A Day in the Life of Julia, Enquiries and Liaison Officer

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Julia Manning and my pronouns are she/her. I currently live on Awabakal land and I work on Dharug land at ADNSW as an Enquiries and Liaison Officer.

Prior to working for ADNSW, I worked at a charity in the United Kingdom and volunteered at international human rights NGOs.  

In these roles, I have assisted in campaigns, managed enquiries services, written grant applications as well as policies on adherence to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UK Equality Act. 

Why did you join Anti-Discrimination NSW?

I am a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community with lived experience of disability and carer's responsibilities. I am passionate about dispute resolution and alternative justice measures, such as we provide through conciliation at ADNSW. The rights that I am afforded under the Anti-Discrimination Act are important to me, and I am proud to contribute to upholding them. 

Can you describe your role? 

In my role I process complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, victimisation and vilification under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).   

On an average day, I respond to general enquiries about the coverage of the Act and ADNSW’s processes; I process complaints that require more information in order to be assessed; and I respond to questions from the public on the telephone. During the lockdown this has been done remotely, but normally I would do so from our office in Parramatta. 

I often work with other teams on projects that arise, such as ADNSW’s recent seminar on disability discrimination complaints, for which I provided assistance on content. This sort of cross-team engagement helps ADNSW to ensure that the issues or topics we see through enquiries and complaints work is reflected through our communications strategies. 

What do you like most about your job?

A key driving force of mine is helping others to access justice and to improve their understanding of human rights. It has been my pleasure to speak to people in times of distress and to engage them with resources to help resolve their issues. These experiences make me feel as though I am making a difference, however small.  

What keeps you busy outside of work?

As well as having lived experience of disability, I am currently undertaking postgraduate study in disability and inclusion under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability at Deakin University. In this course, I apply my interest in access to justice services for people with complex support needs as well as people with speech, language and communication needs. 

I have had the privilege to enjoy extensive travel and look forward to when we can safely recommence travelling internationally. I also enjoy the outdoors, especially taking my dog Dilly for nature walks.