Paralegal Officer

Brisbane – Statewide delivery

Job Ad Ref - QLD/501054/23

Annual Salary $91,588-$97377 Pro rata

Report to - Senior Team Leader

Terms of Employment - Part time 45 hours per fortnight- Fixed Term Contract - One year with possible extension

Application closing date - 5pm 31March 2025

• Desirable Requirements
  - It is mandatory to hold a Blue Card administered by the Queensland Public Safety Business Agency
  - Possession of a “C” class driver’s licence
  - A good working knowledge and understanding of legal and/or court processes would be desirable
• Are you interested in an opportunity to…
  - Work for an employer that helps women and children from diverse backgrounds within our community.
  
  - Be part of an inclusive and diverse workforce that places a high value on cultural capability.
  
  - Be rewarded for your efforts with great working conditions that offer salary packaging, flexible working arrangements, learning opportunities and professional development all within a safe and healthy work environment.
  
  - Work for an employer that works in creating safe communities for women and children impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence.

• About IWSS
  The Immigrant Women’s Support Service (IWSS) is a specialist service providing culturally sensitive and confidential advocacy, counselling and support to immigrant and refugee women and their children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds that are affected by domestic and/or sexual violence.
  IWSS works from a feminist and rights/advocacy framework which values cultural diversity and recognises the disadvantages faced by women and children of CALD backgrounds that arise from the structural inequalities existing in society.
  Due to the nature of the services provided including counselling and practical support to women who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as supporting women to access women’s shelters, we have adopted Section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, which enables the employment of women only for this position on the basis of “genuine occupational requirements”.
  
• Key duties and responsibilities
  
  - Adhere to Ethical Standards and Privacy Requirements and maintain confidentiality of all clients and legal information, ensuring compliance with relevant privacy legislation and ethical practices.
  
  - Provide administrative support to women escaping violence and prepare court documents (eg. affidavits), in consultation and collaboration with collaborative legal services including RAILS, Women Legal Centre, Basic Rights Queensland.
  
  - Assist in preparation of documents that demonstrate high level written communication skills, are well structured, objective, clear, concise and meet the required standards of both the department and the court.
  
  - Competently access, understand and use information providing, in preparing affidavits and other court documents to support client.
  
  - Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with department legal representatives from support agencies to ensure that women are supported adequately.
  
  - Provide advice and support to regional DV specialist services supporting women from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  
  - Identify and promptly communicate key issues to the leadership team to support broader advocacy, law reform and policy development.
  
  - Participate and contribute productively as a team member to form culturally appropriate, professional working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  
  - Participate and contribute to a culture of continuous learning, training and professional development to ensure practice knowledge and skills are contemporary and evidence-based.
  
  - Contribute to continuous feedback and evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.
  
  - Contribute to development of culturally appropriate resources and community campaigns.
  
• Key Selection Criteria
  1. Demonstrated Cultural Competence and understanding and sensitivity to the unique challenges faced by women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
  2.Time Management and ability to manage workloads and meet tight deadlines for document preparation while maintaining high-quality standards
  3. Skills in identifying potential barriers in legal processes or client support and responding effectively to barriers
  4. Awareness of Trauma-Informed Principles when providing advice and assistance to women, ensuring interactions are compassionate, empowering, and non-retraumatizing
  5. Experience in collaboration and building networks with service providers, legal professionals, and community groups to enhance support systems available to women from diverse cultural and migration backgrounds.
  
• Essential Requirements
  1. Tertiary qualifications in the areas of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Legal or other appropriate qualification(s) and/or substantial experience in the domestic and family violence service sector
  2. Positive Notice Blue Card or ability and willingness to obtain
  3. Satisfactory National Police Check
  4. Well-developed knowledge and analysis of the effects, causes and dynamics of domestic and family violence
  5. Knowledge of Queensland Domestic Violence Legislation, particularly the Domestic and FamilyViolence Protection Act 2012
  6. Right to work in Australia
  7. Demonstrated understanding of feminist practice and how this is used as a framework to understandand respond to the gendered nature of violence against women and children
  8. Willingness to work in outreach setting if requires
  9. Willingness to undertake further training and development
  
• Desirable Criteria
  Ability to converse in a language other than English

• Condition and benefits of working with IWSS
  IWSS provides access to an employee assistance program and a range of learning and development opportunities. Your employment conditions include work-life balance with competitive salary and benefits, generous leave entitlements, access to salary sacrifice option.
  IWSS is committed to inclusive culture that respects and promotes human rights and diversity.

• How to apply
  To enable us to assess your application, please include:
  ▪ a statement not more than two pages that summarises your skills, experience and achievementsagainst the key criteria and duties/responsibilities
  ▪ a current resume containing details of 2 referees. At least one referee should have a thoroughknowledge of your work over the past two years as your manager or supervisor
  ▪ For further information contact [email protected]. We intend to respond to questions about the position within 24 hours.