Volunteer with WESTS

Western Sydney Tenants’ Service (WESTS) is a community program under the Western Sydney Community Legal Centre in Parramatta.
We are seeking to recruit passionate volunteers from multi-disciplinary backgrounds with an interest in tenancy law, policies, and reform!

Volunteers for WESTS will assist an Intake and Referral Officer (IRO) in managing client calls and emails whilst conducting conflict checks against the name of Other Parties prior to processing the intake of their information into an online casefile system. From a day-to-day basis, the volunteers may be expected to correspond with various stakeholders and third parties such as other TAAP Services, a Community Legal Centre, Legal Aid NSW, Social Housing Providers, Social and Government Services, and the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal Registry.

Experienced Volunteers will have the opportunity to attend a conciliation or formal hearing process whereby a Tenants’ Advocate will assist in the negotiation for dispute settlement between parties. Those with experience will also have an opportunity to attend Community Legal Educations sessions with various stakeholders and clients; and assist with the preparation of evidence bundles, filing with the NCAT, and assist with any law and policy reform submissions.

Volunteers of WESTS will receive the following:

• Training in client intake, interviewing, office administration, and casefile maintenance (including policies on confidentiality and conflict of interests).
• An opportunity for an attendance with a Tenants’ Advocate to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Parramatta, Penrith, or Sydney) and assist in the facilitation of conciliation proceedings.
  [This will only be available to volunteers who have completed a minimum three months with WESTS.]
• Support from a culturally and linguistically diverse, tight-knit team of varying backgrounds such as law, commerce/business, social work, and medical sciences.

If you are interested in this role or would like to know more about the role, please email our staff with your CV + Cover Letter (addressing the selection criterion) or inquiry to: [email protected]

Selection Criteria

• Understands the changing legal and social needs of individuals and families within Western Sydney.
• Has a strong commitment to social justice.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with effective time-management.
• Able to communicate with clients, stakeholders, and other related parties through telephone and email in a professional and coherent manner.
• Able to input client data and instructions accurately and efficiently into a file system.
• Able to ensure strict confidentiality is upheld when corresponding with clients, stakeholders, and other related parties.

Please note that we welcome all individuals from a culturally and linguistically diverse background to apply for this position. A Working with Children’s Check is not necessary for this role.

The Volunteers’ Program for WESTS will not count nor be signed off for the practical experience module of any Practical Legal Trainess (PLTs).