Training Centre

Welcome to the ICL websites Training Centre and the national ICL training program.

The national training program has been developed by National Legal Aid (NLA) which represents the directors of the eight Australian State and Territory Legal Aid Commissions.

Under NLA criteria for eligibility to apply to individual Legal Aid Commissions for admission to your State or Territory ICL panel, the national training program must be successfully completed.

It is essential to refer to the criteria of the State and Territory Legal Aid Commission you practice in, and wish to be considered for selection to entry their ICL panel, before registering for this training. Each State and Territory have different criteria and processes for assessing suitability to join their ICL panel.

Below are links to individual State and Territory criteria for admission to the ICL panel. In the event that the links are not reflective of any recent updates to individual State and Territory criteria, before proceeding with the ICL training program you must ensure that you have enquired directly with your local Legal Aid Commission about the current criteria for admission to the ICL panel.

There are two compulsory phases of training

Phase 1: Six (6) online training modules

Six online training modules must be satisfactorily completed. These modules comprise lecture style videos on social science and skill based topics essential to ICL work and are delivered by nationally recognized subject matter experts. In addition to videos, essential reading as well as recommended resources are identified for each module.  Each of these mandatory training modules will require the trainee to complete online testing on the content of both the videos and essential reading identified in the module.

In order to satisfactorily complete each module you must be able to answer all the multiple choice questions for that module correctly before moving on to the subsequent module.

Only after all 6 modules including testing have been completed, will the trainee be eligible to move on to the second phase of compulsory training.

You are able to save which module or topic within a module you have not completed and return to it by logging in to the Training Centre at any time. This will return you to the module or topic within a module that you were last working on.

Modules need to be completed in chronological order and there is no opportunity to skip between modules.

This phase of training attracts a separate $400 registration fee which you will be asked to pay once you choose to register and pay for the online training on the bottom of this page.

Please note: You must complete all 6 modules successfully within 6 months of registration in order to commence phase 2 face to face workshop training.  Otherwise you will be required to re-register, pay the registration fee and complete all 6 modules (even if you have previously completed some modules), before being eligible to proceed to phase 2 training.

If you are having trouble login in to the Training Centre, please refer to the Help page located at the top right menu bar of the website where you can find useful tips for troubleshooting. You will also find a link to submit a query with the website manager if you are still unable to resolve the issue.

Please note: Problems that may be encountered with your log in or unexpected problems with accessing training resources need to be reported within 24 hours to the website manager by submitting a query. We shall endeavor to resolve the issue within 2 working days.

Dispensation will not be granted, for failure to complete online modules within the 6 month from the date of training registration, based on technical problems you may have encountered where you have not sought to troubleshoot the issue or if unable to troubleshoot, where you have not made contact with the website manager for assistance.

A certificate of completion will issue to the trainee and notification of satisfactory completion will be sent to the NLA training managers.

Trainees who have satisfactorily completed online training will be invited via email notification to register for phase 2 of the training program. Please do not accept an invitation to attend a phase 2 workshop if you do not intend to apply to join an ICL panel. Places for workshops are limited and only reserved for trainees seeking to join an ICL panel. 

 

Phase 2: Face to face workshop training facilitated by a Legal Aid Commission

This phase of training will require your attendance for face to face training for a full day. This training will be facilitated by individual state Legal Aid Commissions.

A schedule of all national workshop training days is published each year on this webpage. Please refer to the table of dates below to find a workshop training date in your State or Territory.

Please note that on occasion your State or Territory may not have phase 2 training scheduled in which case you can nominate to be considered for approval to attend another State or Territories training day where places are available. Priority will be given to local state trainees ahead of interstate trainees when places are limited. To ensure your nomination to attend a workshop is considered, please ensure you complete Phase 1 online training ahead of the published deadline date for the workshop you are nominating to attend.

Upcoming Phase Two National Workshop Training Dates

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Perth, WA Thursday 14 & Friday 15 December 2023 (Monday 04 December 2023 is the deadline for completion of Phase 1 online training to be eligible to nominate to attend  this workshop. If you are able to collect your folder of workshop materials from the Perth Legal Aid Office by no later than Friday 8 December 2023 then this deadline can be extended to Thursday 7 December 2023. Please email nicola.benjamin@legalaid.wa.gov.au to make arrangements for collection)

Location: Legal Aid WA Perth office: 32 St Georges Terrace, Perth

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Brisbane, Queensland Thursday 22 February 2024 (Wednesday 31 January 2024 is the deadline for completion of Phase 1 online training to be eligible to nominate to attend  this workshop)

Location: Legal Aid Queensland, 44 Herschel Street, Brisbane

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Cairns, Queensland Monday 19 February 2024 (Friday 22 December 2023 is the deadline for completion of Phase 1 online training to be eligible to nominate to attend  this workshop)

Location:  Cairns venue TBA

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Sydney, NSW Friday 8 November 2024 (Monday 21 October 2024 is the deadline for completion of Phase 1 online training to be eligible to nominate to attend  this workshop)

Location: Sydney TBC

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We suggest that you plan the timing of completion of your online training (phase 1) to be no later than 1 month prior the workshop training you intend to register to attend. This will allow you an opportunity to secure a place in that training as numbers are limited. Once you have registered and paid for phase 2 training, workshop materials are sent to you for review prior to the training date.

This phase of training attracts a separate $550 registration fee and instructions for payment will be sent to you once you secure a place in the training.

Please note:

• Please ensure that you register for Phase 1 training yourself (do not ask support staff or others to register you). You need to be registered on the website under your own username, password and email address. If you have been registered with different user details, email and user logins, your course completion details will be incorrect and for that reasons may not be accepted as proof of your completion of Phase 1 training. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to assist you in a timely manner with resetting of access (if necessary) or other technical issues, which may delay your training progress.
• You must register for phase 2 workshop training within 12 months of the completion date of phase 1 training shown on your ‘certificate of completion’ of phase 1 training.  Otherwise you will be required to re-register and successfully complete phase 1 training before being eligible to proceed to phase two training.

FAQs

Why can’t I find a training date in my State or Territory?

For some of the smaller jurisdictions across the country it may not be feasible to run workshop training, in which case you are welcome to register for training offered in another State.

Also, States may from time to time consider that due to lack of trainee numbers it is not feasible to run a workshop. In such cases we will update the calendar and we recommend that you check the calendar in case of any updates.

What can I do if I don’t find a training date in my State or Territory that suits me?

You are welcome to register for training in another state if you don’t wish to wait for new training dates next year. Priority will be given to that state’s registrants however spaces will be made available to accommodate trainees from a State or Territory that is not holding training that year.

Trainees who complete both phases of training successfully will be eligible to apply to their Legal Aid Commission to be considered for placement on that State or Territory ICL practitioner panel.

Completion of both phases of the national training program is a pre-requisite for applying to join a State or Territory ICL practitioner panel.  Criteria and processes for eligibility vary for individual legal aid commissions. Please refer to the links above to individual Legal Aid Commissions eligibility criteria & processes for more information. In the event that the links are not reflective of any recent updates to individual State and Territory criteria, before proceeding with the ICL training program you must ensure that you have enquired directly with your local Legal Aid Commission about the current criteria for admission to the ICL panel.

How long will the Phase 1 online modules take to complete?

To assist you in planning your time, below are indicative times for completing each of the six training modules:

MODULE 1  (3 topics)  7 hours
MODULE 2  (3 topics)  9 hours
MODULE 3  (1 topic)    2 hours
MODULE 4  (3 topics)  5 hours
MODULE 5  (1 topic)   1.5 hours
MODULE 6  (1 topic)   2 hours

How much time should I allow to complete Phase 1 online training  to be considered for registration for the Phase 2 training I wish to attend?

You may have a preference to attend a Phase 2 training date/location however there is no guarantee that you will be selected to attend on your preferred date/location. In order to have the best chance to be selected to attend your preferred training date, you will need to successfully complete Phase 1 online training within six (6) months of the Phase 2 training date and no later than three (3) weeks prior to the training date, as those selected to attend the training will need to be sent workshop materials for review and preparation for the Phase 2 training.

What do I do after I have completed Phase 1  to register for Phase 2 training?

The Training manager is notified of trainees who are successfully certified after completing Phase 1 online training. The Training Manager also has access to the preferred Phase 2 training location selections and reasons for out of State training nomination that trainees disclose in the final part of the online training.

Those who are selected to attend their nominated training location and date will be sent an invitation and instructions to register and pay for Phase 2 training, between four (4) to two (2) weeks prior to the Phase 2 training date. Workshop materials will be mailed to invited trainees for review and preparation ahead pf attending the Phase 2 training. Please note: you are required to prepare to participate at the workshop training. Your participation and suitability to join an ICL panel will be assessed by the expert trainers. 

How many Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points can I claim by completing the Phase 1 Online training program?

10 points.

Please note this CPD allocation should be used as a guide only and will be subject to each State or Territories audit requirements.

Furthermore, each State or Territory Law Society CPD scheme is based on self-assessment of educational activities, we do not retain a record of individuals completion of this training program for CPD purposes.

FEES for Phase 1 and Phase 2 training

Total cost of the training program is $950 composed of:

• $400 for the online training, phase 1; and
• A further $550 for phase 2 face to face workshop training payable to the legal aid commission facilitating the training you apply to attend (details on when and how to pay for this training will be provided upon notification of your acceptance into phase 2 training)