• Salary Packaging Option is available
• Part-Time (0.8 FTE)
• Fixed Term Contract until 30 June 2021 

About knowmore

An opportunity for an enthusiastic and diligent Financial Counsellor Manager, has become available to join our client services team in Brisbane.

knowmore is a nation-wide, free and independent community legal centre providing legal information, advice, representation and referrals, education and systemic advocacy for victims and survivors of child abuse. Our vision is a community that is accountable to survivors and free of child abuse. Our mission is to facilitate access to justice for victims and survivors of child abuse, and to work with survivors and their supporters to stop child abuse.

Our service was initially established in 2013 to assist people who were engaging with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (‘the Royal Commission’). knowmore was established by and operates as a program of the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC), with funding from the Australian Government, represented by the Attorney-General’s Department. knowmore also receives funding under a grant from the Financial Counselling Foundation.

From 1 July 2018 NACLC has been funded to operate knowmore to deliver legal support services to assist survivors of institutional child sexual abuse to access redress under the National Redress Scheme. knowmore assists survivors by providing information and advice about the options available to them, including claims under the NRS, access to compensation through other schemes or common law rights and claims. knowmore uses a multidisciplinary model bringing together intake officers, lawyers, 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 and Perth.

Role

The Financial Counsellor Manager, will lead the financial counselling team. The team will deliver financial counselling casework to clients who are survivors of child abuse, providing a thorough assessment of financial situations and to determine and provide short and long term responses to vulnerable clients.

This role works collaboratively as a member of a national team and within knowmore’s multi-disciplinary model, working alongside other teams delivering intake, legal, social work and cultural support services to clients. knowmore provides high quality services to clients in a culturally safe and appropriate manner within a trauma informed and multi-disciplinary framework.

The role will involve undertaking direct client work and also provides leadership, management and guidance as the national leader of the financial counselling discipline. The role will lead knowmore’s activities, working in co-operation with the broader financial services sector, to build capacity and raise awareness around financial issues facing survivors. The Manager will also play a major role in designing and delivering knowmore’s community engagement, education and outreach programs.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide consistent leadership, support and direction to the Financial Counselling team, maintaining a work environment that supports positive relationships with clients, colleagues and other partners.
• Manage the team’s workload and co-ordinate team coverage and contributions across knowmore’s activities, including client work, community education and outreach, law and policy reform and other projects.
• Provide practice and professional supervision and support to members of the national financial counselling team.
• Ensure practice knowledge is captured, identify professional development needs and learning opportunities for knowmore staff and other partners, and promote innovation.
• Work collaboratively with the broader financial counselling sector and other services and agencies to build capacity, raise awareness about issues impacting the client group and to develop effective referral arrangements to best meet the needs of clients.
• Provide information, options, practical assistance and advocacy to address financial issues and alleviate financial burden.
• Provide comprehensive financial counselling assessment that includes a case plan with goals towards meeting positive outcomes for the client.
• Build financial resilience with clients by working with clients to improve their financial standing and empowering clients to develop strategies and goals about what they want to achieve with compensation received.
• Advice and advocacy on existing debts, particularly where creditors want to access the lump sum for existing debts.
• Provide information and strategies on financial matters and how clients can prevent getting into financial difficulties in the future.
• Advice on the impact of receipt of lump sums (e.g. redress payments) on existing government payments and entitlements.
• Advice on how to maintain special protections for redress payments, as legislated.
• Educate clients of their rights and responsibilities in relation to lending practices, harassment, debt recovery and the Credit Code.
• Help claimants to safeguard themselves from economic abuse (elder abuse, scams etc.)
• Maintain client records and documentation within requirements and timelines.

Location and Hours

Brisbane. With a national focus, regular interstate travel will be required.

This is a part time (0.8 FTE), Fixed Term Contract position. The contract will end on 30 June 2021.

Selection Criteria

• Experience in leading and managing teams, including motivating, supervising and supporting less experienced staff and developing, implementing and co-ordinating systems, policies, procedures and resources.
• High level communication and negotiation skills, including the demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders and to represent knowmore in various forums.
• Ability to identify broader and systemic issues arising from casework and to develop and action appropriate responses.  Excellent record in providing quality financial counselling to vulnerable clients and awareness of the financial counselling needs of knowmore’s client group.
• Understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and experience in providing culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work in regional, rural and remote areas from time to time.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, with resilience and a client-focused approach.
• An understanding of how childhood trauma may impact people seeking financial counselling support (or similar).
• Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling) or Diploma of Financial Counselling.
• Current full member of the relevant state financial counselling peak body.

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 10% superannuation (0.5%above the SGC), a 37.5 -hour working week and 4 weeks annual leave, including annual leave loading.

Further Information about knowmore is available at www.knowmore.org.au.