An exciting opportunity exists to join the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women to lead a project to address the drivers of women's contact with the justice system by providing them with the opportunity to engage in sporting clubs and activities at a community level.

About Us

The Law and Advocacy Centre for Women Ltd (LACW) is a not-for-profit, Community Legal Centre that assists women who are in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system. We provide legal advice and representation in relation to criminal law, infringements, Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) Applications, child protection and intervention orders.

LACW provides a holistic, wrap-around service to clients, addressing the underlying issues that have brought them into contact with the justice system, as well as providing legal advice and representation. This is facilitated through an in-house Social Work and Case Management team, which provides wrap-around support, intensive case management and structured referrals for women to access the services they need to forge pathways out of the justice system.

About the Project

LACW is undertaking a project in collaboration with the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) and RMIT’s Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) to explore opportunities to address drivers of women’s contact with the justice system by providing at-risk women with the opportunity to engage in sporting clubs and activities at a community level.

In conjunction with VAFA, LACW will connect women who are in, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system with local community football clubs for the purpose of engaging in a range of activities that may include playing, training, club administration, assisting with team management, player support and social activities. The project takes a strengths-based approach to reducing women’s interactions with the justice system, valuing the capacity, skills, knowledge and potential in the individual women participating in the program, and working collaboratively with them and with the community clubs to design a program that will be best suited to achieving its goals of reducing women’s involvement in the criminal justice system.

About the Position

The position of Project Manager is required to manage the implementation of the Project over 24 months. This will include an initial pilot phase during which a small number of participants and clubs will assist in providing ongoing feedback in relation to the Project’s design and implementation, and a further roll-out phase where additional clubs and participants will be recruited. As part of this, Project Manager will coordinate a peer support group comprised of women participating in the project to provide feedback and input into the Project’s design and implementation. Both phases will be evaluated by the CIJ, and the Project Manager is required to assist in facilitating this evaluation.

The Project Manager will also be required to facilitate case-management and referral services to participants in the Project. Areas in which participants may require support include housing, health (including alcohol and drug use and mental health), family violence, family reunification, linking with culturally appropriate services, community integration, NDIS, and financial issues.

The position is a part-time role (0.5-0.6EFT) for a term of 24 months.

Please refer to attached position description for further information and key selection criteria.