Our community engagement activities are aimed at increasing the awareness of LawAccess NSW and other free legal assistance services in socially and economically disadvantaged groups in NSW including:
People living in regional, rural and remote areas of New South Wales- Since 2007 five regional outreaches conducted annually in regional, rural and remote areas to raise awareness of LawAccess NSW and other free legal assistance services. Locations visited include Mildura, Wentworth, Dareton, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, Bourke, Brewarrina, Enngonia, Goodooga, Lightning Ridge, Walgett, Coonamble, Collarenebri, Moree, Toomelah, Boggabilla, Goondiwindi, Narrabri, Wee Waa, Pilliga, Inverell, Tingha, Mulli Mulli, Jabulam, Casino, Lismore, Tweed Heads, Cabbage Tree Island, Ngaru Village, Coffs Harbour, Bowraville, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Bellbrook, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree, Forster, Armidale, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Walhallow, Quirindi, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Nyngan, Cobar, Nowra, Wallaga Lake, Bega, Eden, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Wodonga, Deniliquin, Finley, Mulwala, Tocumwal, Corowa, Moama, Cummergunja, Echuca, Kerang, Barham, Swan Hill, Tooleybuc, Robinvale, Euston, Narrandera, Leeton, Griffith, Hay, Cooma, Tumut, Brungle, Gundagai, Queanbeyan.
- Attendance at
 Cooperative Legal Service Delivery Program meetings. - Attendance at events including Australian Government Jobs and Skills Expos.
- Outcome of community engagement includes an average of 56% of advice given in 2011-2014 years by LawAccess NSW legal advice team to people living in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW**.
Aboriginal Communities- Regional outreaches to Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Ballina, Cabbage Tree Island, Ngaru Village, Kempsey, Bellbrook, Bowraville, Mildura, Wentworth, Coomealla, Dareton, Bourke Enngonia, Brewarrina, Nyngan, Trangie, Gundagai, Tumut, Coffs Harbour, Armidale, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Griffith, Hay, Bega, Wallaga Lake, Eden, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, Cooma and Queanbeyan.
- Attendance at Yabun, NAIDOC events in Moree, Inner City, Hunter, Shoalhaven, Coledale Aboriginal Family Fun Day, Indigenous Community Links Better Access Program Information Days in Wee Waa, Narrabri, Moree, Inverell, Tingha, Brungle Safe & Healthy Families Expo, Winanga-li Aboriginal Service Showcase events in Tenterfield and Glen Innes, Gunidah Gunyah ASTART community events in Collarenebri and Pilliga.
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Increase in percentage of customers who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander from 6% in 2012 to 7.8% in 2013 and 7.5% in 2014**.
People with Disability- Development and implementation of the
LawAccess NSW Communication Strategy - People with Disability 2012 - 2015 resulting in the following outcomes:
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Advice and feedback received from Peak Disability Organisations to enhance service delivery.
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LawAccess NSW becoming a National Relay Service (NRS) friendly organisation.
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LawAccess NSW websites meeting Level AA of the W3C (World-Wide Web Consortium) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
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Text to speech software added to LawAccess NSW websites.
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Production of a video resource in Auslan.
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Delivery of information sessions to people with disability, their families and carers, service providers.
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Attendance at events including Deaf Festival, PossABLE IDEAS Expo, Neapean Disability Expo, IDPwD events in Parramatta, Coledale and Orange.
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Raising awareness through a variety of media channels including blogs, radio and talking newsletters including Guide Dogs NSW/ACT audio news.
People from a CALD background
- Publication of the Need Legal Help? brochure in 22 languages.
- Development and implementation of the
LawAccess NSW Communication Strategy - People from CALD Communities that resulted in the following outcomes:
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Development and implementation of individual communication strategies to raise awareness of LawAccess NSW in 18 CALD communities.
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Development of the 'Need Legal Help?' multilingual poster in 15 languages of recently arrived humanitarian languages.
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Enhancement to the website with the introduction of a scrolling ticker in 33 languages providing direct access to information about LawAccess NSW in those languages.
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Raising awareness of LawAccess NSW through a variety of media channels aimed at CALD communities including SBS radio, community radio and newspapers.
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Promotion of the National Interpreter Symbol in LawAccess NSW resources and website.
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Over the implementation period of the Communications Strategy – people from a CALD background, LawAccess NSW had an average increase of 38% in each financial year of customers accessing LawAccess NSW through the Translating and Interpreting Service*.
Older Persons
Development and implementation of the
LawAccess NSW Communication Strategy - Older Persons resulted in the following outcomes: -
Working collaboratively with Legal Aid NSW and the Older Persons Legal Service to deliver information sessions to Seniors Groups to raise awareness of LawAccess NSW and Older Persons' legal issues.
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Articles published in a variety of media including Centrelink's
News for Seniors.
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Over the implementation period of the Communications Strategy – Older Persons LawAccess NSW, had an average increase of 16% annually in calls from older persons**.
People at risk of harm
- Attendance at White Ribbon Day events at Auburn, Cabramatta and Fairfield.
- Membership of Victims of Crime Interagency.
- Presentation at NSW Police Crime Prevention Officers Forum.
People at risk of homelessness- Attendance Homeless Connect events in Sydney, Parramatta, Central Coast, Hunter and Port Macquarie.
People in custody- Distribution of the Need Legal Help? and Are You Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and Need Legal Help? posters to NSW Correctional Centres.
- Attendance at the Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre Services Expo, Dillwynia and the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre Services Expo.
- Visit to Balund-a facility in Tabulam.
To find out more about our community engagement activities please contact the Community Engagement Coordinator at LawAccess NSW.
* Data sourced from Translating and Interpreting Service
** Data sourced from LawAccess NSW customer relationship management system. |