Annual report 2021-22

At the time of starting to write this report there are literally blue skies in my line of sight and I hope that is what many Victorians have begun to feel in the second half of this year. While SMLS soldiered on for another year of the pandemic through further lockdowns and restrictions we also continued to move forward. We changed our name and branding. We secured new programs including Family and Advocacy and Support Service (FASS) and Family and Dispute Resolution Services (FDRS), and introduced a new system of early dispute resolution services for people moving through intervention order processes. We are building on our paperless office by implementing new systems to further streamline and bring efficiencies to our work. We are building our engagement and contribution to public discourse through our online presence. Our staffing cohort has grown so we have been looking at the opportunities for staff within the organisation (building in new roles) as well as longer term strategies to attract people to the sector and our centre. 

Some highlights this year include our commitment of resources and energy to our policy and advocacy work where we feel we can make a real impact in progressing change. Our policy team are taking a targeted approach to policy issues that present through our client casework and/or areas of law that we believe will bring lasting impact to the complex lives of clients. 

We have submitted or contributed to the following enquiries;

• Inquiry into Victoria’s Justice System, Legislative Council, Legal and Social Issues Committee, Date submitted: 21 September 2021
• Briefing Paper for various MPs regarding VOCAT, through the FCLC, July 2021
• Submission bon the Exposure Draft of the draft Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill 2021, Joint Submission with Westjustice And Jobwatch 16 August 2021 
• Provided a briefing paper to the Progressive Law Network, for the ALRC Review Of Judicial Impartiality.
• Inquiry into the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021, Joint submission from West Justice and Springvale Monash Legal Service Submission to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee, July 2021 
• Submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission, Stalking, submitted: 19 August 2021
• Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), Affirmative Consent: Responding To Recommendation 50 And 51 Of The Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Report Into Improving The Justice System To Sexual Offences, submitted: 25 February 2022
• National Anti-Racism Framework, Australian Human Rights Commission, submitted: 4 February 2022
• Short Submission, Draft Criminal Procedure Act reforms – JLA (Sexual Offences and Other Matters) Bill
• Draft National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, Australian Department of Social Service, submitted: 22 February 2022
• Fair Work Ombudsman, FWO 2022-23 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities, submitted Feb 2022 
• Fair Conduct and Accountability Standards for the On-Demand Workforce, Industrial Relations Victoria, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victorian Government’s Proposed Fair Conduct and Accountability Standards (Standards) for the Victorian on-demand workforce. Submitted Feb 2022
• Inquiry into Children of Imprisoned Parents, Parliament of Victoria legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee, submitted: April 2022
• Consultation with Alliance for Gambling Reform, informing their submission to the Inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on problem gamblers 
• Joint Letter: Preventing the exploitation of migrant workers, to the Federal Government of Australia 
• Joint Advocacy, Opposition to the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2021, Open letter, submission, media interviews and providing case studies 
• Submission and consultation for the Respect@Work – on remaining legislative recommendations, Implementation Unit, Attorney-General’s Department, March 2022
• Submission to the 2022 Review of Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Act 2021 (Cth) FW SAJER Act, July 2022 
• Submission to the Social Housing Regulation Review, Secretariat Social Housing Regulation Review, submitted:28 March 2022
• Systemic Review of Police Oversight, for the Department of Justice and Community Safety, submitted Feb 2022
• Direct lobbying and advocacy with MPs, Briefing papers, submissions regarding the 2022 Victims of Crime (Financial Assistance Scheme) Bill

SMLS saw the strong impact that joint advocacy can have when we joined with other Community Legal Centres through the Visa Cancelations Working Group to lobby in opposition to the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2021. We joined an open letter and separately wrote to various MPs and Members of the cross bench. Specialist migration CLCs gave advice to on the minutia of the legislation, and generalist CLCs such as SMLS were able to provide powerful case studies of the impact of the proposed laws submission. Our case studies were used in media articles and other advocacy undertaken by the Working Group. Due to concerted advocacy against the Bill, it was not passed. This was a fantastic example of collaboration in our sector to amplify the voices of our clients and vulnerable people in our country. 

It was wonderful to see the impact of our increased focus on policy and law reform in various ways. We were quoted extensively in inquiries such as the Victorian Law Reform’s ‘Stalking’ report, where our advocacy for legal support for parties in Personal Safety Intervention Order Applications, and the need for more mental health support for vulnerable Victorians were highlighted. In the Inquiry into the Children of Imprisoned parents report, our advocacy regarding the trauma involved in having a parent in prison was highlighted. We also called for a broader focus on decriminalisation and the need to use alternative sentencing options to keep parents with their families, such as diversion programs and community-based sentencing.

While we recently secured funding for a number of new programs and expansions (all to be reported next year!) we are very proud of the commitment SMLS made to pre-investing in our integrated services Support Connect Integrated Program (SCIP). We have our first social worker on deck and have increased the number of social work students we intake from Monash University and Federation University. We are very grateful for our ongoing partnership with Good Shepard Aus NZ as part of this program. The coordination that SMLS has provided to clients with co-related matters means a focus on long term impact. Breaking down enmeshed chains of issues and their co-existence ensures clients are not left unsupported and are able to maximise resolutions.

We have been fortunate to bring Monash law students back into the office one day per week and extend to clients the opportunity of online video appointments. We are looking forward to returning the option of attending our sites for appointments. We know this is a critical part of the student program and their engagement with the clients we serve. We are also thrilled to have planted the seeds of a collaborative relationship with Darwin Community Legal Centre, with an initial community engagement project that was trialled through our student law clinical program.

It has been fantastic to finally embed our Sporting Change program into Dandenong High School and Hampton Park High School. Our team are feeling very supported by these schools and very engaged with the students in the program. It is great that we were able to weather the limitations of remoteness and still be able to re-ignite our flagship community development program.

We thank the Dean of Law Bryan Horrigan, the State and Federal Attorney Generals and their departments, the Department of Justice and Community Safety (Vic) and Victorian Legal Aid Commission for your ongoing support of SMLS. To our local members of parliament who support SMLS advocating for services in our region.

We commend the staff on navigating another year in this all too familiar pandemic world but also note we look forward with joy of the things to come and re-energising the SMLS environment to support the great work we undertake for the community.

I personally thank the Board for their ongoing considered and thorough oversight of SMLS. The SMLS Board provides engaged and eclectic management which means there is proper consideration and support for the direction the organisation takes.

SMLS is excited to launch our research project this year. This process of undertaking this project as well as the findings are integral to building our knowledge and skills, to harness in our pursuit of progressing change.