The partnership between FCVic and Social Security Rights Victoria (SSRV), the Integrated Services Project (ISP), aims to improve client outcomes through financial counsellors and social security lawyers working together more effectively.
A new face
We’re excited to welcome our new Integrated Services Project Community Lawyer, Aidan McCarthy. Aidan has been working in community legal centres since 2015 and most recently was a lawyer at knowmore Legal Service, a multidisciplinary service incorporating financial counsellors alongside other practitioners.
Aidan is planning to join each of the upcoming regional network meetings to say hello.
A new postcard
To celebrate our third year of the Integrated Services Project we have a new postcard with our best details for contact. You can see the postcard online here and we’re hoping to have some printed and out to FCVic members soon.
2021-22 Projects
As readers will know, SSRV is able to assist financial counselling colleagues on the Worker Help Line and we are also able to assist clients directly. SSRV has a number of different projects running at the moment and we are particularly well-placed to assist clients experiencing family violence, clients in bushfire-affected areas, clients affected by COVID-19 and clients experiencing difficulty with the Disability Support Pension.
CPD
Emily Singh, Senior Lawyer at SSRV recently was part of the FCVic Retirement Challenges Webinar. Dermott Williams, Community Lawyer, also recently presented a webinar about the Disability Support Pension for Community Legal Centres Queensland. We are putting together our 2021-22 training program and look forward to coming to a Zoom screen near you soon. If you have any requests for CPD sessions, you can contact us on [email protected].
Advice lines
Financial counsellors are invited to call the SSRV Worker Help Line on 03 9481 0655 (0429 450 346 during COVID-19 remote servicing) for information and support in assisting clients with Centrelink matters and to make referrals to SSRV. The Worker Help Line operates 9 to 5, Monday to Thursday.
Individuals can be referred the SSRV General Advice Line on 03 9481 0355 (0419 793 652 during COVID-19 remote servicing), which operates 9.30 to 12.30, Monday to Thursday.
These are the primary pathways for intake and assessment for further legal casework and representation services.