This is a Part-time (0.4 FTE) permanent role 14 hours/week (2 days). Available for immediate start.
Remuneration and Benefits
- Level 4 SCHADS Award;
- $88,106.20 – $94,803.80 per annum excluding super and attractive salary packaging options ($35,242.48 – $37,921.52 per annum at 0.4 FTE);
- Four weeks of annual leave per annum plus leave loading;
- First Nations staff will be entitled to the colonial loading 4% on top of their base salary;
- Two weeks paid leave during the Christmas closure;
- All employees are eligible to salary sacrifice a portion of their base salary (up to $15,900).
An opportunity to make a difference
Caxton Community Legal Centre is a community legal centre whose purpose is to promote and protect human rights in Queensland through access to justice. Caxton provides accessible legal information so people know their rights and can prevent or respond to legal problems. Prioritising those who experience disadvantage, trauma and marginalisation, Caxton provides free, high-quality legal assistance and social supports.
This role sits within the Financial Rights Service at Caxton and supports the lawyers working in that service, including the identified First Nations Financial Rights Lawyer. The Service assists clients with financial and other vulnerabilities by providing legal advice, advocacy and community education in the areas of consumer credit and general consumer law, with a focus on exploitative and irresponsible industry practices.
The paralegal will complete legal and advocacy tasks, legal research, and provide administrative assistance. The successful applicant will also support the First Nations Financial Rights Lawyer in liaising and engaging
with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to increase delivery of financial rights services to First Nations peoples in the Greater Brisbane region.
Key accountabilities
- Provide paralegal supports to the lawyers including assisting with legal/advocacy tasks, providing court assistance, undertaking legal and policy research, and providing practical and administrative assistance as they deliver services to clients.
- Provide administrative support to the Consumer Credit and Debt Clinic and undertake administrative tasks as directed by lawyers.
- Support the First Nations Financial Rights Lawyer to identify, engage, consult and collaborate with key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, groups and networks for the purpose of increasing access to the financial rights service for First Nations peoples.
- Participate in the development and implementation of appropriate strategies to enhance access for First Nations peoples to the financial rights program and ensure its services/activities are delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.
- Contribute to Caxton’s First Nations Plan and its activities including with cultural knowledge and guidance to help to ensure that Caxton is culturally sensitive, safe and welcoming to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
- Backfill client services activities from time to time as required.
- Perform other duties as delegated by the managing senior lawyer
Essential requirements
It is a genuine occupational requirement that this position be filled by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person as permitted by and arguable under ss 25, 104 and 105 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld). Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they:
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
- identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- are accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in which they live
- Possess knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history
To allow confirmation of eligibility to be considered for this role, the successful applicant will be required to assert their status in writing and also nominate a referee who is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander who can confirm their status.
Other essential requirements
- A good level of computer literacy and competency in major administration software packages such as Microsoft (Outlook, SharePoint, Excel, Word)
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Ability to appropriately deal with sensitive and highly confidential information with a high level of tact, discretion and judgement
- Strong communication skills, particularly in obtaining information from clients
- Ability to identify legal issues and provide appropriate information referrals
Why Caxton Community Legal Centre?
Caxton Legal Centre has played a central part in Queensland’s legal landscape over the past 50 years, leading the state’s first Stolen Wages case, successfully representing well over 100 victims of the 2011 floods, and paving the way for multidisciplinary service delivery to people experiencing elder abuse.
We are an engaged, passionate and talented group of lawyers, social workers and administrative staff with whom you are encouraged to collaborate with and learn from in order to meet our client’s needs.
Our full-time staff enjoy a 35 hour working week paid at the full-time Award rate, with time off in lieu if additional approved hours are worked.
Paid Christmas leave is provided during the office shut-down period to New Years in addition to four weeks paid annual leave.
Caxton is currently experiencing significant growth and change across many of its programs; these roles represent investments into the future of our service delivery and capabilities across South-East Queensland.
Application Instruction
If you are interested in joining a team who are highly committed to social justice and value diversity and human rights, please apply by providing a 1-2 page cover letter addressing the key accountabilities and your CV, for the attention of Managing Senior Lawyer, Amanda Hess.
Position Description_First Nations Paralegal and Intake Worker