Non-Legal Support Service (Ongoing)

Definition

A Non-­Legal Support Service – Ongoing is the provision of ongoing support by a Centre over a period of time to assist and support a person to resolve specific, non­legal problems.

See Non-Legal Support Service – Discrete for full definition of Non-Legal Support including common roles.  

Non­-Legal Support Service -­ Ongoing or Discrete?

The difference between a Non­-Legal Support Service – Ongoing and a Non­-Legal Support Service – Discrete is that in an ongoing service, the Centre makes an upfront commitment to support the Service User through a particular process, whereas a discrete service is a one-­off appointment for a particular session (eg one financial counselling appointment or one meeting with the Aboriginal access worker).

The National Data Standards Manual identified Non-­Legal Support as one service type, with Discrete and Ongoing as sub­categories. This Data Consistency Guide has separated them out (correctly) into the separate categories of Discrete and Ongoing ­- see our service groupings.

In CLASS, most reports currently bring together Discrete and Ongoing Non­-Legal Support Services into one data item Non-­Legal Support Service. Centres can create their own reports which show the split between Discrete and Ongoing Non—Legal Support Services.

How many Services?

Once an Ongoing Non­-Legal Support Service has been opened, any future instances of the same type of non-­legal support (eg help dealing with debts, support in relation to drug / alcohol addiction, support to an Aboriginal person to access the legal system, domestic violence support) do not get separately counted as individual instances of Discrete Non-­Legal Support Services.

However, if there is a different type of Non­-Legal Support being provided, this can be separately recorded wither as a Discrete Service or Ongoing Service as relevant.

Case studies and examples

Case Study ­- Fleur non-­legal support

Case Study – FVPLS support to Mary