Preferred supplier newsletter—December 2020
This month:
- Extension of Service Agreements in Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer, Child Protection Duty Lawyer, and Counselling Notes Protect
- Extension of Crime Duty Lawyer Tender Service Agreements
- Youth crime panel
- Booking interpreters for Family Dispute Resolution conferences in Microsoft Teams formats
- Evaluation of the Family Law Property Mediation Pilot
- Domestic and Family Violence Best Practice Framework for Legal and Non-Legal Practitioners
- Last payment run for the 2020 calendar year
- Christmas closure period
- Announcements you may have missed
- Ongoing Grants Online maintenance
- Continuing professional development
- Feedback
Extension of Service Agreements in Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer, Child Protection Duty Lawyer, and Counselling Notes Protect
On Friday 13 November 2020, LAQ extended the Service Agreements in the above service areas. These agreements were due to expire on 30 November 2020. Service Agreements are now extended to 28 February 2021. A process for forming new panels in each of these service areas will be undertaken in the new year.
If you have any queries, please contact Kate Volk, A/Manager, Regional Services and Business Partnerships.
Extension of Crime Duty Lawyer Tender Service Agreements
The current Crime Duty Lawyer Tender Service Agreements are due to expire on 31 December 2020. LAQ has sent emails to the current tender providers in relevant courts seeking to extend the current Service Agreements to 30 June 2021. Current tender providers should respond by Friday, 4 December 2020 to the email they received advising if they agree to this extension.
To ensure firms are not unduly impacted by the delay and to allow continued delivery of legal aid services without interruption, in line with Clause 9 (Variation) of the current agreement, LAQ proposes that Recitals Clause C (Term of the current agreement) be varied to extend the Agreement by six months from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021.
A process for renewing the duty lawyer services will be undertaken in the new year. If you have any queries, please contact Criminal Duty Lawyer
Youth crime panel
A reminder that the Criminal Law Case Management Standards have been updated to require practitioners undertaking work on criminal law youth matters (file work or duty lawyer work) to have completed the youth practitioner certification training. The transition period is coming to an end and after 31 December 2020 practitioners will not be able to undertake any new file work or Childrens Court duty lawyer, until they have completed the next available face-to-face or webinar certification training. If a preferred supplier does not have any accredited youth practitioners employed after 31 December 2020, the firm will be removed from the youth crime panel for the purposes of new matters, until the firm is able to satisfy this requirement.
Please ensure all practitioners undertaking youth crime matters are aware of and comply with the Best practice guidelines for working with children and young people and its supporting framework
Booking interpreters for Family Dispute Resolution conferences in Microsoft Teams formats
QTIS Language Services, Queensland Deaf Services (AUSLAN) and ONCALL Interpreters and Translators offer interpreting services using videoconferencing in the Microsoft Teams format. Information is available from your conference organiser about how to book an interpreter using Microsoft Teams. The list of interpreting services that provide remote videoconferencing interpreter services will continue to be updated as these become available.
Evaluation of the Family Law Property Mediation Pilot
The lawyer-assisted Family Law Property Mediation and Arbitration Pilot (2020 – 2021) is underway.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has been appointed by the government to evaluate the pilot conducted by the Legal Aid commissions.
If you have represented a party in a property pilot family dispute resolution conference or arbitration (whether under a grant and/or privately funded), and you would like to participate in an interview with a researcher to give feedback, please see the link.
If you have any questions about the evaluation, please contact the AIFS researchers.
More information about Legal Aid Queensland’s pilot can be found here
Domestic and Family Violence Best Practice Framework for Legal and Non-Legal Practitioners
Bringing together the combined expertise of the Queensland Law Society and Legal Aid Queensland, an updated Domestic and Family Violence Best Practice Framework is now available.
The collaborative framework will help all legal practitioners in dealing with legal matters where domestic and family violence (DFV) is identified.
The framework may also assist court staff, social workers and community organisations who are supporting those going through legal proceedings, where DFV is a concern.
Practitioners are encouraged to use the framework when working with either persons experiencing or persons using violence, across all areas of law.
Download the framework here
Last payment run for the 2020 calendar year
Due to office closures during the Christmas/New Year period, the last legal payment for this year will be on Tuesday, 22 December 2020.
All invoices due up to 4 January 2021 will be paid on this day.
To be paid on 22 December 2020, all invoices must be submitted by Friday, 11 December 2020 for grants officers to assess accounts by Monday, 21 December 2020.
The first payment run for 2021 will be on Tuesday, 5 January 2021.
Christmas closure period
All Legal Aid offices will be closed for the Christmas and new year holiday period from 2pm Thursday, 24 December 2020 and will re-open on Monday, 4 January 2021.
Announcements you may have missed
Ongoing Grants Online maintenance
Please be aware every Tuesday night from 6pm – 10pm LAQ IT Services conducts system maintenance. During this time Grants Online may not be available for use.
Continuing professional development
LAQ is working to deliver online CPD training opportunities to preferred suppliers and CLCs and emails will be sent when training is available. Please be aware there are limited spaces for training delivered via Microsoft Teams and this training is only available for LAQ staff, current preferred suppliers and CLC staff
Feedback
We welcome feedback and comments from clients, community and our suppliers. As preferred suppliers you play an important role in helping us to provide quality legal services to disadvantaged Queenslanders. If you would like to provide comments or suggestions to us about our services, policies, processes or staff members, you can complete a contact form or email us at any time.
Your feedback is important to us. We ensure a senior staff member investigates all issues thoroughly and we analyse all feedback every quarter to see what processes and services can be improved.