Indigenous Family Liason Officer

The Indigenous Family Liaison Officer will provide in-Court support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people faced with family breakdown and/or who are accessing various services provided by the Court. The role will specifically support judges who either run Specialist Indigenous Lists or hear a high proportion of matters involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander litigants. Indigenous Family Liaison Officers will need to take a positive and collaborative approach to enhance cultural development within the pre-existing Court structure and case management pathway. The position may include opportunities to support the Court, acting as a collaborative and supportive point for conveying cultural change as required.

These roles will be focussed on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to understand the role of the Courts in family law matters, as well as ensuring that litigants attend Court events and provide support when interacting with the Courts’ processes. The Indigenous Family Liaison Officers can link Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with key legal and community-based services.
Indigenous Family Liaison Officers are also responsible for representing the Courts to the community. They are responsible for explaining the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the Court and to other service providers. They are required to develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with local colleagues inside the Courts, as well as establish and maintain external networks.
Depending on the operational needs, the position may be permanent, non-ongoing, full-time, part- time and/or casual. If casual, successful candidates should be flexible with respect to hours and days of work. Additional hours or days may be required during weeks during which the Courts’ lists are conducted, or the Judge requires additional support, whereas fewer hours may be required at other times. It is important that the work hours of successful candidates can support the weeks when the Court is circuiting to regional and remote locations.

Key responsibilities and duties

The Indigenous Family Law Liaison Officer role is fundamentally a support role to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families through the Court system. There are two primary elements to the Indigenous Family Law Liaison Officer role:

1. Providing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identifying litigants in family law matters by way of:
   • explaining the importance of attending and participating in Court hearings to litigants;
   • attending Court hearings and explaining court processes and requirements to litigants;
   • assisting litigants to file documents;
   • attending Court Children’s Service events and providing assistance to ensure that litigants and other significant persons are able to fully participate in these events;
   • attending dispute resolution events or any other events in the Courts’ case management pathway to ensure that litigants and other significant persons are able to fully participate in these events;
   • addressing the Judge during Court events to explain the practical difficulties which a litigant may be facing in a matter;
   • connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants to legal and other community based services;
   • reporting to the Courts’ Committees for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants; and
   • liaising with Independent Children’s Lawyers (where appointed in a matter).
2. Engaging with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and support agencies to raise awareness of the role of the Courts in family law matters and its connection with various governmental departments. Additionally, Indigenous Family Liaison Officers will need to be effective at:

• maintaining positive working relationships within the Court, and with local support services which may assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants.
• working with the local Judge(s) and Registrar(s) to organise and promote engagement events with local communities.
• under the guidance of the National Coordinator Indigenous Family Liaison Officers and Director – National Registrar Operations , appropriately educating the Courts’ staff on the needs and circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to assist them to fully participate in Court proceedings.
• candidates with particular skills and experience may have the opportunity to work in additional areas within the Courts, subject to the operational need of the Courts.

Competencies and Attributes
To undertake the role of the Indigenous Family Law Liaison Officer, the successful applicants will need to have:

• the ability to provide information to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities about how the Courts work and how to access their services;
• an understanding of the family law system;
• experience providing support to highly vulnerable parties and children;
• an understanding of the impartiality of the Courts and the ability to provide support to litigants with that in mind;
• Court experience is preferred, but is not essential; and
• proven ability to work effectively and autonomously with guidance from more senior members of the Courts.

Selection Criteria

The successful applicants will need to have:

1. Have an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander court-user needs especially in the area of family conflict.
2. Demonstrated ability to work in a positive, effective and culturally appropriate manner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and a positive and effective way with all key stakeholders internally within the Court (such as judges and staff) and externally (such as key organisations).
3. Demonstrated ability to be able to learn about the Court and to be able to pass on this information to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people effectively.
4. Ability to work with Judges and Court staff including Judicial Registrars, lawyers, Court Child Experts, and administrative staff in assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to fully access all the services provided by the Court.
5. Demonstrated experience in the engagement with, and strong links to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, such as experience with: not for profit organisations or Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations (ACCOs) or service delivery of Commonwealth and/or State Government initiatives relevant to improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with the ability to provide information about the Courts, which will allow the Courts and the community to work together. Demonstrated ability to make recommendations about the changes needed to procedures and policies to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people can access the Court and use their services effectively.
6. Have appropriate oral and written communication skills and a willingness to participate collaboratively and positively in further education.
7. Have an understanding of language and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and an ability to access and use interpreter services.

Successful applicants are required to have knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (criteria 1 & 2 above).

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 people.

Successful applicants are required to have knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

For any further questions, please reach out to Kirsty Maylin at 0499 566 696 or kirsty.maylin@fcfcoa.gov.au.

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