Lived Experience Project Officer

Lived Experience Project Officer 

Clerk Grade 7/8 

• Revolutionising legal services with a trauma-informed, rights-based approach 

• Flexible work for 4-5 days/week 

• Temporary up to 12 months 

• Competitive salary ($110,266 - $122,058) plus superannuation and annual leave loading. 

About us 

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas criminal law, family law and every day civil law legal issues. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices. 

About the role 

The With You Lived Experience Trainer delivers trauma-informed, rights-based training to lawyers, allied professionals and legal support staff in the national legal assistance sector. This role is an opportunity to ensure that clients experiencing distress, mental ill-health and/or suicidality receive safe and effective legal services. Training, either in person or online, is always co-delivered with another trainer with legal or allied professional experience.

With You is a National Legal Aid training program for trauma-informed, rights-based legal services to people experiencing distress, mental health concerns, or suicidality. The With You Project is in the implementation phase of nationally codesigned training content, although there is some scope to develop specialised training to specific legal audiences.  

About you 

You are a flexible team player who thrives in a small team environment. You have the ability to train diverse audiences, a willingness to learn, and the capacity to travel interstate. You are passionate about making a difference and can build and maintain positive rapport with people from various backgrounds. You can provide advice and run workshops in a safe and engaging manner, drawing from your lived experience of trauma, distress  and/or suicidality. Additionally, you are adaptable to changes in work and communication styles based on emerging issues in the field and the needs of a wide range of learners. 

Legal Aid NSW has a flexible working policy. Applications are welcome from candidates who prefer to work four or five days a week. 

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months. 

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW! 

We are committed to diversity and inclusion 

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.  

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities.   

We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need an adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you’d like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at erecruitment@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. 

Other benefits of working with us 

• You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities. 

• We are an accredited Flex Ready and Carers and Employers certified employer and are recognised as leaders in the area of flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life. 

Key knowledge and experience 

• Understanding of the legal assistance sector, including lived experience of of trauma, mental distress and/or suicidality 

• Demonstrated experience in applying adult learning principles in delivering training. 

• Demonstrated experience in development and review of training materials for face to face and online training. 

• Experience with Articulate 360 and eLearning software preferred. 

• Demonstrated high level communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Demonstrated commitment to mental health recovery and social and emotional wellbeing philosophy, and knowledge of trauma-informed principles. 

The essential requirements for this role 

You must: 

1. be willing to do a Criminal Record Check  

2. hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies) 

3. live in NSW or be willing to relocate to NSW 

4. have personal/lived experience of ttrauma, mental distress and/or suicidality and ability to apply this when delivering training.  

5. have the willingness and ability to travel interstate. 

How to apply 

You MUST submit your application online. If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted.  

Your application must include: 

• your resume (no more than 5 pages) 

• cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please address the below question: 
   

How will you safely apply your personal lived experience of  trauma, mental distress and/or suicidality when delivering trauma-informed training to the legal assistance sector? 

Make sure your application is complete and you have answered all questions before you submit. 

Do you need help to apply?

It’s important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you:

• If you have questions about the role, you can contact the Hiring Manager Jennifer Chen on Jennifer.Chen@legalaid.nsw.gov.au or +61 2 9213 5264 
• If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have.
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the Role Description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate.
• Applying for a Role
• Working at Legal Aid NSW

Closing Date: Monday 14 April 2025 , 11:59pm