Legal Aid WA Annual Report 22-23

In 2022, we set ourselves ambitious targets with the launch of the Legal Aid WA Strategic Plan 2022 – 2024. The plan builds on the hard work and successes we’ve already achieved and sharpens our resolve to reach for excellence and to continue to achieve the best outcomes for disadvantaged Western Australians. We know the needs of the community are changing. They’re complex, diverse, and multi-faceted, and we need to be innovative and agile in our response. The eight strategic priorities set out in the Strategic Plan inform our approach and guide our efforts for how we deliver our services. We’re focused on innovation, holistic services, and prioritising services that tackle emerging areas of disadvantage. We’re helping to divert people away from the justice system where their offending may relate to an underlying social problem. We’re also seeking to reduce the overrepresentation of First Nations people in the justice system in Western Australia. We’re doing this in partnership with our colleagues across the legal assistance sector, and we’re working with State and Federal Governments to develop a shared strategy for the sector. There remains much to do but halfway through the three-year plan, we can be proud of what we’ve achieved and where we’re heading as the programs and initiatives highlighted in this Annual Report demonstrate.