Our latest annual report covers our work supporting communities across NSW following bushfires, floods and initial COVID-19 lockdowns, and creating programs that build resilience and ensure continued support for our most vulnerable clients.
We provided 531,451 total client services in 2020–2021, with over 57.4% of services provided in rural and regional areas (including Wollongong and Newcastle). Over 19.4% of our services were provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, our sixth year of continuous growth in the proportion of our services that support these communities.
As well as providing key client data and financial information, the report covers some of the ways we have met the needs of diverse clients during the most recent financial year. We implemented new and universal triage so that all people seeking assistance are consistently directed to the right level and type of service. We delivered 1,293 community legal education sessions, with a focus on COVID-19-related sessions for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in partnership with community organisations. We distributed over 420,000 fact sheets, brochures and other legal publications, and were able to provide legal support to hundreds of people impacted by bushfires and floods.
