The Legal Pod program connects at-risk individuals leaving care with a «pod,» or a small team of lawyers, who provide ongoing legal support for up to three years. Legal Pod is a Victoria-based legal service for young people aged 18-25 who have experience in out-of-home care. It was funded by the Victorian Legal Services Board for an initial period of three years and is based on a successful pilot project that took place in Queensland. «It`s rare to see how your legal counsel has helped their lives,» he said. In this shortened episode, we speak to Julianne Elliott, Senior Solicitor at Legal Aid NSW who specialises in educating young people about the law. She provides a brief overview of new sexual consent laws in New South Wales, her experiences working with young people and what community workers can do to learn more about the reforms. Download the fact sheet: publications.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/PublicationsResourcesService/PublicationImprints/Files/1038.pdf Don`t Doubt: DCJ`s Youth Campaign: www.makenodoubt.dcj.nsw.gov.au/ Request a Legal Aid Lawyer Presentation NSW: Support Services www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/workshops/request-a-talk If you or someone you know is affected by the content of this episode, you are not alone. To speak to someone trained to help you, call one of the following support services. 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 www.1800respect.org.au 1800RESPECT is a national counselling service for sexual assault, domestic and family violence. Available 24/7. NSW Sexual Violence Helpline 1800 424 017 fullstop.org.au NSW Sexual Violence Helpline provides support to anyone affected by sexual assault in New South Wales (including friends, family and supporters).
Available 24/7. Men`s Placement Service 1300 766 491 ntv.org.au Call the Men`s Placement Service if you are concerned about your own behaviour and are looking for support. Lifeline 13 11 14 Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 – Crisis support. Suicide prevention. Transcript: otter.ai/u/r7ZX5hxd9Y5UkOO1eG-fjmxnw_wSubmit Your legal question to answer in our next episode: forms.gle/mEgMNnFUPrDW7oGR7 judge approves regulation to set standards for care for youth incarcerated in emergency rooms «It is important for us to be able to help youth in the community, especially those who do not normally have access to intensive and specialized legal support,» explains Dilusha. We can help you with a variety of legal issues, including: • Fines • Debts • Tenancies • Government Decisions • Request for Documents • Victims of Crime • Discrimination • Your rights at work The Youth Law Center is committed to sharing resources, information, and tools that can improve the quality of life and opportunities for foster youth and juvenile justice. Our goal is to strengthen the field through knowledge and increase the impact of those working on change for our children and youth. To date, the Legal Pod program has helped 39 people who have left care with their legal problems. Of these, 25 persons who had been discharged from care received ad hoc legal advice and/or referrals. A small group of 14 people needed more intense and ongoing support and were connected to their pods for long-term help. This group had a very high unmet legal need with an average of eight legal issues at the time of admission. The transition from care outside the home can be a challenging time.
Many young people leaving care have a variety of disadvantages, including a high number of unresolved legal issues. The Legal Pod program is a free legal service for people between the ages of 18 and 25. The program provides ongoing legal support for up to 3 years. You might start with one problem, but have others in the following years. Your lawyers will be there when you need them. Unlike the vast majority of Australians, young people leaving care rarely have a family to help them overcome life`s challenges and legal problems. We advocate on behalf of young people in a number of areas that affect their lives. Learn more about our work, our team and how we – and you – can make a difference.
If you are a youth or worker interested in help, contact legalpod@youthlaw.asn.au or call 9113-9500 and ask to speak with the Legal Pod lawyer. Paradoxically, youth leaving care are more likely to have unsupervised legal issues than the general youth population, but they are the least equipped to do so. Justice for children lies in parental love. When children are not with the family, there must be a sense of urgency to ensure they receive the love, care and support that every child needs and deserves. Fight with us for justice for children and youth in foster care and juvenile courts. Youthlaw`s Legal Pod program addresses this issue through targeted legal services for youth leaving foster care. INTEGRITY to do the best we can for our customers, regardless of the financial or social consequences for ourselves, and to earn the trust of our supporters and customers. Dilusha says one of the priorities was to file a motion for her client to withdraw the violations due to special circumstances of domestic violence. «I know that reversing these violations will make a huge difference to their mental health.» This article was originally published in the Law Institute Journal of Victoria`s Law Journal in October 2020. See the PDF of the article here. Youth leaving care are at greater risk of homelessness, drug use and contact with the criminal justice system than other youth. They are also more likely to have poorer health, education and employment outcomes than the non-nursing population.
For more information about the Legal Pod program, please contact Paula Hughes at Youthlaw on (03) 9113 9500. PwC`s participation represents one of their important pro bono partnerships, and Edward says it has been incredibly rewarding for the lawyers involved. «When I was in a group home, I was taught to believe that there was no one to take care of me as a parent. That this group home was all I had. Since then, I have accomplished a lot. I would give up EVERYTHING if I could go back and have a real family.