These resources were originally developed for legal and community service providers working with Aboriginal people in the NT/WA cross-border region in the areas of Bail and Criminal Process, and Family Violence.
Development has now extended to resources solely for use in WA in the areas of Child Protection, Fines - WDP, and Tenancy. Also the Bail and Criminal Process and Family Violence Kits have been updated for use in WA only. However they can be adapted for use in other jurisdictions including in a cross border context.
You don’t have to be a lawyer to use them. The Resource Kits can be used by all front-line service providers and by community members in leadership roles who are providing assistance and guidance to other people in their own communities.
Although the information and activities in the kits are designed for use with Aboriginal people, they can also be used to assist wider audiences. Significant interest has also been shown in using the kits to assist young people and people with mental and cognitive impairments and disabilities.
The Resource Kits use visual art and storytelling to help explain, in a culturally accessible way, the key legal concepts around:
Please download the order form below if you would like to get Blurred Borders resources. Only the kits developed for use in WA are now available to purchase. The original Bail and Criminal Process and Family Violence kits designed for use in the cross-border region are now only available online to download.
Also the Decision Making story cards are not part of a kit and are not currently for sale.
Blurred Borders Resource Order Form
You can also email cle@legalaid.wa.gov.au to find out more about Blurred Borders, or provide feedback on these resources.
The Resource Kits contain:
Each story card has a picture on the front and a plain language explanation on the back. The cards are divided into different categories. While there are some categories common to each kit some are different. For example, the categories in the Family Violence WA kit are:
The cards can be used to help deliver CLE sessions, or to assist you to provide individual legal advice or information. The cards can be used in many different ways. Experiment and find the way that works best for you and your audience. The Resource Kits include suggestions on how to use the cards for CLE activities.
The wallet cards and stickers can be used to provide a visual reminder of key dates, relevant conditions and orders, and other useful information that is personalised for a client.
You can download the wallet card and sticker sheets to print your own replacements from this page. Features of this site are being expanded to include access to the wallet cards and stickers from within each pack.
You can download instructions to print and make sticker templates.
The posters are useful tools to help deliver key messages or to act as reminders about existing court conditions. They can be displayed in reception areas and interview rooms in legal offices, courts, police stations, and in other places offering community services.
Posters can also be provided directly to clients for them to display at home. This can serve a number of purposes, for example, in a criminal context:
The posters included in the Resource Packs can be downloaded from this site. They are ready-to-print as an A2 poster. You can also download and print from a PDF with the front and back of each story card from the Resource Pack.
People remember stories - Using real life examples in a story telling framework helps people to understand and remember what you are telling them.
The CLE activities in the Resource Kits come from real life examples provided by lawyers and other community service providers involved in the Blurred Borders project. Real life examples are much more powerful than hypothetical ones. If you use your own real-life examples, make sure you change the names so people can’t be identified.
CLE is much more effective when the people connected to the community are involved. Make sure you get advice and guidance from Aboriginal staff members and community leaders when planning and delivering CLE.
If you need an interpreter, make sure you book them well in advance. The Resource Kits are not and will never be a substitute for using an interpreter.
If you haven’t presented on the topic before, read through the key legal messages and the CLE Activities to familiarise yourself with them. Do this a couple of days beforehand so you have enough time to follow up on anything you need to. Even if you have presented on the topic before, pre-reading the information always helps to refresh your memory and keep you on point.
The topic may raise personal issues for some participants. Ask participants not to discuss personal details within the session. Encourage them to seek support after the session and have the contact details ready for local support services.
Your CLE audience may include Aboriginal staff and community members from local Aboriginal families, staff from other services, local non-Aboriginal people and people from outside the cross-border region. If you know who is in the audience, you can recognise and draw on their experience and knowledge.
Every participant brings their own life experience to each session. It is important to balance the interests and knowledge of all participants. All knowledge and experience should be respected and valued.
For cultural and other reasons certain people in the group may dominate the conversation. Be inclusive. Aim to join as many people as possible into the discussion. Make sure those who are participating stay on the relevant topic.
Asking questions helps you to work out the level of understanding of the participants. You can do this at any time during the session. The story cards and the CLE activities will help you to generate discussion and get the conversation started. The cards are also an excellent tool to test a participant’s level understanding.
Reviewed: 11 January 2023
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