• Full-time, ongoing position
• Boronia / Burwood location with initial working from home arrangement due to current pandemic
• Attractive employee benefits including tax effective salary packaging, leave loading, additional paid leave over Christmas/New Year and on-site parking as well as flexible working options and flexi-time/time in lieu

About Us

For 45 years, Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) has been working with communities across the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to resolve legal problems, advocate for people’s rights, improve the legal justice system, and alleviate socio-economic disadvantage.

Everything ECLC does is helping it achieve its vision of a community that respects and upholds human rights, fairness and justice.

ECLC offers free legal and other services to priority communities through a skilled multidisciplinary workforce of staff and volunteers which include advocates, community lawyers, financial counsellors, intake specialists, paralegals, social workers and program, management and policy professionals.

ECLC works with communities and community members living in Boroondara, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse, and Yarra Ranges.

ECLC helps priority people and communities that would otherwise not have access to a lawyer, whilst prioritising services and targeting programs to those who experience acute disadvantage.

About the role

As part of a multi-disciplinary team working alongside a financial counsellor, coordinator and intake and administration officer, and in collaboration with ECLC’s HJP partner (Eastern Health), the Community Lawyer – Elder Abuse (HJP) will:

• Assess the needs and eligibility of individuals receiving health services from Eastern Health, who are referred to ECLC by Eastern Health
• Deliver legal services, advocate on behalf of clients and refer individuals to other legal and non-legal services (as appropriate), working individually and with the Financial Counsellor
• Develop and maintain relationships with Eastern Health, deliver secondary consultations to Eastern Health staff, engage in partnership and community development activities, and participate in external forums
• Develop processes and procedures, and implement monitoring and evaluation activities to support the ongoing improvement of the new HJP

Skills Required

You will be eligible to hold an unrestricted Employee Practicing Certificate in Victoria, and have demonstrated post-admission experience in a broad range of areas, particularly family violence, wills and estates, property, trusts, guardianship and/or criminal law. You will be a compassionate person who respects people, their circumstances and decisions. You will be able to effectively manage tasks and deadlines while maintaining a high degree of self-awareness, resilience and professionalism.

Specifically, you will have:

• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships to support your role, while working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Experience working with or within a multi-disciplinary environment, preferably in family violence/elder abuse
• Commitment to social justice and equality

A position description is attached.