Context and Need

As a province-wide organization providing accessible and professional legal services in criminal and family law to eligible people, Legal Aid Saskatchewan wanted to improve the way that they provide services to Indigenous Peoples requiring legal support. Legal Aid Saskatchewan engaged OneHoop to audit their existing policies, practices, and procedures and provide recommendations on how they can better support Indigenous Peoples looking to access their services.

Our Approach and Solution

As part of the scope of work, we reviewed internal documentation provided by Legal Aid Saskatchewan to understand their existing Indigenous-focused services and strategies using our extensive lived experience and methodology to assess an organization’s readiness to advance reconciliation. After analysing the existing state of the organization, we engaged with rightsholders and stakeholders, including LAS staff members, contractors, and community members, to understand how LAS can continue to provide their legal services in a culturally inclusive manner. The resulting recommendations report contained over 50 actions for LAS’s consideration to undertake, and further work is underway to refine and consolidate these recommendations into actionable commitments in the form of a Reconciliation Action Plan.

Outcome

Leadership alignment on the importance of providing culturally inclusive services that support a duty of care for Indigenous clients seeking to access LAS’s services.