First Nations Engagement Worker

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Sydney based

Permanent role, full time or part time

Supervision: Chief Operating Officer

Salary and benefits: $95,825.30 - $99,267.49 p.a. (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.

This is an identified role for people of First Nations descent who identify and are accepted as such in the community.

Redfern Legal Centre

Redfern Legal Centre is a non-profit community legal centre that promotes social justice and creates change. We provide free legal advice, legal services and education to people experiencing disadvantage in New South Wales. We drive innovation and change through policy and law reform work to address inequalities in the legal system, policies and social practices that cause disadvantage.

We provide effective and integrated free legal services that are client focussed, collaborative, non-discriminatory and responsive to changing community needs - to our local community as well as state-wide. Our specialist legal services focus on tenancy, credit, debt and consumer law, financial abuse, employment law, international students, First Nations justice, police accountability, and provide outreach services including through our health justice partnership.

Position Overview

The First Nations Engagement Worker works alongside other staff to help build meaningful and trusted connections between Redfern Legal Centre and the local First Nations community. The position involves maintaining strong relationships with stakeholder organisations and supporting First Nations clients in a holistic manner to ensure Redfern Legal Centre provides a culturally safe service.

The responsibilities of the position will be further developed in consultation with local First Nations organisations and First Nations staff at Redfern Legal Centre to ensure it is responsive to the needs of the local community and complements existing work and relationships of Redfern Legal Centre.

Position Responsibilities

Consult with local First Nations organisations on how best to work with them and their clients to ensure the position is responsive to the needs of the community;
Develop and maintain strong relationships with the local First Nations community, organisations and stakeholders including through outreach;
Organise Redfern Legal Centre’s participation in events including Yabun, NAIDOC week, Sorry Day, Reconciliation week and other local events including through coordination of staff, merchandise, logistics and liaison with event organisers;
Assist the centre to provide a holistic and culturally safe service to RLC First Nations clients by providing feedback on policies and procedures;
Promote the services offered by Redfern Legal Centre to First Nations organisations and clients;
Contribute to the intake process for First Nations clients – take instructions, assess matters for eligibility for advice, identify legal issues and collect relevant information;
Provide First Nations clients with appropriate legal and non-legal referrals;
Consult with local organisations to identify community legal education needs and assist to develop and provide our community legal education program;
Ensure Redfern Legal Centre’s factsheets, legal information, and community legal education are accessible and relevant to First Nations people and communities;
Contribute to Redfern Legal Centre through attendance at staff meetings, contribution to board and funding reports, assistance with intake including intake supervision shifts, and contribution to the effective implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan;
Support the development and review of culturally appropriate training of student lawyers in the volunteer program.
Work collaboratively with management and other staff, in particular the First Nations lawyer, to ensure the role is cohesive and complements existing services and relationships.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

Be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent and identify and be accepted as such in the community
Excellent communication skills;
Demonstrated commitment to social justice and community development;
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team;
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders, consult, and develop strong relationships and networks.

Desirable

Demonstrated connection to and relationship with the local First Nations community in Redfern and Waterloo;
Experience working in a community service focused on social justice issues
Experience in community services, youth services, welfare work, social work or law – through practical experience, study or both.

Conditions

Salary and benefits: $94,344.82 - $99,267.49 (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience. Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition to salary.

In addition to being a flexible workplace, Redfern Legal Centre offers a 35-hour working week, time in lieu options and a paid end of year closure of two weeks (including public holidays) on top of four weeks annual leave. 

As a Public Benevolent Institution, Redfern Legal Centre is able to offer staff generous salary packaging options.  

How to Apply

Please apply via the link in the job advertisement, ensuring that all documents are provided or consolidated into one document.

Your application should be no more than six pages long, and must include:

a cover letter,
your resume; and
must include a statement addressing the essential Knowledge Skills and Experience Criteria in the position description.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 7 May 2024 at 9am.

Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace that offers flexible conditions and supports wellbeing. We require job applicants to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 or to have a valid medical and to comply with s 121 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

Being an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is a genuine occupational requirement for this role under s 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

Enquiries should be directed to Catherine Hewett, COO, on catherine@rlc.org.au.

Redfern Legal Centre

Company Overview