Resources

Evaluation, Best Practice Guidelines and Training for Community Lawyers.

1.       LHC Pathways Project Evaluation and Report, including Best Practice Guidelines, Training Overview and Evaluation Summaries.

2.       LHC Pathways Training Module 1 Powerpoint

3.       Training Module 1 Trainers’ Notes

4.       Training Module 2 Powerpoint Presentation

5.       Training Module 2 Trainers’ Notes

6.       LHC Collaborative Planning Template

7.       Quiz Questions

8.       Training Invitation

Read the Project Report here.

• Print out a simplified version of the Legal Health Check for your clients.
• If you wish to have the postcard professionally printed, please download this version with bleed marks.

Print out these Legal Health Check posters for your workplace:

• • Connecting your client to lawyers
  • Find the hidden legal problem by asking the right questions

After you have completed the Legal Health Check with your client, you can make an appointment for your client to see a community lawyer for assistance.

Watch tutorial video 4 for information about how to connect your client to a legal service.

If you do not have a Legal Health Check pathway, you can find out which legal service is best for your client using the Find Lawyer section of this website.

You can help your client prepare for an appointment with a lawyer in the following ways:

• • Give your client the completed Legal Health Check and details about the time and location of the appointment. If possible, provide travel assistance for the client.
  • Collect and make copies of any relevant documents, including:
    • the client’s most recent Centrelink or bank statement;
    • account statements, penalty notices or debt schedules;
    • letters from service providers, debt collectors or government bodies;
    • contracts, tenancy or service agreements; and/or
    • identification.
  • Explain to the client what they can expect from the appointment (eg, duration, questions the lawyer may ask, whether the lawyer can provide ongoing assistance, how to stay in touch with the lawyer etc).
  • Let the client know how you are able to support them to stay connected to the lawyer. You may be able to:
    • schedule future appointments;
    • receive letters on behalf of the client;
    • discuss letters and next steps with the client; and/or
    • provide travel assistance

If possible, we encourage you to attend the appointment with your client to support the client.
Print out a poster for your workplace about how to incorporate a Legal Health Check in your service delivery: Connecting your client to lawyers.

A Legal Health Check pathway is an understanding between a community organisation and a legal service about how community lawyers can assist clients who complete a Legal Health Check.

The Legal Health Check is a conversation starter for both community workers and community lawyers about the legal needs of clients and the legal services that are available.

The key ingredients of every Legal Health Check pathway are:

• Identified legal need –the Legal Health Check can help community workers understand the prominent and recurring legal needs of clients and what help may be available through community lawyers.
• Collaboration –genuine and supported relationships between community agencies and community lawyers are essential to the success of a Legal Health Check pathway. The Legal Health Check can support you to define common goals, processes and mutual training for effective collaboration.
• A sustainable service delivery model –consider the type of legal services clients need and the resources available to provide these services. Community lawyers can provide legal assistance in a number of ways. Lawyers may be able to attend at a community organisation for appointments or a drop-in service or provide assistance using phone or other technology. Consider and discuss different models, timing and locations.

The Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General has funded LawRight (formerly QPILCH) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Legal Health Check, and to pilot the Legal Health Check in different legal assistance settings.

Best practice guidelines, resources and training will be developed to facilitate collaboration between legal and non-legal services. These resources will be available in June 2016. Keep an eye on this website for links to these resources.

Contact LawRight for details about this project:

Phone: (07) 3846 6317

Email: HPLCadmin@lawright.org.au

For community workers

For more training and information about the Legal Health Check and related legal screening tools, consider:

• QPILCH, Legal Health Check Training Videos (2013)
• QPILCH, ‘Sharing the Menu: Perspectives and Data from the Legal Health Check’ (September 2013)
• QPILCH, ‘Legal Health Check: Snapshot’ (September 2013)

For legal information and training resources, consider:

• NACLC, Community Legal Education and Reform (CLEAR) Database
• Legal Aid Commission website for your State or Territory
• Legal Aid Queensland YouTube Channel

The law can change quickly and different laws may apply in your State or Territory. Always contact a lawyer for advice or assistance.

For community lawyers

For more information about using the Legal Health Check from a community lawyer’s perspective, consider:

• Sue Garlick, ‘Using a Legal Health Check’ (Presentation to Federation of Community Legal Centres, Melbourne, 17 March 2015)
• Sue Garlick, ‘Sharing the Menu: Using a Legal Health Check’ (Webinar, Queensland Association of Independent Legal Services, 1 May 2014)
• Sue Garlick, ‘There’s no place like HPLC: A ‘legal menu’ services help for the homeless’ Proctor (June 2013)

The Legal Health Check library is under construction. Please check back soon!