Arm yourself with the latest legal knowledge and education required to support your families facing care proceedings, in a specialised new course offered by the Centre for Community Welfare Training.
Learn useful legal terminology and be guided in practice direction, delivered by one of Australia’s leading children’s court experts.
What is Court Practice Note 17?
The introduction of Children’s Court Practice Note 17: Designated Agencies in Children’s Court care proceedings, in December 2022, confirmed the important role of NGO designated agencies with primary case responsibility for children subject of care proceedings.
About the Workshop
This workshop will be delivered by Jane Smith, an accredited specialist in Children’s Law, who regularly appears in the Children’s Court and will provide caseworkers and managers with theory and practical tips to assist them to support the Court to make the best decisions for children subject of care proceedings.
This workshop will look at:
The context for the introduction of Practice Note 17.
The purpose of Practice Note 17.
Key points of NGO designated agency involvement in care proceedings.
Model Litigant responsibilities.
Working with the Department of Communities and Justice during care proceedings.
Joining care proceedings as parties and seeking to be heard during care
proceedings.
Assisting children’s lawyers to fulfil their functions during care proceedings.
Responding to subpoenas.
About the Trainer:
Jane Smith is a solicitor who is an Accredited Specialist in Children’s Law with 20 years of experience in the care jurisdiction. After completing a social work and a law degree, Jane worked as a Child Protection Caseworker with the Department of Community Services (as it was then called) before spending seven years as an in-house lawyer for the Department. Jane spent most of her time in the Children’s Court acting for the Department in care proceedings and providing legal support to Caseworkers during the Court process. Jane was also involved in legislative review has played a part in most of the key legislative reforms to the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998.
Jane established Care Legal in 2011 and has continued her specialisation in Children’s Law, providing legal advice, advocacy, training, investigation and consultancy services to both government and non- government clients. Jane is on various Legal Aid panels, including the Care and Protection panel for children and adults, the Family Law panel and the Domestic Violence duty scheme. Jane has been engaged by DCJ to develop and deliver training to new Caseworkers. She has also prepared and delivered affidavit writing training through the PSP Learning Hub. Jane regularly provides external legal support and training to NGOs across a range of areas, including legal issues that arise in out-of- home care, adoption and disability services.
Who should attend:
This workshop is for casework staff who have casework responsibilities in respect of children who are subject of care proceedings.
