Bar Family Care

06/04/2020

Member services and benefits

Last year the Bar Council approved a new family care pilot program. It's designed to complement the existing reserved places childcare scheme with in-home emergency care for children, the elderly or disabled.

The Bar Council believes this is the best way to assist barristers in the event that their regular arrangements fall through or cannot meet unexpected needs due to:

• sickness (on the part of young children, your partner or the regular carer);

• urgent, delayed or extended court sittings; or

• inter-state hearings.

The need for such a program was confirmed by the survey conducted in 2019 as part of the annual practising certificate renewals. It found that nearly 200 barristers had experienced difficulty meeting their carer’s responsibilities due to extended court sittings or unexpected difficulties with their normal care arrangements. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to working from home is not expected to diminish the need for back-up care.

Guardian Early Learning will be one of the providers of back-up care, but others will be contracted in due course.

There is still an opportunity to be part of the pilot program. Initially, your participation would involve consultation and discussion – either online, over the phone or in focus group discussions. Should the need arise, it would also involve using the emergency back-up care and submitting your evaluation as part of a review for the Bar Council.

If you wish to know more about the Bar Family Care pilot program, please contact the Association's Co-ordinator, Services and Benefits and Professional Standards, Chris Winslow via email: cwinslow@nswbar.asn.au

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