At Advocacy Law Alliance we ensure disadvantaged people get a fair go.
Through direct advocacy assistance, community education, systemic change, law reform and research, we are dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for our clients.
We combine the expertise of lawyers, social workers and disability workers. Advocacy Law Alliance (ALA) is the governing and supporting organisation for three programs: Disability Advocacy NSW (DA), Mid North Coast Legal Centre (MNCLC) and Disability Law NSW (DLNSW).
Our Services
About Us
The story of Advocacy Law Alliance began in Newcastle and Tamworth NSW in 1985 where a small group of locals set up an association to advocate for people with a disability.
In 1992 Disability Advocacy Service Hunter (DASH) took over from Self Advocacy Newcastle to advocate for all people with a disability. In 2006 DASH and Advocacy Northwest joined forces to become Disability Advocacy NSW (DA) and gradually expanded to cover the Mid North Coast region.
Mid North Coast advocates found that the region was one of the few in New South Wales that did not have a community legal centre that could ensure disadvantaged people (including people with a disability) get fair access to justice. DA advocates worked over several years with local groups to research the legal need and gather relevant evidence to show that a community legal centre should be based on the Mid North Coast.
In 2010 the Commonwealth and NSW governments offered funds to establish a community legal centre. Disability Advocacy NSW was the successful applicant in an open tender and the doors of the new Mid North Coast Legal Centre opened in mid-2011. A new Mid North Coast Legal Centre office was opened in Coffs Harbour in 2019. To reflect the diversity of the services it provided and the alliance between legal and non-legal advocacy Disability Advocacy NSW changed its name to Advocacy Law Alliance Inc and registered the business names Mid North Coast Legal Centre and Disability Advocacy NSW.
ALA covers approximately two thirds of NSW in the regional and rural areas of the Hunter, Mid North Coast, North Coast, Western Sydney, Nepean-Blue Mountains, Central Coast, New England, Western and Far West regions of NSW, Australia. ALA has office locations in Newcastle, Muswellbrook, Parramatta, Valley Heights, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Taree, Dubbo, Gosford, Broken Hill, Bathurst and Armidale.
In 2019 we employed a disability law specialist. This project worked so well that we formed Disability Law NSW and in 2022 employed an additional solicitor to provide for the legal needs of Disability Advocacy NSW clients. Disability Law NSW sits within the Mid North Coast Legal Centre legal practice.
To learn more about our history click here.
ALA is a non-profit group which receives funding from the Commonwealth and State Attorney General’s Departments, Legal Aid NSW, Commonwealth Department of Social Services and NSW Department of Community and Justice.
Our Mission and Values
Our Vision
All people should have the right to equity and fairness.
Our Mission
To provide high quality social and legal advocacy to people in need. We are committed to servicing regional, rural and remote communities as well as metropolitan communities and we focus on empowering clients to navigate the legal and social systems to achieve fair outcomes.
Our Values
Courageous
We have the courage to do what’s right.
Caring
We care about our people and the work
we do.
Creative
We use innovation, evidence and curiosity to continually strive to improve.
Connected
We are
better together.
We have the courage to:
- give our clients a voice by advocating for positive change.
- speak out against injustice.
- persevere, even in the face of continuous challenges.
- always act with integrity, doing the right thing in an honest, fair and responsible way.
We care:
-
about approaching our work with kindness and understanding,
recognising the challenges faced by our clients. -
about listening openly and compassionately, respecting and valuing everyone’s unique story.
-
about being approachable.
-
about making purposeful and considered decisions, informed by solid evidence.
-
about creating a safe and productive work environment.
We are creative and:
- believe in using diverse approaches to promote awareness and understanding.
- committed to solutions based on evidence which influences decision makers.
- prioritise continuous learning and development to ensure highly skilled and capable professionals will deliver excellence for our clients and community.
We believe in being connected and:
- building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders to work towards a more diverse, inclusive and equitable society.
- listening deeply to the communities we work with and for.
Disability Advocacy Support Helpline
The Disability Advocacy Support Helpline (the Helpline) is an initiative announced as part of Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and is designed to improve access to individual advocacy. The Helpline is for all people with disability, their families and carers.
The Helpline is a three year pilot phone-based individual advocacy service which will be delivered by Advocacy Law Alliance (ALA), and accessed through the Disability Gateway.
The Helpline will provide people with disability access to advocacy support over the phone, and refer to in-person National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) providers and other community and government agencies if required.
How do I contact the Disability Gateway?
You can call the Disability Gateway on 1800 643 787 or visit their website www.disabilitygateway.gov.au or send an email to disabilitygateway@benevolent.org.au
Recruitment
Interested in being a part of the Advocacy Law Alliance?
Join the board
Find out more and apply to join the Advocacy Law Alliance (Disability Advocacy NSW, Mid North Coast Legal Centre, Disability Law NSW) board of management.
Access more information for ALA Board Members and the Application form below.
To discuss this information further, please get in touch with CEO Mark Grierson on 02 4924 3599.
Join our staff
We are a growing organisation, always on the lookout for people in various areas of the diverse sector that we service.
While there are currently no positions available at Advocacy Law Alliance, you are welcome to submit your resume for future reference to HR@advocacylaw.org.au . We usually advertise on seek.com, so keep an eye out!
Contact Us
Phone: 02 4924 3599
Email: ala@advocacylaw.org.au
(This is an administration email only. Please go to service links below for client inquiries)
Postal Address: Suite 1, Level 2, 408 King St, Newcastle West NSW 2302
Board Chairperson:
Hayden Asper
Chief Executive Officer:
Mark Grierson
Deputy CEO:
Catherine Peek
Executive Officer:
Amanda Brickwood
Principal Solicitor (MNCLC):
Jane Titterington
Finance Manager:
Maureen Bloemers
Advocacy Law Alliance
Suite 1, Level 2, 408 King St
Newcastle West NSW 2302
Phone: 02 4924 3599
Email: ala@advocacylaw.org.au
ABN: 96 984 383 421
Disability Advocacy NSW
Suite 1 Level 2 408 King St
Newcastle West NSW 2302
Phone: 02 4927 0111 or 1300 365085
Fax: 02 4927 0114
Email: da@da.org.au
Mid North Coast Legal Centre
Suite 7, Level 1 "The Port" 68 Clarence St Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Shop 6 13-15 Park Ave
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Phone: 02 6580 2111
Email: info@mnclegal.org.au
Disability Law NSW
To contact us for assistance please call an Intake Officer at Disability Advocacy NSW on 02 5519 8050 – (10am to 4pm Monday to Friday).
Our Intake Officers are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice.
At Advocacy Law Alliance (ALA), we work to ensure disadvantaged people get a fair go. Through direct advocacy assistance, community education, systemic change, law reform and research, we are dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for our clients.
Contact
Suite 1, Level 2, 408 King Street
Newcastle West, NSW
Australia 2302
02 4924 3599
Copyright Advocacy Law Australia
ABN: 93984 383 421