Remote preferred provider scheme

Remote preferred provider pilots

Overview

Legal Aid NSW is piloting “remote preferred provider” (RPP) schemes for the assignment of care matters in a number of regional areas.

Background to the Remote Preferred Provider Pilots

Internal review has highlighted that Legal Aid NSW’s mixed model of service delivery does not always meet the needs of clients in remote areas. For instance, the review noted there were areas in regional and remote NSW that had very few care and protection panel practitioners and often parents were not able to be provided with representation in a timely fashion or at all.

The aim of the RPP pilots is to deliver a consistent, high-quality supply of care lawyers to service these communities through a formal and transparent process. The schemes cover the allocation of all grants of aid in care matters in these communities: that is, representation of the child or children the subject of an application; the parent(s); and any adult third party or parties joined to the proceedings. The schemes seek to provide high quality representation to families in regional and remote areas who come into contact with the child protection system.

The RPP pilots will be reviewed periodically. The pilots may cease or continue, with or without changes, depending on the outcome of those reviews.

• Guidelines for the Broken Hill and Moree schemes.
• Guidelines for the Riverina scheme.