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Hands Up For National Evidence of Legal Rights

With the ongoing spread of the Covid pandemic and recent floodings in the Greater Southern Queensland regions, Community Legal Centres are forced to turn away 80 people a week per electorate who need help due to the lack of funding.

At TASC we understand the effect this can have on a person and within the community itself. That is why we support the need to (1) increase funding for regular sector surveys to make better decision making and service delivery and (2) to see an additional investment of 1.5 million dollars every four years to increase the sector’s capacity to quickly respond to the changing legal needs of our community.

Community legal centres provide crucial support to communities in crisis

Community legal centres provide crucial support to communities in crisis and need the resources to prepare for disasters so people can recover more quickly.

#HandsUpforJustice is calling for funding to ensure disaster preparedness and recovery in our communities.

We support #HandsupforJustice and encourage local communities to who live within the Greater South West region to call TASC Legal and Social Justice Services on 07 4616 9700 if they have been impacted by the recent disasters.@Handsup4Justice

#Legal #Justice #Advocacy

TASC – Justice Street Reach Program Expands in Toowoomba

TASC Legal and Social Justice Services are proud to announce Eraj Adhikari (TASC Social Justice Advocate ) and Will Delaport (TASC Solicitor) will now be expanding the TASC- Justice Street Reach program to the Toowoomba Housing Hub every Thursday for appointments and drop-ins. 

This program is designed to provide social and legal support for people experiencing homelessness (or are in a challenging situation that they are unable to address without assistance).

For enquiries, please contact the Justice Street Reach program on 0429 851 639 or contact TASC Legal and Social Justice Services on 07 4616 9700 and ask to be put through to Eraj or Will from the Justice Street Reach program.

Don’t forget you can also reach TASC at the Toowoomba Housing Hub every 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.

International Women’s Day

This week was International Women’s Day.

Structural and systemic barriers within legal and support systems continue to prevent women and children from escaping gendered violence.

We have the tools to reduce family violence and violence against women. We need to use them.

That’s why we support:

• Implementing Women’s Legal Services Australia’s Safety First in Family Law Plan

• Implementing the Respect@Work Report

• Improved and accessible housing, legal advice and representation, financial support and visa support for women and children experiencing family violence

If you would like to see how TASC Legal and Social Justice Services can assist you, simply visit www.tascnational.org.au or call 07 4616 9700.

#BreakTheBias #IWD #handsup4justice

OUR SERVICES OUT WEST – LOOKING FOR LEGAL ADVICE IN ROMA?

Living out west and looking for free legal advice? We’ve got you covered!

TASC is the leading community legal centre for Greater South West Queensland and continues to make its mark with services constantly expanding. We have been in the Roma community for six years and so far have helped thousands of people all through the west!

What can we help you with? We can assist with matters including:

For example, if you’re going through domestic and family violence, we can:

  • Give you information on how to take out a domestic violence order.
  • If you are going to a local court on a domestic and family violence matter, TASC can give you legal advice or help with your matter on your court date.
  • Assist you if you are responding to a domestic violence order that someone has taken out against you or if you want to make a change to a current order.

TASC is funded by the State and Federal governments to provide free services, hence some eligibility criteria may apply.

Contact us to understand your eligibility and make sure you’re advised properly on 07 4616 9700.

OPINION: WHY DYLAN ALCOTT’S AUSTRALIA OF THE YEAR WIN IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO HAPPEN FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA

If you don’t know Dylan Alcott, you certainly will now! His Australia of the Year win this week and his ambition to drive conversations around disability awareness, are sure to help expel stereotypes and propel change in perceptions.

The importance of Dylan wining this award, is not only honouring the contributions of an Australian who has achieved great success as an elite athlete, media commentator, entrepreneur and disability advocate but it also challenges every one of us to leave our biases behind and expect more of ourselves and others so we can all live the lives we want.

As a person with a disability, Dylan eloquently reminds us that living with a disability is not the barrier to participating fully in every aspect of society. Instead it is our inaccessible environments, prejudices, biases and low expectations of people with disabilities and our inability to see a future different from today that stops all of us living our fulfilled lives.

Every day at TASC we work to make Australia a fairer, a more just and equitable nation through our legal and advocacy endeavours. We cannot wait to see what the next year brings for us all as Dylan is continuing to place the conversation around independence, inclusion and accessibility front and centre.

Some of these conversations will be hard for us to hear and will challenge us but listening and working together to create meaningful change will only strengthen opportunities for us all.

Congratulations to Dylan and we can’t wait to invite you to TASC!

#DylanAlcott #AusOfTheYear

Terri-Ann-Dwyer – TASC’s Manager – Social Justice Services

Justice Street Reach Helps To Prevent Homelessness

TASC Legal and Social Justice Services in Toowoomba has received funding to launch ‘Justice Street Reach’, a program that is aimed at preventing and addressing factors causing homelessness.

Our team of social workers, advocates and solicitors are working together with key community groups to help provide FREE legal and social support to people who may be at risk of living on the streets (subject to eligibility).

TASC Principal Solicitor David Manwaring said that homelessness can affect anyone and continues to have a significant impact on people’s lives.

“TASC knows that homelessness or the potential of living on the streets, is affecting many Australians nation-wide, including having a significant impact on their mental and physical health,” Mr Manwaring said.

“Subject to eligibility, TASC can help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in a number of different ways – it may be helping with a tenancy issue, addressing unpaid fines or bills, separation, family or domestic violence, employment terminations or minor crimes – just to name a few.”

The Justice Street Reach program can help people who are experiencing financial hardship, affected by mental health or have a disability within the Toowoomba area. Make sure to talk to one of our solicitors when you visit the below community services to see if you’re eligible.

TASC visits Tony’s Community Kitchen and Base Services in Toowoomba weekly and Protea Place, also in Toowoomba, monthly. Keep an eye out on Facebook for future dates and times.

TASC Float Named Grand Champion!

Thank you to Grand Central Shopping Centre in Toowoomba for naming our TASC float the Grand Champion of the Itty Bitty Float Competition!

Our staff rallied together to produce a beautiful float that was displayed during The Carnival of Flowers at Grand Central in September.

The theme for the floral floats centred on hope for a brighter world, and with this, we created a display that reflects our services with this inspiring message:

“TASC is a legal and social justice service that helps improve lives. When despair is all around and you’re caught in the cracks of life, TASC is the bridge to a better, brighter world. We enable justice to give people the hope and capacity to move forward.”

A big thank you to the judges and everyone who voted for us.

We hope that we were able to spread a little bit of joy and a better understanding of our services.

The National Redress Scheme and how our advocates can help you

TASC Advocates can support and guide you to tell your story for submission to The National Redress Scheme (NRS), to help address those who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.

The NRS is funded by the Commonwealth Government and is facilitated by the Royal Commission of Australia.

The National Redress Scheme website outlines who can apply and they outline the criteria as:

  • you experienced sexual abuse when you were a child (under 18 years of age), and
    • the abuse happened before 1 July 2018, and
    • an institution was responsible for bringing you into contact with the person who abused you, and
  • you were born before 30 June 2010, and
  • at the time you apply, you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.

If you would like more information about the application criteria you can visit: https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/applying/who-can-apply

TASC’s Manager, Social Justice Services, Terri-Ann Dwyer said redress can help address any wrong doings or harm experienced and acknowledges suffering endured by abuse.

“The NRS was established to help those that have experienced abuse within an institution or out-of-home care settings, such as orphanages, foster care, jails, schools, churches or detention centres (to name a few),” Terri-Ann said.

“At TASC our advocates can help you write your submission and guide you through the process, in a caring and supportive environment.”

If you would like to tell your story in a safe environment, make sure to book an appointment with our Advocacy Team on (07) 4616 9700 or visit www.tascnational.org.au.

If you have found this story challenging, please reach out immediately to Blue Knot Helpline on 1300 657 380.

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