Social Worker Counsellor 

knowmore legal service is currently seeking  an experienced Social Worker Counsellor to join our organisation within the community legal sector.  This is an opportunity for the right candidates to be part of an organisation with fantastic career progression and professional development.

About knowmore

knowmore is a nation-wide independent community legal centre providing free legal information, advice, representation and referrals, financial counselling, support and systemic advocacy for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Since 2022 our service has expanded to provide legal advice and financial counselling for people applying to the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme, financial counselling for people applying to the Victorian Stolen Generations Reparations Package and free legal advice for survivors of child sexual abuse that are not eligible to apply to the National Redress Scheme. We continue to provide free legal advice, support and financial counselling in relation to the National Redress Scheme.

knowmore uses a multidisciplinary model bringing together lawyers, intake officers, social workers and counsellors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors and financial counsellors to provide trauma-informed, client-centred and culturally safe legal assistance to clients. Services are provided through a national phone line and face-to-face services in key locations, supported by a comprehensive program of outreach and community engagement across Australia. knowmore currently has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

About the Role 

This role delivers frontline trauma-informed, person-centered and culturally safe services to clients working within the knowmore multidisciplinary model. The key function of this role is to support clients in a trauma- informed way that minimises impacts of the legal process and helps them to understand the information, advice and options provided to them and in turn provide instructions to their lawyers.

Works at a local multidisciplinary office level, and is also part of knowmore’s national Support Services Team.

Duties and Responsibilities are including but not limited to:

• Providing crisis and short-term counselling and support for clients of knowmore through telephone and face to face services, responding to a high level of client requests in a timely and effective manner.
• Supporting clients within knowmore’s multidisciplinary teams and service delivery model, including working alongside lawyers, intake staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Advisors and administration staff.
• Providing information and supported referral assistance to clients to access other services that can assist them.
• Providing discipline-specific case consultation and support to co-workers within and external to knowmore for the purposes of supporting the well-being of clients and minimising the impacts of engagement with the service.
• Delivering outreach services where required which may include home visits and legal advice clinics. Outreach may involve intra and interstate travel and involves travelling with members of the multidisciplinary team, including at times to remote and regional communities.
• Delivering presentations including community education sessions about knowmore, information about the knowmore model and others as required.
• Representing knowmore at key external meetings and interagency and service coordination forums.
• Providing informal debriefing and situational support to co-workers as required to enhance awareness of wellbeing within a trauma-informed organisational framework.
• Co-working with colleagues in the local office, the Support Services Team and across other offices and teams of the organisation.
• Contributing to the development of practice knowledge and service responses including policy and procedure and best practice responses to working with the client group.
• Working within the management structure of knowmore including working effectively with the Manager of Support Services, and the Regional Client Services Manager.
• Accurately recording client activity and administrative information according to organisational and discipline requirements and standards.
• Contributing to knowmore’s law and policy reform work, including written submissions.
• Contributing to and participating in all internal meetings including office meetings, discipline- specific team meetings, knowmore all-of-staff meetings and others as identified.
• Ensuring work practices are ethical and comply with organisational and professional requirements.
• Monitoring own self-care and engage with knowmore in supporting and enhancing wellbeing and resilience.
• Engaging in regular supervision (both internal and external to knowmore) as directed.
• Actively participating in team/group supervision and other forums where multidisciplinary practice reflection occur.
• Undertake other duties and projects as directed.

Qualifications, Experience and Key Selection criteria 

• Tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology or Counselling including current membership with a relevant professional body.
• Five years or more relevant work experience, with a demonstrated commitment to excellence in counselling service provision.
• A well-developed understanding of institutional child sexual abuse, its impacts and current best practice approaches to working effectively with survivors.
• Experience working in trauma-informed, multidisciplinary services and teams.
• An understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples and, ideally experience in providing culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.
• Highly developed teamwork and stakeholder engagement skills including building successful referral relationships with other services.
• Experience in and willingness to work at a variety of off-site locations including external agencies, correctional centres, client home visits and outreach to other services.
• A high level of commitment to self-care, reflective practice and supervision.
• The role will involve intrastate and interstate travel to deliver services to clients on an outreach basis, and to undertake community engagement activities. A current driver’s license is desirable.

Location & Hours

• Location: Brisbane
• Full time hours 
• Ongoing Contract – subject to the funding of the knowmore service  

A competitive salary commensurate with the not for profit sector is offered together with the availability of salary packaging to achieve a tax effective total salary package.  In addition to being a flexible workplace, knowmore offers 11.5% superannuation (0.5% above the SGC), a 37.5 hour working week and 4 weeks annual leave, including annual leave loading.

Employees have access to a training and development opportunities as well as our Employee Assistance Program.

Additionally, knowmore offers the ability to partially work from home to facilitate a balanced work life.

Meet Aunty Glendra

Aunty Glendra Stubbs is a Wiradjuri woman and an Elder in Residence at knowmore. She has been supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients since knowmore began in 2013. In this video, Aunty Glendra shares her story about working at knowmore and supporting her clients on their journey. Video Link: https://youtu.be/Ib4Va2apySU

How to apply

Further Information about knowmore is available at www.knowmore.org.au

If this sounds like an opportunity you would be interested, please click ‘apply now’.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter outlining why you are applying for this position and your responses to the key selection criteria (maximum of three  pages)
• A resume with your skills, experience and qualifications

There is no application closing date for this role, we are keen to proceed with recruitment as soon as possible and interviews may be conducted as applications are received.

The role will be required to satisfactorily complete a National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check.

Due to the volume of anticipated applications, only successful applicants will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted as applications are received.

At knowmore we acknowledge the value diversity brings. We welcome applications from workers of all ages, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Agencies please note: This recruitment assignment is being managed directly by knowmore. We do not require extra assistance at this time.