Aboriginal Enquiry Officer

Aboriginal Enquiry Officer (Identified)

Housing Contact Centre

Location: Bega 

• Industry leading training and career development
• 1 x Ongoing Full-Time
• Satellite Office Location: Bega
• Clerk Grade 5/6, Salary ($87,493 pa  - $96,540 pa), plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading
• A talent pool will be created for future ongoing and temporary roles

To meet the needs of Aboriginal communities in appropriate ways, it is important to have senior client service officers who are Aboriginal people. As an Enquiry Officer, you will have the opportunity to:

• provide an Aboriginal perspective
• advocate on behalf of Aboriginal people in your community
• build strong relationships with partner agencies to support and strengthen families and cultural connections
• use cultural knowledge to help inform and shape service delivery

About us

The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) was formed in 2019 with the merger of two former departments Family and Community Services (FACS) and Justice.

About the Agency

Housing Services, an agency of The Department of Communities and Justice, directly supports approximately 800,000 people every year and reaches a further million people through local community-based programs.

Housing Services is one of the largest providers of social housing in the world, providing a range of housing solutions to meet the needs of today’s community.

In partnership with the community, industry and individuals we provide safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities for those most in need so that they can live with dignity, find support if needed and achieve sustainable futures.

About the role

This is an Ongoing role in accordance with the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.

The Housing Contact Centre (HCC) is a 24/7 contact centre operation of approx. 320 staff. The HCC office is located in Liverpool, with a satellite office in Broken Hill and Bega. The centre delivers phone support to NSW clients with access to social housing services, including Link2home crisis accommodation, Social Housing Applications and Rentstart bond loan service.

The centre manages the Aboriginal Enquiry line (AEL), Which Provides Culturally appropriate services to clients over the phone between 8:30 am - 4:30 pm weekdays.

An important part of this role is to work within a team of Aboriginal Enquiry Officers to closely oversee the AEL service and work with internal and external stakeholders to provide this service to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. While the enquiry line is primarily handled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Client Service Officers (CSO), this role will be to manage escalations, as well as lead the AEL line toward future change and development.

Duties

• Lead Aboriginal client issue and inquiry resolution process from point of referral to the AEO by Aboriginal CSOs to completion to ensure timely response within service standards.
• Monitoring AEL service as a whole including statistics, to ensure all calls are actioned properly with timely resolution, and provide relevant advice when needed to Senior Operations Managers (SOMs), Service Managers and Team Leaders.
• Provide advice and/or make appropriate referrals to assist Aboriginal clients with complex support and housing needs in accessing appropriate support services.
• Collaborate with Aboriginal housing providers/AHO as needed to achieve appropriate outcomes for clients.
• Seek out and actively manage key internal and external stakeholder relationships in the local area based on open and regular discussions and feedback.
• Facilitate indigenous training – including training in AEL, local management of the Aboriginal, cultural awareness project, and related matters. Share specialised knowledge and coach/mentor and guide team members to strengthen effectiveness in managing competing client needs, and compliance with relevant legislation.
• Identify development and training needs for client service teams and provide on the job training, mentoring and guidance to client service staff to ensure Aboriginal clients’ specific needs are understood and appropriate services are delivered.
• Mentor AEL team members to further develop skills and general knowledge required.
• Collaborate with internal service areas as well as other agencies and service providers to broker services for individual clients, which requires a high degree of sensitivity and professional empathy.
• Provide cultural advice across all HCC services, by providing feedback to SOM and Team Leaders about matters referred to the AEL from CSO’s containing incorrect information or processes, with the aim to educate CSOs more deeply about Aboriginal housing issues to improve culturally sensitive service delivery for Aboriginal clients.

Please see below YouTube video link for more information about the role of a Client Service Officer within the team.

https://youtu.be/AWh4dE7X4yk

Essential requirements of the role

Department of Communities and Justice considers that being an Australian Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational qualification for this role in accordance with Sections 14 and 21 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 and under Clause 26 of the Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014.

• Documented verification of Aboriginality

The division will accept proof of Aboriginality confirming the following: 

1. You are an aboriginal person of Aboriginal descent;
2. You identify as being Aboriginal; and
3. You are accepted as such by the community in which you live

An acceptable form of documented verification is a “Confirmation of Aboriginality” letter, provided to you by a local Aboriginal organisation that includes a common seal from that organisation. 

• Possession of a current NSW Driver’s Licence or NSW Photo Card

About you

Are you enthusiastic, engaging and passionate about delivering great customer service interaction? Do you have good computer skills, with the ability to navigate multiple applications and systems? A great team focused attitude but also the confidence and initiative to work on your own? Sound administrative background?

Does this sound like you? Click here to download the role description.

Applying for the role

To apply candidates must submit:

1. Skills and experience as relevant to this role
    - A strong cultural knowledge, lived experience, connections and relationships with a deep understanding of Aboriginal communities and history
   - A covering letter (2 pages maximum) which clearly details
2. Up-to-date resume

Closing date: 11:59pm AEST Wednesday 7th December 2022

For role enquiries please contact Cinderella Cronan on Ph:0402330653 Email: Cinderella.Cronan@facs.nsw.gov.au

Appointments are subject to reference checks. Some roles may also require the following checks/ clearances:

• National Criminal History Record Check in accordance with the Disability Inclusion Act 2014
• Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012

IMPORTANT

To ensure recruitment at the Department of Communities and Justice continues without interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, some interviews and assessments may be performed using alternative methods.

This may include video interviewing, telephone interviewing and online assessments. If you are successful following review of your application, you may need to perform assessments and/or interviews via online platforms using a PC, laptop or smart phone. By doing so, we will be adhering to the strict social distancing advice currently in place.

You may be asked to complete a Health Declaration Form in later stages of the assessment process.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit

We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

If you require an adjustment within the recruitment process, please contact Jessica Akole on 02 9765 5557 or via email at jessica.akole@facs.nsw.gov.au and advise us of your preferred method of communication.

If you are looking for more information about workplace adjustments at DCJ, please visit our Careers site.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. 

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.