Specialist Housing Worker – Place for Change

• Max term, part-time opportunity until June 2024
• 60.8 hours per fortnight
• $48.6905 per hour + super + salary packaging + wellbeing leave (pro-rata)
• Note that this role will be based in Epping
• Seeking candidates with experience working in the family violence area

What’s in it for you

Our permanent and fixed-term employee benefits include:

• Contributing to useful and rewarding work and giving something back to the community
• Wellbeing days (on top of annual leave)
• Flexible working arrangements
• Purchased leave
• 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

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team based at Uniting Epping, an opportunity exists for a suitably experienced Specialist Housing Worker, with advanced understanding of the homelessness service system and the necessary skills to work with and support the target cohort group. The program seeks to optimise victim survivor safety by providing alternative accommodation for perpetrators who are excluded from the family home and who require an accommodation and case management response to manage family violence, and in turn to increase safety for victim survivors by supporting them to remain safely in their own homes and communities.

Working within the Place for Change team at Uniting Epping, which includes a Coordinator, Case Managers and access to Financial Counselling and Men’s Behaviour Change, this Specialist Housing Worker role will undertake assessment and planning with the individual for their transition from the family home to suitable accommodation options in the Homelessness Service System and completion of applications for Social Housing, or to housing in the Private Rental market. These transitions will be achieved through assistance with information pertaining to the available and most suitable housing options, preparation for and undertaking of private rental searches, applications for private rental &/or social housing properties, provision of financial assistance, risk assessment and referrals. This will involve working with clients, through direct face-to-face and telephone contact to achieve agreed case goals and accommodation which address the diverse circumstances and backgrounds of perpetrators.

The position requires a high level of emotional resilience and skills in working with people who are marginalised and disenfranchised. This position requires a strong understanding of the cycle of violence, safety and risk assessment, MARAM and working with people who use family violence without collusion.

What we’re looking for (key selection criteria)

• Proven experience in client-facing experience in homelessness, housing &/or related fields.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice & inclusion and an understanding of family violence, housing and homelessness policy, context and systems, in particular the Opening Doors framework, the Family Violence Protection Act and the Victorian Housing Register.
• Demonstrated skills and aptitude in working with people with complex needs, and experience in working with people who are marginalised and disenfranchised. Experience working with perpetrators of family violence an advantage.
• 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.
• Demonstrated understanding of Family Violence and common risk assessment frameworks and policies such as MARAM, the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and Children’s Information Sharing Scheme.
• Valid Victorian drivers’ licence.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of Launch Housing and our mission to end homelessness.

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 may 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 adequate training & supervision, Wellbeing Days, and access to Employee Assistance Program.

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 Shirl Brown on [email protected] using the subject line: Specialist Housing Worker – Place for Change enquiry via EthicalJobs or 0429 000 496.

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

A position description is attached.

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!

If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process please let us know at [email protected].

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.