Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To act as a contact person for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program [V/WAP] office and Domestic Violence [DV] Crown Attorneys to provide clients with Program and services information, and to provide client assistance at the counter. To provide a wide range of administrative services for the DV Crowns and V/WAP Office.

Duties / Responsibilities :

In the Victim/Witness Assistance Program [V/WAP] and for the DV Crown Attorneys, the position:

• Responds to inquiries from clients, justice sector stakeholders and community agencies, assesses nature of the inquiries to provide appropriate information [e.g., case status, explanation of basic legal terminology, community resource and service information] and refers case issues to the V/WAP Manager, V/W Services Worker and/or DV Crowns.

• Responds to distressed and emotionally upset clients who may be in crisis situations by listening and assessing nature of the enquiry, calming the client and using sensitivity, tact and diplomacy in asking appropriate questions; refers client to V/W Services Worker and/or V/WAP Manager as directed through the V/WAP Policy & Procedures Manual.

• Records telephone and walk-in enquiries on Case Tracking systems and alerts V/W Services Worker and/or V/WAP Manager to critical issues.

• Reviews Crown Briefs or charge sheets, and receives referrals from police, Crown Attorneys and/or community agencies, searches relevant material and flags domestic violence cases; retrieves and photocopies background information [such as victims' statements, bail/probation orders, case dates, sentencing dates, police reports, court information, summary of contact information with victim/witness, victim impact statements, bail/probation orders] from case files and/or Case Tracking Systems; flags information for attention of the V/WAP Manager or V/W Services Worker. Takes appropriate action [i.e. registers new file, sent court documents, letters on behalf of client or refer to V/W Services Worker].

• Establishes and maintains office filing systems; opens, updates and closes confidential case files and updates program manuals in accordance with the V/WAP Policy & Procedures Manual and Ministry retention guidelines and directives.

• Manipulates stored data to extract, reformat, revise and update information; compiles and prepares a variety of statistics as requested by V/WAP Manager.

• Prepares routine correspondence (e.g., notification letters to community service providers regarding EI, bail variations, PARS), reports, spreadsheets, graphs, presentations and proofreads documents to ensure accuracy of grammar, spelling, syntax and formats.

• Maintains reception area and waiting room, ensuring adequate supply of pamphlets, brochures, magazines and routine forms.

• Maintains office equipment such as photocopier, facsimile machine and ensures adequate supplies of paper and ink cartridges and arranges for regular repair and maintenance.

• Arranges meetings, maintains and co-ordinates appointment calendars for DV Crowns, V/WAP Manager and Program staff; prepares and distributes agendas, minutes and background information/reading material and communicates with Program staff regarding events and meetings.

• Attends Domestic Violence Court Advisory Committee (DVCAC) meetings as instructed by V/WAP Manager/DV Crowns, distributes agendas and records minutes.

• As a member of the V/WAP team, identifies gaps in services regarding operation and administration of the V/WAP program; provides input, suggestions and ideas on improvements to V/WAP procedures and processes.

• Provides assistance to the V/WAP Manager in training/orientation sessions for volunteers and students; works with students and volunteers by providing information, training, orientation and assistance; and orients new staff on clerical and administrative processes and procedures of the V/WAP office.

• Provides back-up to the Administrative Assistant in the V/WAP office.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Staffing and Licencing :

For Designated Position Only: Oral French Language Skills at Advance Level

Knowledge :

• Knowledge of V/WAP services, policies and procedures, victims' issues and services available to victims in order to provide customer service to clients, to flag and prioritize cases and important issues to VWAP Manager and V/W Services Worker, to process incoming mail, open and compile case files with appropriate and accurate documentation.
• Knowledge of Criminal Justice System processes and relevant sections of legislation to respond to general enquiries from clients about court procedures and events/sequences, legal terminology in court documents, meaning of court language.
• Knowledge of community agencies and government organizations in order to provide information to clients and act as a point of contact for clients who may be in crisis or in need of emergency assistance.
• Knowledge of Government, Ministry and office administration policies, procedures and practices to provide effective administrative services to the V/WAP Office and the DV Crowns.
• Knowledge of the practices and procedures of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy Act to provide accurate, non-confidential verbal and written information when responding to general verbal or written inquiries from clients, Courts, Counsels, community agencies and other government agencies.
• Knowledge of arithmetic to input and collate statistical program information.
• Knowledge of personal computer and office software operations such as word processing, spreadsheet applications and ministry/program database systems to prepare correspondence, input data and collect information for statistical reporting.
• Knowledge of internet and website applications to access information related to general office administration.

Skills :

• Analytical and problem solving skills to review incoming mail and domestic briefs, to retrieve court documents and to flag/prioritize information for the attention of the DV Crowns, VWAP Manager and/or V/W Services Worker, and to search for supporting background documents from the Crown/Police/Probation in order to compile DVC case files.
• Organizational skills to prioritize daily work, to organize information in case files, to maintain, input and revise electronic, manual and bring forward filing systems, to arrange meetings, and to maintain appointment schedules for the DV Crowns, VWAP Manager and V/W Services Worker.
• Oral communication and interpersonal skills and application of judgement, tact, sensitivity and diplomacy to deal with clients who may be emotional, upset or in crisis situations and to provide then with appropriate customer service, community resource information and support; to provide appropriate information in response to routine and non-routine enquiries, to explain legal terminology and to provide factual information about V/WAP services and DVC activities.
• Written communication skills to prepare routine correspondence, to input detail and factual information, contact with clients on case tracking systems and to proofread written communications for accuracy in content, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation and format.
• Ability to work effectively within a team environment.

Fully Programmable Word Processing
Typing to Ministry Standards (50 WPM)

Freedom of Action :

Works in a team environment under general supervision of the Manager, V/WAP and with technical guidance from the DV Crowns and V/W Services Worker and in accordance with established policies, procedures and internal V/WAP Program Policy & Procedures Manual and Ministry/ Government guidelines and directives, the position has responsibility for:
• provision of administrative services for the DV Crowns and V/WAP Office, for accurate customer service support and for providing appropriate service resources information within parameters established in the V/WAP mandate;
• determining what information to divulge or not divulge due to confidentiality and what enquiries to refer to the DV Crowns, V/W Services Worker/VWAP Manager for direct client support purposes;
• latitude to set daily work priorities in administrative duties, to maintain and update electronic and manual bring forward filing systems, to set up case files, to format correspondence and reports, to arrange appointments, and meetings within established time frames and in consultation with participants;
• recording accurate and factual information received from and provided to client on established case tracking systems; and
• compiling information for statistical purposes as directed by VWAP Manager.

Work is reviewed by the VWAP Manager with input from DV Crowns for accuracy, progress and results. Errors are identified through periodic review of database systems or complaints from clients, enquiries from Crowns or court administrators.
• Job refers serious client issues, calendar conflicts, persistent requests to divulge information of a confidential nature and matters not covered by established procedures and guidelines to the DV Crowns and/or VWAP Manager for resolution.
• Errors such as provision of inaccurate community resource information or inaccurate calendar scheduling will affect clients negatively, result in upset and irate clients, create delays in client's willingness to participate in DV and V/WAP processes and take time/resources for Program and court staff and Crown Counsel to rectify and could result in negative publicity for the Ministry.
• Errors in setting up and maintaining accurate filing systems and inaccurate contact notifications on case tracking systems will have adverse impact on clients, provide Courts and Crown Counsel with inaccurate information for the administration of the court case and impact on the Program's ability to provide valuable assistance to the client.
• Delays in notifying VWAP Manager/V/W Services Worker for clients at risk may compromise client safety.