Special Projects
Street Law Coffee Van
Legal services on wheels – bringing free legal and youth services AND free barista-made coffee to your community on the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston and the City of Casey.
PCLC has partnered with Whitelion and Social Engine in an exciting new project, the Street Law Coffee Van, the first of its kind in Victoria.
Equal justice before the law is a familiar phrase, but equal justice requires equal access. For those who are geographically or socially isolated or who don’t have the time or money to see a lawyer, the inability to access legal advice can be a barrier to obtaining equal justice.
Our innovative Street Law Coffee Van is working to close this justice gap by bringing the law to the people in local communities that have historically been underserved. Our team will actively seek out people who may need legal support.
Hard-to-reach populations who might not be able to access our offices or who may not even be aware that some of their everyday problems have a legal solution can meet with our Street Law team at convenient community-based locations that they know and trust. Over a free cup of coffee they can have a legal health check to uncover hidden legal issues and receive advice on how to deal with them.
What makes this program unique is that it combines free legal and youth services in the one integrated mobile service. In addition to PCLC’s legal team, the coffee van is staffed by Social Engine’s youth worker and an at-risk young person who will gain training and work experience as a barista.
What is also new about the project is that the van visits a mix of public places as well as more traditional fixed locations for community outreach services. Rather than sitting in an office like traditional lawyers, our team goes out on to the streets to engage with people. And as it is mobile, the van can also change where our legal services are provided depending on community need. The Street Law team visits shopping centres, sporting events and markets, as well as schools, health centres, homeless services, community kitchens, emergency food relief programs, Centrelink offices and drug and alcohol treatment centres.
The project offers free legal advice on most legal matters, including landlord-tenant issues, fines and infringement debt, family law and family violence, criminal law, and other general law issues. It also provides on-going representation in some circumstances. If we think a client might be better served by an outside resource, we’ll refer them to another community legal centre or Victoria Legal Aid, or to appropriate non-legal support organisations.
In addition to providing barista training to at-risk young people who staff the coffee van, the youth worker can also assist young people who approach the van in need of support with referrals to Whitelion and other youth services.
The Street Law Coffee Van – which is a bold, eye-catching blue – is on the road two to three days a week. No appointments are necessary.
This project is supported by Gandel Philanthropy
UPDATE:
Due to the current state-wide emergency, our Street Law Coffee Van in-person service is suspended until further notice.
While we have suspended our face to face service, our Street Law team is continuing to work via telephone and can provide telephone advice.
If you need legal help call 9783 3600 and ask to speak to the Street Law team.
We look forward to being back on the road when things get better.
Family Law to Family Violence Continuity of Service Delivery
Peninsula Community Legal Centre Inc. has received funding from Victoria Legal Aid to conduct the Family Law to Family Violence Continuity of Service Delivery Pilot. This two year pilot will enable PCLC to provide ongoing family law casework services for separating parties, particularly parents who are applicants or respondents to Family Violence Intervention Order matters at the Magistrates’ Court/s. Family Law Duty services will be provided at the Magistrates Court to assist clients to navigate the family law system with issues such as children and property matters with continuing support provided through family dispute resolution or at the Commonwealth family law courts. Services will be targeted to priority clients in accordance with VLA guidelines.
In addition PCLC will provide advice and information services, referrals , community legal education, community development and law reform activities.
Work and Development Permit (WDP) Scheme
PCLC has received funding from the Legal Services Board to integrate the Work and Development Permit (WDP) Scheme into Melbourne’s Southern region.
The Work and Development Permit (WDP) Scheme allows eligible people to ‘work off’ their unpaid fines. A health practitioner or an organisation can become an accredited ‘sponsor’ online through Fines Victoria. A sponsor can provide treatment, courses or other activities so that the time a client spends engaged in a sponsor’s service counts towards clearing this debt.
WDP Information Package for sponsors and clients.
Contact Laura Sanderson (Project Worker at PCLC) on (03) 9783 3600 or lsanderson@pclc.org.au if you are interested in knowing more about the WDP Scheme.
Laura is responsible for assisting clients and sponsors with the WDP process.