Referral and Client Data Officer

Be the calm, capable first step in a client’s Waratah journey.

Permanent part-time, 0.6 FTE | Community Services Worker Level 4 | Social and Community Services (WA) Interim Award

About Us

Waratah is a specialist service in the South West of Western Australia. We support children, young people, adults and families impacted by family and domestic violence and sexual assault or abuse through counselling, assessment, safety planning, advocacy, prevention and community education.

At Waratah, every person deserves to be met with dignity, safety and respect from their very first contact with us.

Waratah acknowledges, honours and welcomes the diverse communities we share. We celebrate the extraordinary diversity of people’s bodies, genders, cultures, sexualities and relationships.

We encourage people from different backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with disability.

The Role

The first response matters.

For someone reaching out to Waratah, a phone call, email, written referral or office walk-in may be the first step in a difficult and deeply personal journey. We are looking for someone who can make that step feel safe, clear and human.

This is a genuinely client-facing role. You will be a key first point of contact, welcoming people without judgement, explaining our services and what happens next, confirming safe contact arrangements, identifying communication or access needs, and gathering only the information required to move the referral forward. You will need to be available from 9am until 5pm, in line with office opening hours.

Using clear Waratah prompts and procedures, you will complete an initial referral and client data triage and immediate risk screen. Where criteria are met, you will record the referral, book the initial Intake appointment and provide a clear handover to the Intake Officer.

Accuracy matters here because people matter. You will keep referral and client information accurate across Jotform, Taklit and SHIP, manage appointment communications and follow-up actions, and make sure no enquiry or referral is lost, duplicated or left without a clear next step.

You will not be expected to provide counselling, undertake the formal Intake process, complete safety planning or make clinical decisions. You will work within clear role boundaries and escalate urgent, complex or high-risk matters promptly to the Intake Officer and/or Clinical Risk and Compliance Lead.

About you

You understand that an excellent first response is both compassionate and organised. You can connect with the person in front of you while still protecting privacy, following procedure and making sure the next action happens.

Essential selection criteria

1. A relevant qualification in Business, Administration, Community Services or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience in a client-facing administration, reception, referral or service coordination role.

2. Demonstrated ability to communicate calmly, clearly and respectfully with clients and prospective clients, including people who are distressed, and to prepare clear, professional written responses.

3. Ability to follow structured triage and risk-screening prompts, recognise urgent or high-risk indicators, maintain role boundaries and escalate appropriately without making clinical decisions.

4. Strong administration, organisation and data-accuracy skills, including confidence using client databases and online forms and the ability to manage competing enquiries, appointments, records and follow-up actions.

5. Sound understanding of privacy, confidentiality, consent, safe-contact practices and professional boundaries, together with a commitment to trauma-aware, culturally safe, inclusive service delivery and effective teamwork.

Desirable criterion

6. Experience with SHIP, Taklit, Jotform or comparable client-management and referral systems and/or knowledge of relevant South West referral pathways.

What we offer

· A permanent part-time position at 0.6 FTE.

· Classification at Community Services Worker Level 4 under the Social and Community Services (WA) Interim Award.

· Five weeks annual leave.

· Access to not-for-profit salary packaging benefits of up to $15,900 per annum.

· Professional supervision and support from a specialist, values-led team.

· A role where careful administration and genuine human connection directly shape a client’s experience of support.

How to Apply

Please apply through SEEK and include:

• your current resume; and

• a covering letter of no more than thee pages that clearly addresses all five essential selection criteria listed above.

Your covering letter must use the criterion numbers 1 to 5 as headings. Under each heading, give a brief example or other evidence demonstrating how you meet that criterion, including what you personally did and the outcome. If one example addresses more than one criterion, clearly identify each criterion it supports.

You may also address the desirable criterion, but this is not mandatory. Applications that do not address all essential selection criteria may not progress to shortlisting.

Applications close Wednesday 19 August 2026.