![Homeless Persons’ Liaison Officer Homeless Persons’ Liaison Officer](https://probonoaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JC-logo.jpg)
Organisation : Justice Connnect
Location : Melbourne
Work type : Contract/Temporary
Sector : Law, Justice & Human Rights
Salary type : Annual Package
Application closing date : 6 Apr, 2021
About the organisation
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join one of Australia’s most successful public interest and social justice organisations. In the face of rising levels of unmet legal need, Justice Connect designs and delivers high impact interventions to increase access to legal support and progress social justice.
We are committed to taking an impact-focused approach, applying research and design principles to develop our products and services to ensure they make a tangible difference for our clients and sector peers.
We deliver services that assist both people and community organisations. Those we assist often struggle to navigate the law, are unable to use the law in their daily lives and experience the impacts of harsh and unjust laws. We aim to prevent and to solve legal problems so that we can prevent the negative impacts on people’s lives and organisations and empower the community to use the law as a force for good.
Given the scale of the challenges we address, we use digital innovation to extend our reach and impact, supporting us to be more efficient and accessible, while helping us capture and use data to better understand legal need and underlying systemic issues.
We harness the extraordinary pro bono contributions of over 50 member firms and the barristers we work with across the country. We channel pro bono effort through our innovative service models to ensure that pro bono hours deliver real impact for the community.
We develop strategic interventions to help address the system-level drivers of legal problems and barriers people face when engaging with the legal system. By addressing root causes of flawed or unfair laws and poorly designed systems, we prevent the long-term challenges that people and organisations continue to face.
Our creative and passionate staff drive us forward with a commitment to evaluation and iteration that ensures our impact increases year on year.
About the role
Role purpose:
As part of Justice Connect’s ongoing COVID-19 response, this Homeless Persons’ Liaison Officer (HPLO) role will work closely with Homeless Law’s existing social workers, the HPLO and the Women’s Homelessness Prevention Project (WHPP) Liaison Officer, to:
- assist court users’ experiencing or at risk of homelessness to engage with justice services (courts, tribunals, Fines Victoria, police, correctional and legal services) and to access non-legal supports;
- help women facing homelessness with non-legal issues that place their tenancies at risk; and
- provide guidance and other targeted supports to Homeless Law pro bono lawyers and key stakeholders.
Key responsibilities:
- Targeted interventions
- Provide a range of targeted interventions and services to court users who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including:
- Assisting them to understand the requirements of their court attendance, engage with legal services, engage in court processes and access court.
- Helping them to maintain or obtain housing and making referrals to housing services and supports as appropriate.
- Making referrals to other non-legal services according to their needs.
- Advocating with existing non-legal and legal services on their behalf.
- Offering brief periods of intensive support to women facing homelessness.
- Liaising with legal representatives, court staff, police and others involved in the judicial process.
- Deliver secondary consultations to Homeless Law pro bono lawyers about non-legal issues impacting on clients, and use an established-process to address ‘lost contact’ requests related to Homeless Law clients.
Note: this HPLO role primarily focusses on providing targeted interventions that are flexible, short-term and on a needs-basis (noting it will also likely involve some case-management).
- Engagement with key stakeholders
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, including justice services staff, community lawyers, and community-based support and health services. This includes providing secondary consultations and targeted referrals related to non-legal and legal issues.
- Contribute to awareness-raising and educational activities with Homeless Law pro bono law firms, Homeless Law community partner agencies, members of the community, government and other stakeholders.
- Reporting and financial
- Maintain accurate case files and related documents, record statistics, and assist with reporting, including for external funders and the Justice Connect Board, and governance requirements.
- Manage brokerage funds for expenses directly related to Homeless Law clients and other funds (such as HPLO project costs) as required, and contribute to periodic reporting on expenditure.
- Other duties
- Contribute to Justice Connect’s Reconciliation Action Plan activities.
- Perform other duties and assist with Justice Connect’s organisation-wider projects and processes as directed and necessary for the proper performance of the role.
Selection criteria:
- Please view the attached PDF for further information regarding the selection criteria.
Employee Benefits:
Justice Connect offers employment benefits including salary packaging (making part of your salary tax-free), flexible working arrangements, above award annual leave provisions and opportunities for professional development. Justice Connect is an organisation that strives to show leadership, operate sustainably and demonstrate our effectiveness. You will be rewarded with a workplace culture that is professional, committed, collaborative and creative and where you can make a real difference through your work.
How to apply
Applications not allowed for this job listing.
Please quote in application: Homeless Persons’ Liaison Officer via Pro Bono Australia.
Sector: #Law_Justice_and_Human_Rights