To apply, please provide a cover letter addressing the selection criteria, and a CV/resume. Applications close 8pm Sunday 14th January 2024. 

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Katherine Women’s Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a specialist Women’s Legal Service based in Katherine, Northern Territory. KWILS acknowledges the Jawoyn, Wardaman and Dagoman people, and all Nations across the Big Rivers Region, as the Traditional Owners of the Country we live and work on. We particularly celebrate the strength of the women who have cared for their children, families, and country for countless generations, and continue to do so. 

KWILS is a not-for-profit Community Legal Centre, providing all women in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region with free civil law advice and representation, with a particular focus on the reduction of domestic, family, and sexual violence. 

In addition to individual legal assistance, KWILS provides Community Legal Education, and undertakes advocacy and law reform work, with a particular focus on addressing harmful societal and cultural practices, assumptions, behaviours and attitudes that contribute to gendered violence i.e. violence against women. 

KWILS seeks to be a safe practice for all staff and clients, and works to achieve service delivery and community engagement that is collaborative and empowering for women and communities.

The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Support Worker (DFSV SW) works alongside the legal team and strives to provide culturally safe, trauma informed, and high-quality support services to KWILS clients as they navigate the justice system. This helps to identify, respond to, and resolve clients’ non-legal issues, particularly where they elevate the risk of domestic, family or sexual violence. 

The DFSV SW plays an important role in promoting enhanced knowledge of legal rights, access to justice and safety for women and children through Community Engagement and Community Legal Education/Information. 

The main roles are:

1. Service Delivery 

• Provide support services in a culturally safe, DFSV and trauma informed way to KWILS’ clients, that support safety, recovery, and healing. 
• Conduct risk assessments and safety planning that is appropriate to the client and their needs (under the NT’s Risk Assessment Management Framework).
• Assist clients to identify goals to work towards their safety, and work collaboratively with clients to plan how those goals will be achieved.
• Co-ordinate client referrals to external services where required. 
• Assist with intake and triage of new and returning clients.
• Administrative support, including Reception Relief, where required.
• Support clients to attend appointments at KWILS, or other appointments relevant to their legal matter. 
• Assist with Katherine based Outreach activities such as providing Court Support, visiting Town Camps, and visits to service providers.  
• Assist with the delivery of Advice Clinics and Remote Circuit Courts at towns and communities across the Big Rivers Region. 

2. Stakeholder & Community Engagement

• Map, plan, and attend community events to connect KWILS with our community and service providers, to support relationships and increase KWILS’ visibility and accessibility. 
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to deliver outreach services to the community, with a focus on working in an integrated and collaborative way to best support women in our region. 
• Represent KWILS in a variety of public forums, including network meetings, client management networks, and consultations.

3. Community Legal Education and Law Reform

• Assist in the coordination of and support the delivery of culturally safe Community Legal Education (CLE) workshops and resources to a variety of community groups and organisations.
• Contribute to KWILS’ law reform projects where requested. 
• Raise awareness about issues that contribute to KWILS’ purpose and service priorities, as directed.

4. Organisational responsibilities 

• Accurately capture all client and community service data through KWILS’ data and file management systems, in a timely manner. 
• Attend regular KWILS staff meetings. 
• Participate in performance discussions and development reviews.
• Undertake ongoing professional development in accordance with KWILS’ policies and procedures, and in consultation with the KWILS Managing Solicitor and Support Services Practice Lead. 
• Ensure compliance with KWILS’ policies and procedures. 
• Contribute to the ongoing development of KWILS’ policies and procedures. 
• Contribute to organisational commitments to funding bodies and the KWILS’ Management Committee including case studies, outreach work summaries, and facilitating client and CLE feedback surveys.

This list is not exhaustive, and the role may change to meet KWILS’ overall objectives. 

The person we are looking for will have: 

Qualifications & Experience:

• Qualifications or ongoing study in community services, social work, social science, counselling or related fields will be highly regarded. 
• Experience working in or familiarity within community services, community legal, or DFSV sector will be highly regarded.  

Knowledge

• Awareness of, or willingness to learn, the current legislation and frameworks relevant to the protection of victim-survivors of DFSV and the interaction between them, including Northern Territory mandatory reporting requirements, and the Child Protection and Family Law frameworks.  
• Understanding of, or willingness to learn, contemporary domestic violence practice, including the gendered nature of violence; working with trauma; and common presentations of DFSV such as coercive control and the misidentification of primary perpetrator. 
• Understanding of the issues facing women who are victim-survivors of DFSV as well as additional barriers women may face for reasons including race, culture, gender, disability, language, poverty, age and sexuality.  

Skills & Competencies

• Client focussed. 
• Ability to use sound judgement and discretion, and maintain a high level of confidentiality. 
• Experience providing collaborative, flexible case management or support work, including developing case and safety plans. 
• Demonstrated ability to model professional boundaries in interactions with clients, staff and service providers and a commitment to ethical practice. 
• Demonstrated ability to sensitively take instructions from clients who have experienced and/or are experiencing DFSV, child sexual abuse, and other forms of discrimination and abuse by way of trauma-informed best practice. 
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse clients and colleagues.
• Strong problem solving and decision-making skills both day to day and in crisis situations or with limited supervision. 
• Experience in risk assessment in accordance with the Risk Assessment and Management Framework and Common Risk Assessment Tool, or ability to quickly develop these skills. 
• Willingness to assist and support others as required, and work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Commitment to working within a strengths-based approach. 
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills including ability to engage with women from diverse backgrounds and their communities. 
• Excellent organisational, administrative and time management skills.
• Aptitude in using Microsoft computers and Microsoft Office programs (such as Word and Excel) necessary to complete required tasks, and a willingness to perform administrative duties, as required.

Personal attributes

• A commitment to promoting the interests of women. 
• Commitment to human rights, social justice, equity, and diversity. 
• Passionate, self-motivated and open-minded.
• Adaptability and ability to work under pressure.
• Initiative and tenacity.
• Positive approach to change. 
• Values diversity. 

Other requirements

• Maintain a valid working with Children’s Check (Ochre Card) and Police Clearance
• Valid drivers licence
• 4WD experience (Desirable)