Tenants’ Advice Service Team Leader

Tenants’ Advice Service Team Leader

About this role

TAS is an NT-wide service providing information, advice and, in some cases, legal representation to NT tenants including those renting privately, in public or community housing, in homelands and town camps, and in caravan parks, and boarding and share houses.

TAS focuses on housing and homelessness and assists with tenants’ rights and responsibilities and tenancy issues including starting, continuing, and finishing renting, repairs and maintenance, problems with landlords, rent increases, bond returns, damage, debts, anti-social behaviour, eviction, tenancy data bases. Legal issues also include anti-discrimination, tenants with complex needs and systemic issues.

TAS undertakes casework and provides legal representation, according to guidelines, and undertakes community legal education and reform aimed at improving law and legal and related services and supports for tenants in the NT.

The TAS Team is based in Darwin, and undertakes outreach and involvement in networks and collaborations which involve travel to regional and remote communities in the NT. The TAS Team Leader will be a major contributor in continuing DCLS efforts towards establishing a stronger presence in the Central Australia, Barkley and Katherine regions.

The TAS Team Leader manages the energetic and striving TAS Team, which includes community lawyers, advocates, and law student interns. The Team Leader reports to and actively collaborates with the Principal Solicitor and the CEO to manage, support and extend TAS operations and collaborations. The role is part of the DCLS Leadership Team and collaborates with the GLS and SDRS Team Leaders to maximise positive impacts.

The role involves travel away from Darwin, to regional and remote communities, for short periods.

Key duties and responsibilities

Coordination/leadership

  • Provide day-to-day management, coordination, and support for the TAS Team
  • Promote a culture of empowerment, continuous improvement, and innovation
  • Facilitate positive Team and external relationships
  • Help ensure TAS services are accessible and responsive to the needs of clients and communities
  • Identify and help pursue opportunities to advance the interests of tenants including access to legal help
  • Collaborate and partner with key stakeholders for positive influence to achieve reforms in response to systemic and other issues affecting clients and communities
  • Participate in the DCLS Leadership Team and collaborate with DCLS Team Leaders, Principal Solicitor and CEO to maintain and extend TAS operations and positive impacts

Legal Advice and Casework

  • Provide day-to-day management of the provision of information, advice, referral, and casework in TAS legal areas of law according to DCLS guidelines, funding, and professional requirements
  • Ensure legal professional standards, efficient and effective workflows, file and management routines
  • Provide professional supervision and support to staff
  • Prepare and/or assist with the preparation of more complex TAS cases
  • Represent clients in more complex TAS matters
  • Monitor, analyse and plan regarding systemic issues arising from TAS casework and activities and from issues and trends

Community Legal Education

  • Engage and empower members of the community, and community initiatives, groups, and services by:
    • Collaborating to develop and share resources, publications, and workshops on tenants’ rights
    • Linking community legal education to capacity building, including community initiatives for improvement and reform
    • Designing and delivering community legal education in tenancy law, reform and related issues for high needs groups and other stakeholders

Law Reform

  • Engage the TAS team and other staff and contributors to help identify obstacles to justice for tenants in the NT and continue to energise the TAS program of law reform
  • Liaise with stakeholders and collaborators to maintain and extend relationships relevant to service delivery, input, and reform
  • Lead the TAS team in designing and delivering appropriate and effective responses to legal issues to tenancy law issues
  • Contribute, and facilitate others contributing, to public debate through authoritative, well-evidenced interventions including lived experience

Accountabilities

  • Report to, coordinate and collaborate with the Principal Solicitor regarding TAS legal practice, law reform, community legal education and service provision
  • Contribute to reports for the Board of Directors, AGM, and other forums
  • Ensure recording and analysis of statistics and contribute to reports against performance indicators
  • Provide expertise and capacity in planning and development / expansion of TAS services
  • Assist in monitoring and evaluating TAS services to maximise positive impacts
  • Collaborate effectively as a member of the DCLS team and the DCLS Leadership team to achieve strategic objectives
  • Ensure compliance with Professional Indemnity Insurance requirements, the Risk Management Guide, and professional standards
  • Adhere to DCLS values, policies, and procedures
  • Other duties as reasonably directed by the Principal Solicitor and CEO

Selection Criteria

Essential

  1. Demonstrated commitment to social justice and empowerment
  2. Familiarity with the residential tenancies, homelessness and broader policy environment in the NT and ways of contributing to change
  3. Eligible for an unrestricted legal practicing certificate in the Northern Territory
  4. Knowledge of tenants’ rights and relevant legislation in the Northern Territory, or a demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire this knowledge
  5. Willingness to accept responsibility, work independently, take initiative and support others to do so
  6. Commitment to supportive legal practice management and adherence to practice management standards, policies, and procedures
  7. Experience in providing professional supervision, coaching and support to others and enhancing team collaboration, effectiveness, and wellbeing
  8. Ability to manage competing demands, optimise use of available resources and achieve quality impacts
  9. Excellent interpersonal skills, self-management, and conflict resolution skills
  10. Excellent analytical skills, research, and oral and written communication skills
  11. Excellent computer literacy and ability to adapt to use of different systems
  12. Current NT Driver’s Licence and ability to travel outside of Darwin as required for short periods of time
  13. Current National Police check
  14. Northern Territory Working with Children (OCHRE) Card

Desirable

  1. Familiarity with CLASS (Community Legal Assistance Services System), data, reporting and customising or ability to rapidly achieve familiarity.

Position Description

Salary and other benefits 

Current salary level of SCHCADS 7.1 – 7.3 depending on skills and experience. DCLS pays above award wages and salary packaging is available. Superannuation per legislation, 6 weeks annual leave, generous conditions as per DCLS Enterprise Agreement.

DCLS is a smoke free workplace and an equal opportunity employer

Applications close 18th July 2022 and the Organisation reserves the right to close the position early should a suitable applicant be found.

To apply  submit applications with resume and cover letter to recruitment@dcls.org.au.

 

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