Background: In 2009, Cancer Council NSW commissioned research to investigate the legal and financial needs of patients and carers. The study revealed a high level of unmet need, particularly in relation to insurance, superannuation, consumer credit, welfare rights and employment issues.  A program was established in March 2010 to provide legal and financial planning assistance through a series of partnerships with the corporate sector. In 2012, human resources, recruitment and small business consulting services were added to the suite of pro bono professional support programs. A multi-disciplinary team of professional service providers is now available to assist patients and carers to resolve unmet practical support needs.

Objectives: The primary objective of the pro bono programs is to assist patients and carers to receive assistance with pressing practical issues, if they cannot pay for advice. In so doing, the programs aim to improve psychosocial outcomes for patients and families.

Methods:  Partnerships were established with a range of law firms, financial planners, human resources consultants, recruitment advisers and accountants. Partner organisations register to provide pro bono services to patients and carers in defined areas of expertise and up to an agreed frequency. Cancer Council staff and volunteers assess the eligibility of potential clients and take detailed instructions on matters, which are then referred to panel members on a pro bono basis. 

Results: Since the establishment of the programs, 280 law firms, 358 financial planning practices and several HR and recruitment professionals and accountants have registered to provide pro bono services, and over 2600 families have received assistance. A comprehensive evaluation of the legal and financial planning components revealed high levels of satisfaction amongst clients, referring social workers and participating professional service providers.

Conclusion: The partnerships developed between Cancer Council and the corporate sector have been invaluable in delivering practical support to patients and carers across Australia. By engaging a multi-disciplinary professional services team, Cancer Council has gained enormous leverage in terms of the number of patients assisted and the geographic reach of the programs.