Eastern Community Legal Centre

Eastern Community Legal Centre – Core Service Delivery

Eastern Community Legal Centre – Core Service Delivery

Every day, the law touches people’s lives. Whether it’s buying a house, getting married, applying for a job or buying insurance – our rights exist within a complex legal system which applies to all aspects of daily life. Often we forget these rights until a problem occurs, the vast majority of which can only be ...

GOAL

$30,000

Australia > VIC > Metro and Regional
07/01/2024 > 30/06/2025

Field of Interest

  • Community and economic development
  • Social inclusion and justice

Target Population

  • People impacted by the legal system
  • People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
Eastern Community Legal Centre Eastern Community Legal Centre

Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) is one of the largest multidisciplinary legal centres in Victoria which provides free legal information, advice, representation, casework and education.

Operating across three offices and a number of outreach locations in the East, ECLC prioritises people who face additional barriers accessing legal help due to their mental health, racial or cultural background, age, disability, sexuality or gender identity, or geographical remoteness. Services are tailored to individual needs and often come with wrap-around and holistic support.

ECLCs vision is Human Rights, Fairness and Justice.

ECLC works with communities and community members living in Boroondara, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Yarra ranges.
Making the most of its abilities and the resources available, ECLC provides:
- Information, advice and assistance across a range of legal and related issues
- Advocacy to resolve problems at the earliest opportunity
- Referrals to community agency partners
- Integrated legal services, including Health Justice Partnerships
- Community development and education programs with a focus on rights, responsibilities and options
- Primary prevention activities, using broad partnership approaches
- Strategic advocacy to change unfair laws and improve systems and practices

Project Summary

Every day, the law touches people’s lives. Whether it’s buying a house, getting married, applying for a job or buying insurance – our rights exist within a complex legal system which applies to all aspects of daily life.

Often we forget these rights until a problem occurs, the vast majority of which can only be resolved legally. In any event, everyone needs access to legal help. Yet the reality is that this is not true for majority of people. It could be due to unaffordable costs, a lack of understanding of the law, fear of the system, or complex life challenges which create barriers. This is when navigating the legal system becomes difficult and creates inequity – often for those who need help the most.

People experiencing complex and intersecting life challenges are more likely to report multiple problems and large clusters of legal problems. Systemic barriers related to language, culture and identity also creates disadvantage. In these instances people representing themselves, or people avoiding legal processes, often lead to stress, poor health and far worse legal outcomes – sadly with major personal impacts. Others will simply give up and accept injustice.

The legal system is complex and hard to navigate. It is challenging for people to make informed choices without professional legal help. Frequently people most in need of assistance cannot afford lawyers and do not qualify for legal aid. Over 70% of people seeking legal assistance have an income of less than $32,000 per year. However, helping people resolve their legal problems early and effectively can reduce the devastating impact they have on a person’s life. This not only improves individual wellbeing outcomes, but can also avoid significant costs and alleviate pressure on other parts of the public system.

ECLC assists people who cannot afford private services but don’t meet the threshold for legal aid. ECLC prioritises people who face additional barriers accessing legal help due to their mental health, racial or cultural background, age, disability, sexuality or gender identity, or geographical remoteness. Services are tailored to individual needs and often come with wrap-around and holistic support.

Project Outcomes

ECLC recognises that problems in people’s lives are intersecting and rarely have only a legal component. To meet this need, the Centre was one of the first in Australia to deliver services in a progressive and innovative way. ECLC introduced a collaborative integrated practice model which works with key health and community services. This means ECLC multidisciplinary teams are often found at other locations like hospitals, schools and health centres. The Centre focuses on providing legal education in our communities, to help people understand their rights and responsibilities, and advocate for changes to laws to make outcomes fairer, based on the lived experiences of the people we assist. In a relatively short period, ECLC has formed or extended partnerships with multiple health and community services and has become recognised as a national leader in integrated legal, health, financial and social support models.

ECLC’s catchment area has a number of areas with significant disadvantage. The cities of Whitehorse, Maroondah and Knox host large migrant communities and the Yarra Ranges has a high indigenous population.

ECLC has become a national leader in a range of family violence and elder abuse approaches, from prevention and gender equality campaigns to integrated practice, health justice partnerships and sector training programs. Staff and volunteers are trained to provide a trauma-informed response and work across the continuum of primary prevention, early intervention, and crisis response.

Budget Breakdown

TOTAL BUDGET: $30,000
FUNDING
Funding source Amount
Funding gap (unconfirmed) $30,000
EXPENSES
Expense item Amount
Staff resources shortfall to increase service delivery capacity $30,000

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Contact Us
Level 6, 126 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Australian Communities Foundation is a proudly inclusive organisation and an ally of LGBTQIA+ communities and the movement toward equality.