Engagement & Referral Practitioner

ABOUT US

Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service has a 35-year history of providing free legal services to people experiencing deep and persistent disadvantage. We have invested significantly in the development of our new Strategy 2025-2027 to ensure our organisation is providing contemporary integrated services to respond the shared and unique needs of the people we support across 11 local government areas in Western Victoria.

Our commitment is to change life stories through better access to justice and we achieve this by applying our values respect courage empowerment & kindness to the people of the communities we serve our stakeholders and our colleagues.

By providing legal services community legal education law reform and integrated services through client centred trauma informed and culturally safe practice we will improve the safety and wellbeing of families and individuals.

THE ROLE

The Engagement and Referral Practitioner will provide active engagement and referral support to vulnerable families seeking help for their interrelated legal health and family issues including those experiencing or at risk of family violence. Working within the context of a health justice partnership (HJP) the Engagement and Referral Practitioner will work collaboratively with our legal team and our partner services providers to best support clients.

Reporting to the Project Manager Health Justice Partnerships this position is responsible for:

• Identify opportunities within the partnerships to connect with families who may be experiencing interrelated legal health and family issues including family violence
• Provide early intervention engagement opportunities
• Support families to engage with a lawyer when legal assistance is required
• Support families to navigate their interrelated issues referring to and engaging with external specialised legal and non-legal support as required
• Contribute to the development and delivery of operations and implementation plans that aligns with research informed health justice partnership frameworks
• Ensure service delivery achieves funding targets and requirements
• Through networking and proactive relationship building establish connections with stakeholders that support the delivery of partnership activities and all BGCLS services and build a foundation for further opportunities

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Experience in supporting individuals and families affected by family violence
2. Ability to design service delivery within the project guidelines and funding requirements
3. Demonstrated ability to think innovatively and with a best practice mindset
4. Cultural awareness and an understanding of how to communicate and work effectively with families from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds
5. Experience in working collaboratively with stakeholders to achieve the desired outcome

QUALIFICATIONS

• Tertiary qualifications in relevant discipline (Social Work Allied Health Human Services Psychology)
• Current Victorian Drivers Licence
• Cleared National Police Record Check (it is the responsibility of all staff to notify the organization immediately if there are any changes to their criminal records status)
• Current right to work in Australia
• Valid employer Working with Children Check
• Physical ability to safely undertake all aspects of the position

For a confidential discussion please contact Narelle Laing CEO on.

Please apply via Seek. Applications will be processed on receipt.

Full details available in the Position Description which can be viewed by visiting Careers Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service Inc. ( or by emailing

This position is located in Ballarat with hybrid arrangements negotiable.

We welcome applications from people of all genders ages First Nation peoples people with disability people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and from lesbian gay bisexual trans gender diverse and intersex people.