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Law for Community Workers

Law for Community Workers

By: Legal Aid NSW
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Summary

 Keeping community workers, health workers and support workers up to date with legal topics and changes to the law.Copyright 2018 Legal Aid NSW. All rights reserved. Economics Management Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • School rules: Exclusion and non‑attendance in NSW

    School rules: Exclusion and non‑attendance in NSW
    Apr 14 2026

    What happens when a child stops attending or is excluded from school - and what are the legal consequences for families and schools?

    In this episode, Yolanda takes a deep dive into school law in New South Wales, joined by legal experts Carey and Brodie. Together, they unpack how schools manage attendance and discipline, the legal obligations of parents, and what compulsory schooling orders actually mean in practice.

    The conversation explores school exclusion in detail, including suspensions and expulsions, and the rights students have when these decisions are made. You’ll also hear about the complex social factors that sit behind non‑attendance, the respective roles of schools, Legal Aid NSW and community workers, and why early, supportive intervention can be critical in changing a young person’s life course.

    Resources mentioned in this episode:

    • Suspension and expulsion procedures | NSW Department of Education
    • Disability Standards for Education | Australian Government Department of Education
    • Youth Law Australia | Legal Services for Young People
    • Shopfront Youth Legal Centre
    • Marrickville Legal Centre
    • Community Legal Centres NSW

    Chapter markers:

    00:03:18 - School attendance rules

    00:05:17 - School refusal

    00:09:18 - Compulsory schooling orders

    00:24:57 - Carey's tips for community workers

    00:27:40 - School discipline rules

    00:29:49 - Bullying

    00:31:37 - Suspension and expulsion legal issues

    00:43:30 - Disability and discrimination

    00:47:22 - Case studies

    00:52:45 - Brodie's tips for community workers

    Download the transcript.

    Disclaimer: This podcast is a general guide to the law. You should not rely on it as legal advice. We recommend that you talk to a lawyer about any particular situation. The information is correct at the time of publishing but it may change. For more information, start with our team at LawAccess NSW via webchat at legalaid.nsw.gov.au or on 1300 888 529.

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    59 mins
  • Hard Conversations: Episode 1 - Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service and Central Coast Community Legal Centre

    Hard Conversations: Episode 1 - Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service and Central Coast Community Legal Centre
    Mar 2 2026
    Hard Conversations is a 6-part podcast series exploring the complexity of elder abuse. It is produced by the Community Legal Education Branch of Legal Aid NSW. The series was originally recorded several years ago. We have refreshed it because we thought that the conversations are still relevant and will assist anyone who wants to understand more about elder abuse. The people we talk with in this series generously shared their understanding of elder abuse, how they think about it in their communities, and ideas about how we can address it together. Many of them no longer work in the same roles and have moved on to other things. However, we think that their expertise, experience and insights remain relevant and valuable. This first episode was recorded from conversations with social workers, community workers and lawyers from Legal Aid NSW Edler Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre. Most of the people you will hear in this episode no longer work with these services. The Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre continue to provide services for older people. You will hear from: Tracy Jackson- then a social worker at the Central Coast Elder Abuse ServiceBobbi Murray – then an Aboriginal access worker at the Central Coast Community Legal CentreBarry (BJ ) Duncan- then an Aboriginal access worker at the Central Coast Community Legal Centre/ member Darkinjung Aboriginal Land CouncilMary Lovelock - Solicitor in charge at the Central Coast Elder Abuse ServiceTanya Chapman – then a lawyer at the Central Coast Elder Abuse Service Download the transcript for this episode. Other episodes of Hard Conversations: Ep2: Talking about elder abuse and First Nations communitiesEp3: Talking about elder abuse and culturally diverse communitiesEp4: Talking about engaging with diverse communitiesEp5: Talking about elder abuse and rural and regional communitiesEp6: Dr Kay Patterson - former federal Age Discrimination Commissioner talks about elder abuse More information Central Coast Community Legal Centre 02 4353 4988Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service (Central Coast and Hunter) - 02 4324 56111800 ELDERHelp: National elder abuse phone line- 1800 353 374NSW Ageing and Disability Commission and Abuse Helpline - 1800 628 221Seniors Rights Service NSW - 1800 424 079OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) – 1800 700 600NSW Aboriginal Land Councils – 02 9689 4444 and Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council – 02 4351 2930National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations -NACCHORelationships Australia Elder Support and Mediation service -1300 364 2771800 Respect: National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Counselling - 1800 737 732Compass- Guiding action on elder abuse -resources and support directory Music by Gambirra Edited by Jessica Sullivan and Yasmine Lewis: Legal Aid NSW Subscribe to the Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service e-newsletter This series was made in partnership with the Legal Aid NSW Central Coast Elder Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre. Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au Disclaimer: This podcast is a general guide to the law. You should not rely on it as legal advice. We recommend that you talk to a lawyer about any particular situation. The information is correct at the time of publishing but it may change. For more information, start with our team at LawAccess NSW via webchat at legalaid.nsw.gov.au or on 1300 888 529.
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    31 mins
  • Hard conversations-Episode 2: Working with First Nations communities and elder abuse: Central Coast Community Legal Centre and Legal Aid NSW

    Hard conversations-Episode 2: Working with First Nations communities and elder abuse: Central Coast Community Legal Centre and Legal Aid NSW
    Sep 2 2020
    'Hard conversations' is a 6 part podcast series exploring the complexity of elder abuse. In this second episode we will hear from: Barry Duncan(BJ); an Aboriginal Access Worker with the Central Coast Community Legal Centre, and also the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council who will talk about his work with Elders; Scott Hawkins - manager of the Aboriginal Service Unit at Legal Aid NSW who will talk about things community organisations can do to engage with Aboriginal communities, and Terri a First Nations Elder from the Central Coast, who talks about the complexities of abuse. Throughout this series you will hear from lots of different people about their understanding of elder abuse, the ways they think about it in their communities and how we can start to address it together. There is no one right answer, there are lots of things we can do to help people who may be experiencing or are at risk of elder abuse and we will talk about some of them. This series has been made in partnership with the Legal Aid NSW Central Coast Elder Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre. Other episodes of hard conversations: Ep1: Talking about elder abuseEp3: Working with CALD communitiesEp4: Engaging with diverse communitiesEp5: Rural and regional communitiesEp6: Dr Kay Patterson Age Discrimination Commissioner Referrals and more information Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529 and Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service (Central Coast) 02 4324 5611Central Coast Community Legal Centre 02 4353 4988Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council – 02 4351 2930NSW Aboriginal Land Councils – 02 9689 4444Mingaletta - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation – 02 4324 7515Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline - 1800 628 221Seniors Rights Service NSW 1800 424 079Seniors Rights Service Reconciliation Action Plan ConnectAbility – 02 4962 1000OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) – 1800 700 600Elder abuse support and mediation service - Relationships Australia 1300 364 277Staying home leaving violence1800 respect - 1800 737 732COTA NSW – 1800 449 102Carers NSW - 1800 242 636https://www.compass.info/– resources and support directoryLawAccessSpeak my language: A community radio project from the Ethnic Communities CouncilSettlement Services International and Northern Settlement Services 49 693 399 43 343 877(Central Coast) If you need an interpreter, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450. Music produced by Gambirra. Edited by Jessica Sullivan Legal Aid NSW Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au Disclaimer: This podcast is a general guide to the law. You should not rely on it as legal advice. We recommend that you talk to a lawyer about any particular situation. The information is correct at the time of publishing but it may change. For more information, start with our team at LawAccess NSW via webchat at www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au or on 1300 888 529.
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    19 mins
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.