Initial Assessment and Planning Worker – Permanent

• Leading Housing and homelessness organisation
• Permanent, full-time opportunity
• Based in Collingwood
• Great and friendly work environment

Why join Launch Housing

Our mission is to end homelessness. We aim to get people housed, keep them housed, and be an influential voice on ending homelessness. We are a secular, independent provider of choice for clients and we’re striving to be the go-to organisation on homelessness for government, media, philanthropy, private donors and the community.

Our people are the backbone of our organisation and supporting their wellbeing and professional development is critical to our ability to help our clients and the community. We value lived experience and diversity in our staff, and actively work to ensure everyone is able to make their career with Launch Housing fulfilling.

Launch Housing is working to become more trauma informed and as a leading employer in the homelessness sector, it is important to let you know that you will hear stories of distress, hardship, trauma, or violence when working with us. We encourage you to reflect on how this may impact you when considering applying for the role. Sustaining the Health & Well-being of our staff is our priority. We provide high-quality training & supervision, Wellbeing Days, and access to Employee Assistance Program.

Our permanent and fixed-term employee benefits include:

• Contributing to useful and rewarding work and giving something back to the community.
• Wellbeing days, ceremonial leave, carers leave and study leave.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Purchased leave.
• 17.5% leave loading.
• Gender neutral paid parental leave (after 12 months of service).
• Training and career growth opportunities across Launch Housing.
• A portion of your income can be tax-free by salary packaging your personal expenses.
• Additional tax-free salary packaging on dining and accommodation expenses.
• Positive, supportive and progressive work environment.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the IAP Coordinator, you will primarily undertake initial assessments with people who are experiencing housing crisis, homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. These assessments are used to then inform planning with the individual or household, which may include referral to emergency accommodation for those in crisis, provision of financial assistance, information, prioritisation, referral, and the completion of housing applications. This will involve working with clients, through both telephone, email and direct face-to-face contact. The position requires a high level of emotional resilience and demonstrated skills in working with people who are marginalised and disenfranchised.

You will

• Provide initial assessment of housing and support need, information, and assistance to clients and to other regional services within the Opening Doors Framework.
• Provide client-centred services to persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including crisis intervention, assessment, prioritisation, assistance to secure crisis accommodation, assistance to secure or maintain long term accommodation, distribution of financial assistance and linkages to appropriate support services.
• Work as part of a multi-site team delivering face-to-face and telephone services in a high volume service.
• Utilise assessment tools to a high level of fidelity in the identification and prioritisation of people in the most urgent need of program resources.
• Advocate on behalf of those experiencing homelessness to ensure that services are relevant, flexible and accessible to people experiencing homelessness.
• Ensure clients are assisted to understand their rights & responsibilities in the provision of accommodation and support assistance.

For further information on the role please refer to the position description attached in this advertisement.

What we’re looking for

We are currently seeking skilled & passionate individuals, people committed to working with people who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness.

Key Selection Criteria

• A tertiary qualification in human services, social work or other relevant discipline.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice & inclusion and an understanding of housing and homelessness policy, context and systems, in particular the Opening Doors framework and the Victorian Housing Register.
• Demonstrated ability in working collaboratively with others towards effective client solutions.
• Demonstrated skills and aptitude in working with people with complex needs, and experience in working with people who are marginalised and disenfranchised.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, coupled with the ability to adjust personal style in response to individual clients and to act with empathy, sensitivity and understanding.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, please click on ‘Apply Now’ button. Please submit a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and your CV.

If you need additional information about this role, please contact Heather Shearer on [email protected] or Jackson Payne on [email protected] using the subject line: Initial Assessment and Planning Worker – Permanent enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Please note shortlisting will occur on a rolling basis, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

Launch Housing offers a wide range of career opportunities and employs a diverse range of talent. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to apply! We acknowledge, respect and celebrate Aboriginal cultures, languages, connections to Country and heritage, customs and practices. We’re committed to support Aboriginal peoples to obtain genuine and fulfilling career with us!

Launch Housing is a dog-friendly organisation, which allows dog owners to bring them in some of our sites, please contact the relevant Hiring Manager if you have any questions or concerns prior to your interview.

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know at [email protected] using the subject line: Initial Assessment and Planning Worker – Permanent enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Launch Housing is committed to being a child safe organisation and has zero tolerance to child abuse. Our hiring process involves rigorous screening of applicants. All of our people including students, contractors and volunteers must hold a valid Working with Children Check and satisfactory criminal history record check.

Launch Housing is an Equal Opportunity employer and supports accessible working arrangements for all. This includes people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, women, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex or queer. We acknowledge Lived Experience as a unique expertise and encourage people with a Lived Experience of Homelessness to apply. All applicants must have the right to work in Australia.

A position description is attached.