for Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS). The third CLSD meeting for 2018 was held in September 2018 at the 123 Hub in Creedon Street with Commissioner for Integrity, the Hon Lea Drake and Louisa Deer (Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC)), Catherine Bryant (State Library), Trent Shepherd (Federal Circuit Court of Australia) and Peter Clottu (Merit).
37 38 39
The fourth CLSD meeting for 2018 was held at the Far West Community Legal Centre boardroom and due to the high number of
people changing positions it was decided to focus somewhat on the upcoming changes. The first CLSD meeting for 2019 was held in February and the main aim was to work through a plan for the coming year.
Free Criminal Law Advice Clinic During the March 2017 CLSD meeting an unmet legal need that was brought up was that people that had a criminal law matter had no place to go to get free assistance (see poster below).
The second CLSD meeting was held in May 2019 with guest speakers Constable Erin Buttriss – Domestic Violence Liaison Officer (DVLO), Heather Smith – ‘Fit For Life’ program part of the ‘Rise Up’ strategy and PCYC Programs and Amy Gleeson – Housing Plus.
CLSD Projects White Cliffs Roadshow FWCLC, CLSD, Legal Aid, Mission Australia, WWLS, Lifeline and Broken Hill Library headed to White Cliffs on 6th July 2018 to complete the next stage of the 2018 Roadshow. The Roadshow proved very successful as we were able to support the White Cliffs Underground Art Festival.
.
Aboriginal people were able to use ALS for assistance in criminal law matters but nonaboriginal people would have to see a private solicitor for advice which is quite expensive and not everyone can afford this. To assist people the FWCLC collaborated with Legal Aid to provide free criminal law advice clinics on Wednesday afternoon. This works by clients coming into the FWCLC and speaking to a Legal Aid criminal law solicitor who is based in Sydney on the phone. The number of clients has been consistent through the entire 2018/2019 financial year and the clinic is to continue to be provided to the community members of Broken Hill.
FAR WEST COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT From July 2019 Legal Aid will be appointing a criminal lawyer in Broken Hill therefore the free criminal law advice clinic is now no longer needed. I would very much like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to Simon Etherington for his valued commitment in making the clinic a success.
Wilcannia Housing Learn and Lunch A request was put forward by Mary Ronayne (Wilcannia Safe House) and Monica Kerwin (Wilcannia CWP) to Thanushar Sridaran (FWCLC) about providing a Community Legal Education (CLE) session on tenants’ rights in relation to repairs and maintenance due to systemic issues in relation to tenancy specifically repairs and maintenance of properties provided by Mid-Lachlan.
The ‘Wilcannia Housing Learn and Lunch’ was held Friday 14th June 2019 that included FWCLC, Legal Aid, WETASS and Wilcannia Safehouse (poster below)
The event ended up being more of a chat with people than an education session which seemed to be a better fit.
The positives of this session included a high amount of referrals were made to get assistance and word of mouth occurring that people have options in getting help with tenancy issues.
resources that can be available to the community.
Free Legal Help Days After over a couple of years of planning and having the stars align ‘free legal help days’ finally came to fruition in September 2018.
Sorry Business Simon assisted Bobbi Murray (picture below) from the Central Coast CLC to provide community consultations in Broken Hill and Wilcannia in June 2019.
The consultations were put together to provide assistance in being able to produce a series of useful booklets that would be provided to the community with information on how to and what to expect when someone has passed away. The consultation phase has been completed with the next phase of compiling all the information gathered into
Menindee:
37 Monday 17 September 2018 (Cancelled due 38 to Sorry Business) 39 40 41 th
FAR WEST COOPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY REPORT Broken Hill:
Wilcannia:
Tuesday 18th September 2018
Wednesday 19th September 2018
Location:
Location: Wilcannia Burke Park (opposite Court House) Reid Street
Location:
Session One Broken Hill Local Court Session Two 123 Community Hub
Far West Community Legal Centre (FWCLC) Legal Aid Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWON)
Revenue NSW Work Development Order’s
37 38 39 40 41 42
NSW Fair Trading *Session Two Only
Warra Warra Legal Service (WWLS) Ashurst Compass Housing* Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) Federal Circuit Court (FCC) Lifeline – Gambling Counsellor
Far West Community Legal Centre (FWCLC) Legal Aid Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWON)
Revenue NSW Work Development Order’s NSW Fair Trading
Warra Warra Legal Service (WWLS) Ashurst
Compass Housing Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) Federal Circuit Court (FCC)
Due to the success of the Free Legal Help days it was decided to try running this event on an annual basis. It has been an exciting and busy year for CLSD with a number of important projects happening, along with planning the quarterly meetings with a special thank you to all the invaluable guest speakers who attended and provided insight to a number of new programs happening. Whilst there have been challenges to overcome during the year, this made it all that much more rewarding when these challenges were met head on and passed. With the amount of ideas for the future the next year for the CLSD program is looking to be another blockbuster and we can’t wait. Simon Hunter, CLSD Regional Coordinator
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF PROFIT AND LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2019 Revenue and other income Commonwealth Legal Program WDVCAS Legal Aid CLSD Public Purpose Fund Staying home leaving violence Traffic Law Program Bank Interest Other Income
EXPENSES Advertising & Promotions Cleaning, repairs and maintenance Depreciation Electricity Employee benefit expenses Insurance IT Support and expenses Motor Vehicle, travel and related costs Professional Fees 37Rent 38Staff recruitment and relocation costs 39Telephone and internet Other expenses
40 41Loss before income tax 42 43
2019
2018
$
$
1,091,523 482,975 21,229 68,848 214,509 4,085 175,260
1,282,930 481,898 21,229 67,657 256,463 1,478 8,594 84,680
2,058,429
2,204,929
5,285 3,818 32,196 16,389 1,773,145 8,870 8,115 63,847 20,159 115,291 7,847 25,001 192,829 2,272,792 (214,363)
12,436 5,744 42,239 16,589 1,842,539 16,227 16,477 84,137 21,696 97,076 13,623 37,385 201,757 2,407,925 (202,996)
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2019 Note CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Trade and other receivables Other current assets TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Property, plant and equipment TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables Provisions TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Provisions TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL LIABILITIES 37NET ASSETS
2019 $
2018 $
2 3 4
541,909 16,461 1,584 559,954
769,477 20,682 1,541 791,700
6
166,824 166,824 726,778
196,274 196,274 987,974
5 7
125,833 33,583 159,416
184,081 15,983 200,064
7
64,783 64,783 224,199 502,579
70,968 70,968 271,032 716,942
38 EQUITY 39Retained earnings 8 502,579 716,942 502,579 716,942 40TOTAL EQUITY 41Due to Warra Warra Legal Service (WWLS) and Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) Commonwealth funding being paid to the FWCLC Ltd. in June 2018 it has 42reflected our current financial year Audit as being in deficit for this financial year. 43 44
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THANK YOU TO THE FRIENDS OF THE FWCLC