Westjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s vision and purpose

• Fairness, safety, and justice for Melbourne’s West
• We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change

Westjustice delivers

• Targeted legal, financial counselling and social work services
• Empowerment through education and community development
• Advocacy and system reform
• Develop and nurture impactful networks and relationships
• Prevention and early intervention that addresses the causes and impacts

The Role

Westjustice is currently looking for university students (undergrad or post grad) to work 1 day per week for 4-6 months in our Policy, Impact and Engagement team.

Our Policy, Impact and Engagement team leads Westjustice’s advocacy work, aimed at addressing the drivers of disadvantage across Melbourne’s West. Our work also includes community engagement and development, monitoring and evaluating our impact, and media and communications.

In this student placement, you will have the chance to work across all of these areas to help lead sustainable change for the good of our clients.

You will work with the Policy, Impact & Engagement Program for general supervision and support but may be provided with the opportunity to work across other programs and projects based on service requirements.

For specific information on the above listed programs, please visit our website here.

Key Responsibilities/Expectations include:

• Actively contribute to the organisation’s policy, advocacy and systemic impact work, under general direction from the Director Policy, Impact and Engagement.
• Assist with tracking and reporting of Westjustice’s systemic impact work through regular reporting.
• Assist in the development of media and communications to publicise Westjustice’s services and advocacy work, including written media, social media and website pieces.
• Assist in monitoring and evaluation work, including with Westjustice’s Data and Impact Program Manager.
• Assist in community development, including with Westjustice’s Community Development Program Manager.
• Assist with researching key advocacy pieces to aid in addressing disadvantage and unmet legal needs.
• Comply with all relevant laws and standards, including Westjustice policies, procedures and guidelines and Code of Conduct.
• Contribute to creating and maintaining an anti-racist, child safe and culturally safe service for First Nations and other culturally and racially marginalised groups.
• Assist with the implementation and review of the Westjustice Strategy 2024-27 and Impact Areas 2024-27.
• Other relevant work as directed.

Key Selection Criteria:

• A degree or enrolled in studies relevant to policy, impact, engagement, community engagement, media and communications, or monitoring and evaluation.
• Ability to undertake a minimum of 1 day per week of placement at Westjustice for 4-6 months
• Ability to work from our office located in Sunshine
• Excellent IT skills, including use of Sharepoint, (or case management systems), Teams, Microsoft Office, Outlook
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law, crime, family violence, discrimination and the issues faced by vulnerable people in our community and the ability to contribute to Westjustice’s systemic impact work
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• High level personal skills, including resilience and the ability to communicate and consult effectively
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude when offering solutions
• Excellent attention to detail and a friendly demeanour
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confident, strong initiative, compassionate, with an interest in community legal work
• Thrives in a busy and sometimes unpredictable environment
• Competency in working with diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+, Disability and multicultural communities

*Please note that student placement positions are unpaid*

How to Apply:

Click "Apply now" to submit your application.

Feel free to email us any questions you may have via [email protected] using the subject line: Student Placement - Policy, Impact & Engagement (Voluntary) enquiry via EthicalJobs.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and Police Check. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must also have the right to work in Australia.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact [email protected].

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people.

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting Theresa via [email protected]. Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.

A position description is attached.