knowmore Legal Service is seeking an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Advisor to join our organisation within the community legal sector. This is an opportunity for the right candidates to be part of a reputable organisation with fantastic career progression and professional development prospects. 

About knowmore Legal Service

knowmore is a nation-wide independent community legal centre providing free legal information, advice, representation and referrals, financial counselling and systemic advocacy for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Since 2022 our service has expanded to provide legal advice and financial counselling for people applying to the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme, and free legal advice for survivors of child sexual abuse that are not eligible to apply to the National Redress Scheme. We continue to provide free legal advice and financial counselling in relation to the National Redress Scheme.

knowmore uses a multidisciplinary model bringing together lawyers, intake officers, social workers and counsellors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors and financial counsellors to provide trauma-informed, client-centred and culturally safe legal assistance to clients.  Services are provided through a national phone line and face-to-face services in key locations, supported by a comprehensive program of outreach and community engagement across Australia. knowmore currently has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

About the role

The main purpose of this role is to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients of knowmore to receive legal assistance, working closely with other multi-disciplinary team members to deliver services in a culturally safe and respectful manner. 

This role reports directly to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Engagement Manager, who has inclusive responsibility for the day to day management, activities and practices of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Team across knowmore.

This role delivers front line services and case management as part of knowmore’s multi-disciplinary model. The role will also participate in projects and activities involving internal and external stakeholders from time to time, including community education activities and initiatives to achieve systemic reforms for the benefit of knowmore’s client group.

Guided by the organisation’s service plan, the role will involve regular intrastate, and some interstate travel (for up to a week at a time), including regular visits to urban, regional and remote areas of Australia to deliver services to clients on an outreach basis and to undertake community engagement activities. Accordingly, a current driver’s licence is highly desired, along with the ability and willingness to travel, including to remote communities for up to a week at a time. 

This is an identified position. To be appointed, this individual must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who identifies and is recognised as such within their community. To be appointed to the role, an applicant will also need to comply with the requirements of any applicable legislation relating to legal practice (i.e. not be a person disqualified from employment by a legal practice) and will also need to meet the entry requirements for professional visitors to correctional centres across Australia.

Duties and Responsibilities are including but not limited to:

• Assist and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients of knowmore to engage with knowmore and to receive legal assistance and to obtain and complete any necessary documentation.
• Assist and support clients with their transition to other service providers as part of knowmore’s referral pathways.
• Assist and advise other knowmore staff to deliver service activities in a culturally safe and respectful way as an integral part of knowmore’s multi-disciplinary model.
• Capture and record service data to reflect knowmore’s clients and activities, and to support knowmore’s continuous improvement and reporting obligations.
• Build and maintain good working relationships with other legal assistance services who employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and/or deliver services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including the wider Community Legal Centre community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and the Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical, health and support services.
• Identify and maximise the use of appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander networks, forums, peak bodies and agencies to enhance the performance of knowmore’s functions and represent knowmore at meetings and on working parties and committees as required.
• In consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Engagement Manager, contribute to maintaining and enhancing a working culture of best practice, including contributing to the development and implementation of policies and procedures for knowmore and ongoing Cultural Awareness programs for staff and undertaking other projects relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues as and when required.
• In consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Engagement Manager, contribute to relevant law reform and advocacy initiatives of knowmore.
• In consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Engagement Manager, work with staff across knowmore, and at times other stakeholders, to develop and modify community education and advisory materials conveying messages about the work of knowmore with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.
• In consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Engagement Manager, provide advice on specific service delivery issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and deliver community educational programs, including information about the role and functions of knowmore, to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander awareness of the assistance that knowmore can provide.
• Maintain and develop a sound knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, issues and protocols relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, in both urban, regional, rural and remote areas.
• Undertake other duties and projects as directed.

Selection Criteria

• Sound knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures inclusive of values, protocols and any other issues relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, in both urban, rural and remote areas of Australia.
• Strong commitment to social justice and to meeting the legal, cultural and related needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the diverse cultures that exist across Australia.
• Demonstrated experience working in a court support, legal services access, or similar role.
• Demonstrated skills in communicating, consulting and negotiating with individuals and groups within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and government agencies across Australia on complex and sensitive issues in a trauma informed manner.
• Sound communication skills, coupled with a strong understanding of cultural context, and the ability to adapt to a variety of audiences.
• A demonstrated capacity to self-manage, including being able to work effectively with other disciplines in a multi-disciplinary team and deliver quality work to meet deadlines.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work interstate, as/if required for periods.
• Actively manage own workload and proactively manage self-care. 

Qualifications and other requirements

• A relevant tertiary qualification (or substantial progress towards such a qualification) would be highly regarded.
• The role may involve intrastate and interstate travel to deliver services to clients on an outreach basis, and to undertake community engagement activities. Accordingly, a current driver’s licence is desirable.

Location & Hours

• This role is based in Sydney.
• Full-time.
• Ongoing contract - subject to funding of the knowmore service. 

Benefits

A competitive salary commensurate with the not for profit sector is offered together with the availability of salary packaging to achieve a tax effective total salary package. In addition to being a flexible workplace, knowmore offers 11% superannuation (0.5% above the SGC), a 37.5 hour working week and 4 weeks annual leave, including annual leave loading.

Employees have access to a training and development opportunities as well as our Employee Assistance Program.

Additionally, knowmore offers the ability to partially work from home to facilitate a balanced work life. 

Meet Aunty Glendra

Aunty Glendra Stubbs is a Wiradjuri woman and an Elder in Residence at knowmore. She has been supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients since knowmore began in 2013. In the video below, Aunty Glendra shares her story about working at knowmore and supporting her clients on their journey.

Further Information about knowmore is available here.

How to apply

Please submit your application to Fiona Rigney via the Apply Now link below.

Interviews may be conducted as applications are receive

Due to the volume of anticipated applications, only successful applicants will be contacted. 

The role will be required to satisfactorily complete a National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check.

To be appointed to the role, an applicant will also need to comply with the requirements of any applicable legislation relating to legal practice (i.e., not be a person disqualified from employment by a legal practice) and will also need to meet the entry requirements for professional visitors to correctional centres across Australia.

knowmore considers that being an Aboriginal person or a Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational requirement for this position under s42 of the Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT), s14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), sub-s 35(1)(b)(ii) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (NT), s25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld), sub-s 56(2) of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA), s41 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas), sub-s 26(3) or s28 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), or s50 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA).