The Women’s Justice Network is seeking an enthusiastic, capable and experienced Caseworker to take up an exciting and dynamic role within the organisation.

The Women’s Justice Network is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation dedicated to improving the status, wellbeing and prospects of women and young women affected by the criminal law system. WJN addresses the many issues facing criminalised women and young women both systemically through advocacy, individually through one-to-one holistic case management and mentoring of women. WJN operates on the premise that providing women and young women with gender-responsive social support will lead to a reduction of recidivism rates and a minimisation of the burgeoning prison population.

This position will be responsible for providing holistic case management support for women entangled in the criminal justice system to enable them to become connected to their community and develop pro-social networks to enable women to live healthy and productive lives.

This Senior Caseworker position will focus on:

• Management and monitoring of all new referrals.
• Supporting Women in custody with the necessary resettlement needs to enable them to successfully transition from custody to the community.
• Developing and maintaining strong housing pathways for women.
• Developing and maintaining strong referral pathways to meet client needs.

Main Duties

• Support women into safe housing options
• Provide support to mentors and women, monitoring and supervising all mentoring relationships, processing, and responding as appropriate to mentor reports, referring women (mentees) to appropriate services, coordinating the support provided to mentees, and conducting monthly mentors’ meetings.
• Liaise with mentors to support the mentoring relationship.
• Support team members
• Acting in Senior advisory capacity to other case workers/team members
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the women and volunteers assigned to you
• Formally exit both mentor and mentee when the time comes to end a mentoring relationship
• Manage mentor and mentee program support needs
• Liaise with other caseworkers and organisations that have mutual clients to ensure the development and maintenance of a holistic support network
• Undertake assessments on women for participation in the program
• Connect with women in custody and the community on a regular basis to assess and liaise with prospective and current women
• Develop and maintain appropriate information and referral sources and networks with both government and non-government agencies
• Work in a collaborative manner with the WJN program staff to enhance outcomes for the women.

This position is classified under the Schads Award, Level 5, pay point is dependent on experience. Women’s Justice Network provides flexible and best practice working conditions including attractive salary packaging benefits and professional support.

Being a woman is a genuine occupational qualification for this position under Section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

First Nations Women and Women with lived experience of the criminal law system are strongly encouraged to apply.

A position description is attached.