Preferred supplier newsletter—August 2019
This month:
- Compulsory youth crime certification
- Upcoming CPD events
Compulsory youth crime certification
The July edition of the preferred supplier newsletter outlined LAQ’s plans to develop a youth practitioner certification process, which will apply to all in-house LAQ and preferred supplier solicitors undertaking juvenile duty lawyer and/or file work. To avoid confusion with the existing Childrens Court duty lawyer accreditation and QLS specialist accreditation, the new process will be referred to as the youth practitioner certification.
Information on the new youth practitioner certification process is outlined below. If you have any questions about the new process, please contact Dylan Roberts at youth.certification@legalaid.qld.gov.au or on (07) 3917 0335.
Youth practitioner certification process
Updated case management standards
B2. The duty lawyer
The duty lawyer must be a lawyer with a current practising certificate and duty lawyer accreditation approved by Legal Aid Queensland. Separate accreditation is required for Magistrates and Childrens Courts. Practitioners undertaking legal work in juvenile crime must also have complied with the requirements of Legal Aid Queensland’s youth practitioner certification training.
Part C – Case management standards specific to juvenile crime
Practitioners undertaking juvenile crime work must be approved by Legal Aid Queensland. To be eligible to undertake legal work in juvenile crime, practitioners must have either attended Legal Aid Queensland’s youth practitioner certification training or viewed the online youth practitioner certification material and given an undertaking to attend the next available Legal Aid Queensland youth practitioner certification training. Practitioners must also be aware of and comply with the Best practice guidelines for working with children and young people and its supporting framework. A copy of the guidelines and framework are attached at Annexures C and D.
Duty lawyer accreditation vs Youth practitioner certification
The youth practitioner certification is not replacing the existing Childrens Court duty lawyer accreditation. The Childrens Court duty lawyer accreditation is still a standalone process.
However, if you are already duty lawyer accredited, you will need to complete the youth practitioner certification to continue in that role.
If you would like to become duty lawyer accredited, you will need to complete both the youth practitioner certification and the duty lawyer accreditation process.
Youth practitioner certification training options
If you are currently undertaking work on juvenile files or sessions as a Childrens Court duty lawyer and you want to continue in that capacity, you must attend the youth practitioner certification training. Training will be held in October and November 2019 (see dates listed below).
If you cannot attend the training in person, you can attend a session via webinar (see dates listed below)
If you cannot attend the training in person or via webinar, you can receive provisional certification after completing an online learning module. This will provide foundational knowledge to practice in the youth jurisdiction and allow lawyers to continue working on juvenile files until the next face-to-face/webinar session is held. You will need to attend the next face-to-face/webinar session in 2020.
If any new staff arrive after November 2019, we encourage them to complete the online learning module and then to attend the next round of face-to-face or webinar certification training in 2020-21. We encourage more than one staff member at each firm to complete the accreditation in case of unexpected leave or illness.
Transitional regulation
To allow a smooth transition, the following options have been outlined:
- Do not participate in any training. You will be able to continue working on juvenile files or as Childrens Court duty lawyer until 30 June 2020. From 1 July 2020, we will not allocate any further juvenile crime work, including Childrens Court duty lawyer, until you have completed the next available face-to-face or webinar certification training.
- Complete the online provisional certification before 30 June 2020 but unable to attend a face-to-face or webinar certification training session in October/November 2019. You will need to attend the next face-to-face or webinar training in 2020-21. We plan to have the online learning module available by the end of 2019. This will ensure we continue to allocate juvenile files and/or Childrens Court duty lawyer sessions.
- Attend the face-to-face or webinar training in October/November 2019. We will issue you with a certificate and will continue to allocate juvenile files and/or Childrens Court duty lawyer sessions.
Training dates and locations
- Training will run from 9 to 4pm
- 6 CPD points will be available
- Morning tea and lunch will be provided
- Local magistrates, prosecutors, ATSILS, Youth Justice and support service staff will also be invited to attend
* Denotes webinar session
Caboolture — Wednesday 9 October, Caboolture Hub (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/caboolture-youth-certification-registration-68224259597
Ipswich — Friday 11 October, Ipswich Magistrates Court (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ipswich-youth-certification-registration-69951036433
Greater Brisbane* — Tuesday 15 October, Brisbane Supreme Court Library (max 40 participants + Webinar attendees)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brisbane-youth-certification-registration-68748848657
Greater Brisbane* — Wednesday 16 October, Brisbane Supreme Court Library (max 40 participants + Webinar attendees)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brisbane-youth-certification-registration-69951407543
Mackay — Wednesday 23 October, Mackay Youth Justice (max 25 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mackay-youth-certification-registration-69951903025
Rockhampton — Thursday 24 October, Rockhampton Youth Justice (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rockhampton-youth-certification-registration-69952187877
Greater Brisbane* — Friday 25 October, Brisbane Supreme Court Library (max 40 participants + Webinar attendees)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brisbane-youth-certification-registration-69951503831
Hervey Bay — Wednesday 30 October, Wide Bay Dispute Resolution Centre (max 25 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hervey-bay-youth-certification-registration-69952506831
Bundaberg — Thursday 31 October, Bundaberg Civic Centre (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bundaberg-youth-certification-registration-69952861893
Sunshine Coast — Friday 1 November, Maroochydore Magistrates Court (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunshine-coast-youth-certification-registration-69953230997
Mount Isa — Wednesday 6 November, Mount Isa Magistrates Court (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mount-isa-youth-certification-registration-70584380783
Townsville — Friday 8 November, Cowboys Leagues Club (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/townsville-youth-certification-registration-69953582047
Kingaroy — Thursday 14 November, Kingaroy RSL (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kingaroy-youth-certification-registration-69954629179
Toowoomba — Friday 15 November, Toowoomba Magistrates Court (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toowoomba-youth-certification-registration-69955495771
Gold Coast — Thursday 21 November, Southport Magistrates Court (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gold-coast-youth-certification-registration-69955706401
Cairns — Thursday 28 November, Stratford Library (max 30 participants)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cairns-youth-certification-registration-69956121643
Youth practitioner certification content
Cultural capability
- Identity and place
- Impacts of colonisation
- Policies through the ages
- Generational differences
- Overrepresentation – why and ways to reduce
- Communication – verbal and non-verbal
- Representing First Nations clients
Developmental psychology
- Structure of the brain
- How brains develop from conception through to childhood
- Synaptic pruning that occurs during adolescence
- Why teenagers act the way they do
- Repairing damaged brains
Trauma
- Fight or flight mode
- Negative outcomes of too much stress
- Adverse Childhood Experiences study
- Prevalence of trauma in Youth Justice system
- What trauma looks like in youth
- What lawyers can do to help youth experiencing trauma
Youth cohort
- Differences between males and females
- Sense of time
- Addictive behaviours
Neurodevelopmental impairments
- What are neurodevelopmental impairments?
- Prevalence of impairments
- Effects on youth
- Red flags lawyers need to look out for
Speech & language
- Language issues with Youth Justice clients
- Legal vocabulary
- What lawyers can do to assist
- Differences between Standard Australian and Aboriginal English
- Words to avoid in legal context
Youth stakeholders
- Who are Youth Justice and what do they do?
- Where do Child Safety fit?
- Knowing local services
Legislation
- Understanding the different sentencing regime
- Bail in the Childrens Court jurisdiction
- Understanding diversion
- Recent case law
Upcoming CPD events
The 20 cases all new practitioners should know — 5 September 2019
Presenter: Ed Whitton, Counsel (in-house barristers) and Jenna Johnsen, Counsel (in-house barristers)
Webinar access external to LAQ: Register and join the webinar live on any device
Date: Thursday 5 September 2019
Time: 3pm to 4pm
CPD point allocation: 1 point, substantive law, self-assessed
Venue: Ground floor auditorium, Legal Aid Queensland, 44 Herschel Street, Brisbane. (register here to attend in person)
Bail 101 (and how to structure your submissions) — 19 September 2019
Presenter: Mark Schofield, Assistant Director (Criminal Law) and Caroline Hunter, Principal Lawyer (Solicitor Advocates 1)
Webinar access external to LAQ: Register and join the webinar live on any device
Date: Thursday 7 November 2019
Time: 3pm to 4pm
CPD point allocation: 1 point, professional skills, self-assessed
Venue: Ground floor auditorium, Legal Aid Queensland, 44 Herschel Street, Brisbane. (register here to attend in person)
For all upcoming CPD events, please see the For Lawyers page on the Legal Aid Queensland website.