The philosophy behind this innovative and highly successful partnership is that legal remedies can assist and improve a patient’s wellbeing. Our solicitor, Sue-Ellen Hills, is based at Drug Health at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) twice a week, where she sees patients in her office or on the hospital ward.
Above: RLC's Sue-Ellen Hills (left) and Elaine Doherty, Nursing Unit Manager, Drug Health Services.
For the more disadvantaged members of our community, the social determinants of health - such as where you live, whom you live with and how you live, disproportionately affect your health. Some of the legal remedies are available to help mitigate these effects, for example in tenancy law, where we can assist clients to have repairs done to their homes, facilitate transfers to and from hospital, or ensure easier access to their homes.
Over 50% of our clients are experiencing, or have experienced, domestic violence at some time in their lives. We advise on how to make statements to the police, the process of obtaining an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (AVO) and also provide direct referrals to our Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (SWDVCAS). With many women trying to leave a violent relationship, there are often other legal issues that arise such as family law, child protection, debt and tenancy law. By having one solicitor manage all of these matters, it reduces both the number of people involved, and the time women need to spend seeking assistance.
A legal service in a health setting is able to offer greater protection for women who have experienced domestic violence, because they can see a solicitor without anyone else knowing they are seeking assistance.
We have also been seeing an increase in the debt that many disadvantaged clients are accumulating. We have recently seen several clients who were the victims of financial abuse, where they were forced to either take out short term loans by their partner, or had their credit cards taken and used for non-essential items without their knowledge. Many financial institutions now recognise financial abuse, which allows us to seek remedies, such as waivers, or negotiated settlements for our clients.
We also provide assistance to pregnant women and their families who have Community Services (CS) involvement due to safety and risk issues in their lives, which lead to child protection concerns. We assist clients in understanding the role of the CS, the processes that will occur, and ways to reduce risks and safety concerns. We have found that providing clients with a legal advocate during this time allows them to engage more openly with CS, because they know that a solicitor supports them.
This service continues to promote access to justice for many disadvantaged clients, one of the core roles of a community legal centre. By collaborating with health professionals, our HJP program is creating new opportunities to identify legal issues in people’s lives, and working towards making improvements in their health.
