Company description:

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas of the law: criminal, family, and everyday civil legal concerns. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices.

The Client Assessment & Referral Service (CARS) is an independent in-house allied professional service (APS) which provides facilitated referrals, service coordination, case management, case consultation and various types of reports for Legal Aid NSW clients and their solicitors. We also provide information to Legal Aid NSW lawyers about services which can support their clients.

Job description:

• Competitive Salary: $110,266 - $122,058pa (plus superannuation and leave loading)

Ongoing Full Time

Location - Central Sydney (flexible location including applications from Greater Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong accepted)

About us

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas of the law: criminal, family, and everyday civil legal concerns. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices.

The Client Assessment & Referral Service (CARS) is an independent in-house allied professional service (APS) which provides facilitated referrals, service coordination, case management, case consultation and various types of reports for Legal Aid NSW clients and their solicitors. We also provide information to Legal Aid NSW lawyers about services which can support their clients.

About the role

Provide trauma-informed, strengths-based direct practice for CARS clients, which addresses the specific concerns for which they were referred by their Legal Aid NSW solicitor as well as those subsequently identified by the Senior Caseworker. This can include undertaking psychosocial assessments, writing reports for courts and tribunals, facilitating referrals to other services, case consultation and case management.

About you

The successful candidate will be a resilient and compassionate professional with experience engaging with clients who present with complex and often challenging support needs. You thrive in fast-paced environments where no two days are the same, and you bring a calm, solution-focused approach to your direct practice.

Your strong written communication skills are evident in the high standard of your case notes, reports, and professional correspondence. Whether you have worked in a similar role or bring transferable skills from another sector, you are confident in your ability to make a meaningful impact and adapt quickly to new challenges.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW!

We are committed to diversity and inclusion

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities.

We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need an adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you'd like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at [email protected].

Other benefits of working with us

You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities.

We are an accredited Flex Ready and Carers and Employers certified employer and are recognised as leaders in flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life.

The essential requirements for this role

You must have:

5 years minimum relevant experience

Bachelor's degree (social work, psychology, or other relevant qualification), or a master's degree in social work.

Registration with the appropriate professional body (AASW, APS, etc.).

Be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and Working with Children Check

Hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies)

How to apply

Your application must include:

your resume (no more than 5 pages)

cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please respond to the below targeted question:

Targeted Question: Briefly outline your experience working with clients who have significant support needs (e.g., due to mental illness, substance misuse, complex trauma). What guided your direct practice with these clients and what assisted you to realise positive outcomes for and on their behalf?

You MUST submit your application online. Applications received late or by email, will NOT be accepted.

Make sure your application is complete, and you have answered all questions before you submit.

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months.

Do you need help to apply?

It's important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you:

• If you have questions about the role, you can contact the Hiring Manager - Stephen Kilkeary on (02) 9219 5068 or email: [email protected]
• If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have.
• The Role Description sets out the responsibilities of the role.
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the role description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate.
• Applying for a Role
• Working at Legal Aid NSW