New legal service for Victorian seniors

Victoria will have a Seniors Advocacy, Information and Legal (SAIL) Centre by April.

Older Victorians will have access to a new education and legal service to safeguard their rights, dignity and independence from April.

The new Seniors Advocacy, Information and Legal Centre will be delivered by Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria, in partnership with Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre, Eastern Community Legal Centre and the Public Interest Law Clearing House.

The Victorian Government will provide $2.64 million over three years to support the service.

Hon. 					Lisa 					Neville“With our ageing population, the Government recognises the need to ensure older people are treated with respect and empowered to care for themselves and plan for their own futures,” said the Minister for Senior Victorians, Lisa Neville (pictured) in a statement.

“The new service will combine a statewide information and community education program with legal assistance in metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria for older people who experience abuse. It reflects a public consultation process that received more than 40 submissions from the sector.”

The new service will provide:
– information, telephone assistance and referral support to older people experiencing abuse;
– community and professional education;
–  advocacy and support to older people and their families;
– community and professional education regarding older persons’ legal issues; and
– support to expand the capacity of existing community legal centres to address the legal needs of older people.

A similar service is already run by the Caxton Legal Centre in Queensland.

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