Accreditation

Community Legal Centres NSW supports centres through the (CLCA) National Accreditation Scheme (NAS) - a framework designed to promote best practice and consistently high-quality community legal services across Australia.

This page is for community legal centres in NSW seeking accreditation or working through their ongoing accreditation cycle.
 

Why accreditation matters

Accreditation demonstrates that your centre meets nationally consistent service standards. It is a requirement for full membership of Community Legal Centres NSW, and signals to clients, funders, and partners that your centre is committed to quality and continuous improvement.
 

How accreditation works in NSW

Accreditation in NSW is a joint process between CLCA and Community Legal Centres NSW. Here's what to expect:

1. Self-assessment - Your centre reviews its practices against the national service standards and identifies areas of strength and improvement.
2. On-site visit - Community Legal Centres NSW's Regional Accreditation Coordinator (RAC) visits your centre to make an independent assessment.
3. Recommendations - The RAC prepares findings and recommendations based on the visit.
4. Certification decision - The state Certifier reviews the RAC's recommendations and makes the final accreditation decision.
    

The accreditation cycle

Accreditation operates on a three-year cycle. During this period, centres submit progress reports on their improvement plan to the RAC generally every 12 months to demonstrate ongoing quality improvements.
 

The service standards

The national service standards are shared directly with centres as part of the accreditation process. For more information about the standards framework, visit the Community Legal Centres Australia website.
 

Accreditation portals

Two online portals support the accreditation process. Both are only accessible to people working in the community legal sector and require a login created by CLCs Australia.
 

NAS Portal: The NAS Portal is provided by CLCs Australia to guide your centre through the accreditation and cross-check process. Use it to upload core documents as evidence, complete your centre’s self-assessment, access resources and information, and receive updates. You can access the NAS Portal at nationalaclc.sharepoint.com.

User Portal: The User Portal provides additional resources for member organisations. You can access the User Portal at clcs.powerappsportals.com.

Getting a login If you don't already have login credentials for either portal, contact the CLCs Australia Help Desk to request access: CLCs Australia Help Desk.
 

Get in touch

If you have questions about accreditation or want to know where your centre is in the process, contact our Regional Accreditation Coordinator at brooke.scobie@clcnsw.org.au