Records & Research Officer - [Archived Advertisement]

Records & Research Officer

Part time – 22.5 hours work/3 days per week

Belmont, Leederville

Relationships Australia WA is a leading provider of relationship support services to the West Australian community with professional and highly motivated staff.

About the role

We are offering a fixed term role of Records Research Officer in the Find & Connect, Forced Adoption Support Service, and Redress Support Service teams at our Belmont/Leederville offices. The position involves assisting members/clients, Forgotten Australians, Care Leavers, Former Child Migrants, and those impacted by Forced Adoption, to secure records. 

Responsibilities include:

1. Responding to client record and research enquiries
2. Conducting record searches, and apply for/securing, records and documents on behalf of clients.
3. Providing telephone, email, and face to face consultation/feedback to persons seeking information to access records held by past care providers, courts, govt departments, religious institution’s, schools, hospitals etc.
4. Working collaboratively with past care provider agencies to release records to members in a client focused, helpful, and constructive manner.
5. Providing verbal and written information and guidance on records searching options.

The current vacancy is 22.5 hours per week. 

Skills, experience, and qualifications

Essential Criteria

• Relevant experience in records management/archiving or librarianship, or other relevant disciplines.
• Excellent on-line research capability and understanding of family history/genealogy.
• Knowledge of privacy legislation and legal and administrative requirements for records access.
• Knowledge of requirements for access to records from government and non-government sources. 
• Demonstrated ability to assist people with information gathering, personal record searching or similar.
• Demonstrated competence in computer applications including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) use of data bases, web searches.

Desirable Criteria

• Understanding of the history of institutional and out of home care in Australia and of the issues/barriers faced by Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants and those affected by Forced Adoption.
• Knowledge of trauma, an understanding of out of home care, and the impact of forced adoption.

A copy of the position description is available upon request.

Please contact the Records Research Officer, Tracey Graham on phone 6164 0240 for more information. 

Application instructions:

Applications must include a cover letter outlining suitability for the role and a current resume citing professional referees. 

Applications close at 5pm Monday 18 December 2023.

RAWA reserves the right to begin shortlisting and interviews prior to the closing date. 

Relationships Australia WA is committed to being a 'Child-Safe' organisation and expects all staff agree to our Children and Young People Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct. Appropriate rigorous reference and background checking will be undertaken, including a Working with Children Check (where applicable), WA Police Force National Police Clearance and identity check. We are committed to the safety and empowerment of all children, including those with a disability and from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.