Seminar Series on Family Justice Touches Down in Blenheim

MEDIA RELEASE

National Seminar Series on Family Justice Touches Down in Blenheim in August – Expected to Attract Practitioners From Across Top of South Island

31 July 2015

For Immediate Release

Social Service Providers Aotearoa (SSPA) and Ebborn Law are inviting providers who deal with domestic violence, and the wider social services and government sector, to a free workshop in Blenheim to review the changes to the Family Justice System.

The workshop will be held at the Marlborough Research Centre on the 13th of August.

Following successful pre-Family Court reform workshops in Canterbury last year, social service providers approached Ebborn Law and SSPA and asked for an update for the sector. The result of that October 2014 meeting was a series of intensive workshops throughout the South Island attended by over 300 professionals and more recently in Wellington and Hawke’s Bay attended by 160.

The workshops addressed how the reforms had evolved, Family Dispute Resolution, Parenting through Separation courses, types of Court documents and forms, domestic violence and issues for seniors. Information on the Non-Contact Orders available under the Victims of Violence Act and current and planned changes to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act was also presented.

“The success of the workshops has triggered interest in a similar series being run for providers in Blenheim next month (13 August 2015). The changes to the Family Law system have had significant impact on families and service providers, and partnering with Ebborn Law who are subsiding and facilitating the free workshops has been both timely and rewarding”, says Tara D’Sousa, National Manager SSPA.

“Ebborn Law employs six lawyers and is a major provider of Family Legal Advice Service (FLAS) and legal aid, and works closely with the social services to provide a holistic service to their clients”, Jarrod Coburn, Chief Executive of Ebborn Law, says, “The workshops are an example of the law profession embracing the type of holistic practice that has been undertaken in the social services sector for many years.”

“Working alongside the team from SSPA was a real pleasure. I know from experience the tensions that arise from NGO-Private partnerships, often caused by financial inequity and differing world views. There is potential for such partnerships to bring benefits to everyone – especially mutual clients”, says Mr Coburn.

This seminar will give practitioners valuable knowledge on how to support their clients, break down barriers and empower vulnerable families. They will provide information useful for social service practitioners, how changes to the Care of Children Act have rolled-out, the role of lawyers in the Family Court, an update on the Family Dispute Resolution Service and new measures around domestic violence, vulnerable children and victims of violence.

FREE WORKSHOP DATES & VENUES:

Blenheim – Thursday 13 August 2015, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Marlborough Research Centre

ENDS

About Social Service Providers Aotearoa:

SSPA is a national umbrella body for about 200 New Zealand NGOs working with children, families and community. By establishing strong regional networks and by co-ordinating Best Practice Workshops and training opportunities SSPA empowers member service providers to make a positive and significant difference in their communities through their work with children, young people and families.

About Ebborn Law:

Ebborn Law is the largest provider of family legal aid in the South Island. The firm was established in 2012 in response to the changes to how legal aid was funded. Erin Ebborn has over 16 years’ experience as a family law litigator; she and her team aim to provide leadership in all aspects of Family Law, from participating in government consultation processes to providing support to the community and social service sector.

Ebborn Law is regarded as an innovator in the delivery of family legal services, recently launching the VLaw™ System to enable people across the country to access justice via audio/visual link.

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