Indigenous Family Liaison Officers

About the client

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is committed to reconciliation and providing enhanced culturally responsive support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who appear before it.

The Courts have adopted a number of reforms to achieve this goal, such as creating dedicated Indigenous Lists to hear family law matters that involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and to ensure relevant cultural and social issues are appropriately taken into account. The Courts are now looking to engage additional Indigenous Liaison Officers (ILO) to support these lists, other aspects of the Court process (including mediations and child interviews) and perform other important work.

About the Roles

ILOs will work closely with judges and other court officials. The work of an ILO is varied and includes :

• providing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders throughout the Court process;
• referring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to additional support channels that are available from other organisations; and
• educating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities about the support that is available from the Courts and making or enhancing links with those communities.

There is no requirement to have legal qualifications to be an ILO . The purpose of the role is to provide support, and ILOs do not provide legal advice or work in a legal capacity. The Courts are looking for candidates who are good listeners, can use everyday language to explain formal processes and are empathetic towards others who are experiencing a very challenging and potentially distressing moment in their lives. Candidates will need to have good links with local communities and be prepared to build on those links so that there is a good understanding of Court processes and how families can be assisted through those processes.

Key elements of the role :

• Initiate communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants to improve engagement with Court procedures;
• Connecting litigants to community support and legal services, where appropriate;
• Support litigants through the Court pathway, from the filing of documents to the day of Court events, such as hearings, dispute resolution events and child interviews. This includes touching base with them to remind them of the upcoming event, explaining Court procedures and the litigant obligations pursuant to Court orders;
• Educate the community about the ILO role, how they can assist litigants, and about the objectives of the Courts to create greater access to family court services;
• Build relationships with judges and other Court officers, explaining the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the Court.
• Build and maintain external networks with local communities and support agencies.

Please Note : The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 . This vacancy is only available to Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Successful applicants should provide a reference from a referee of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander background, where possible, to confirm they can meet the above requirements.

For further information and a copy of the full Position Description please contact Marisa Conlon at marisa@fprs.com.au

Please submit applications in Word format only by 24th June 2023.

FIRST PEOPLE Recruitment Solutions is a 100% Aboriginal owned business providing temporary assignments, fixed term contracts and permanent recruitment solutions to the Australian Government and Corporate Australia.

Our Head Office is based in Canberra with a national reach to all the states and territories, regional and remote areas of Australia.

FIRST PEOPLE Recruitment Solutions encourage applications from Indigenous Australians and Non-Indigenous Australians together with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Reference number : 200003304_168620345859639

Profession : GovernmentGovernment Federal

Company : First People Recruitment Solutions

Date posted : 8th Jun, 2023